This photo released by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation shows Andy Serkis as Caesar in a scene from the film, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes." (AP Photo/Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation)

This photo released by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation shows Andy Serkis as Caesar in a scene from the film, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes." (AP Photo/Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation)

Reeling It In: New ‘Planet of the Apes’ film impresses

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”

Twentieth Century Fox

2 hours, 10 minutes

 

One of the pop-culture blogs I read recently did a feature listing all of the “Planet of the Apes” movies in order of how much of a “bummer” the ending was. This was kind of funny, but it really served to remind me of two things: one, that almost all of the “Apes” movies, released from 1968-1973 are schlocky, low-budget affairs (not counting the original which is a certified masterpiece), and two, how remarkable it is that these more recent iterations (not counting Tim Burton’s version which is certified junk) are so good.

2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” was an excellent movie, not only as a genre film, but as a well rounded, well thought out, well executed cinematic tale. The story of genetically enhanced apes, recipients of an Alzheimer’s cure gone awry, and how they escape humanity all the while ushering in a global pandemic is both fast-paced and methodical.

This week’s highly anticipated sequel, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” accomplishes the seemingly impossible task of besting the original, balancing emotional heft and an action-packed plot to create a brilliant film.

When we left off, Caesar, the first in a line and the leader of a colony of intelligent apes, has created a peaceful society in the rainforests outside of what was once San Francisco. It has now been more than ten years since the so-called Simian Flu wiped out nearly the entire human population of the world.

Things seem well, but the burdens of leadership weigh on our hero. Caesar’s son Blue Eyes is struggling to balance wisdom and action, and his second in command, the hideously scarred and emotionally damaged Koba, is beginning to chafe under domestic tranquility.

He needn’t worry for long. One day Blue Eyes and his friend Ash, son of Rocket (who you may remember from the first film as the whitish chimpanzee who bullies Caesar at first) are out scouting the area when they happen across a group of humans hiking through the underbrush. One has a gun and, spooked, he shoots Ash, wounding him.

This confrontation reveals to the apes that the few human survivors, far from fading away quietly, have been attempting to rebuild society on top of the ruins of their once proud city. A necessary component for this rebirth is the re-establishment of electrical power by reactivating a nearby hydroelectric dam. Unfortunately for all involved, access to said dam goes right through the apes’ territory. The inevitable culture clash could be enough to rip apart whatever fragile progress either group has made.

As impressed as I was with the first film in this new series, I was doubly impressed here. The confidence and patience involved in this story is supreme. Director Matt Reeves is content to let the tension and drama build naturally without any artificial push to a splashy climax. The characters are all fully fleshed out, and the fact that most of them are also fully furred makes no difference.

Andy Serkis, once again playing Caesar, is brilliant, able to convey the weight of the world through all those pixels. Also very good are Jason Clarke, as Caesar’s human counterpart, working to build a peace that is all but impossible, and Gary Oldman as Clarke’s partner, but less impressed with the apes’ capacity for compassion and intelligence.

The greatest feat of these films, this one in particular, is that it makes the ridiculous premise of talking, horse-riding, gun-toting chimpanzees believable — so much so that you begin to forget how strange it all is. I did feel that the film’s big emotional climax lacked a little of the punch it was going for, if only because it seemed inevitable, but this is a minor complaint. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is one of the best examples of genre filmmaking I’ve ever seen and one of best films of the year.

Grade: A

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is rated PG-13 for action violence and mature themes.

Speaking of mature themes, I was early to my screening of “Apes” and decided to sneak in and watch the first fifteen minutes or so of the new “Transformers” movie. If there were any group of films that was the absolute antithesis of all that I’ve written here it would be Michael Bay’s despicable giant robot series. In just a few minutes I was treated to Bay’s trademark bombastic cinematography where each new character is introduced, shot from below with a swirling dramatic camera shot. The little dialogue I heard was awful, but worst of all was the treatment of a blond teen bombshell who Bay takes pains to film in as lascivious a way as possible all the while having the script decry her lack of conservative sensibilities. It was more than a little disgusting. Luckily a good movie was starting, so I didn’t have to endure it for very long.

 

Chris Jenness is a freelance graphic designer, artist and movie buff who lives in Nikiski.

More in Life

This Korean rice porridge, called dak juk, is easy to digest but hearty and nutritious, perfect for when you’re learning how to eat. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
A comforting meal for new beginnings

Rice porridge is a common first solid meal for many, many babies around the world

file
Minister’s Message: The sound of God’s voice

In all my desperate prayers, I sometimes forget that God has spoken definitively already

Rivers and Ice by Susan Pope. (Promotional photo)
KPC Showcase to feature discussion with Alaska author Susan Pope

Pope will discuss her memoir “Rivers and Ice: A Woman’s Journey Toward Family and Forgiveness”

Promotional photo courtesy Sony Pictures
Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace and Celeste O’Connor appear in “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.”
On the Screen: New ‘Ghostbusters’ struggles to balance original ideas and nostalgia

“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” picks up right where “Afterlife” left off, and it also succumbs to a lot of the same problems

document from ancestry.com
William Raymond “W.R.” Benson’s draft-registration card from 1942 reveals that he was 52 years old, living in Seward and self-employed. His wife, Mable, is listed as a person who will always know his address.
Hometown Booster: The W.R. Benson Story — Part 2

W.R. Benson was a mover and a shaker throughout his life, but particularly so in Alaska

Terri Zopf-Schoessler and Donna Shirnberg rehearse “The Odd Couple: The Female Version” at the Kenai Performers’ Theater near Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘Iconic, classic comedy’

Kenai Performers debuts “The Odd Couple: The Female Version”

Photo provided by Sara Hondel
Sara Hondel stands with a leprechaun during Sweeney’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Soldotna on Sunday. Green, leprechauns and Nugget the Moose poured down the streets for the 34th annual parade hosted by the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce. Under cloudy skies — but fortunately no precipitation — a procession of viridescent celebrants representing businesses and organizations brought festivities to an array of attendees lining Redoubt Avenue.
Go green or go home

Soldotna turns out for St. Patrick’s Day parade

Eggplants, garlic, lemon juice and tahini make up this recipe for baba ghanouj. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
When making a good example is hard to swallow

Preparing baba ghanouj despite a dislike of eggplant

William Raymond “W.R.” Benson (front row, far right) poses along with the rest of the Sigma Nu fraternity at Albion College in Michigan in about 1908. Despite a lifetime spent in the public eye, Benson was apparently seldom captured on film. This image is one of the few photos of him known to exist. (photo from the 1908 Albion College yearbook via ancestry.com)
Hometown Booster: The W.R. Benson Story — Part 1

W.R. Benson was a man almost constantly in motion

Most Read