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Plot Summary
Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, Keri Russell and Andy Serkis star in the thrilling next chapter of Planet of the Apes. Ten years after a deadly virus destroys most of humanity, the human survivors find themselves on the brink of war with a group of genetically enhanced apes led by Caesar, a war that could determine which species will dominate Earth.
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Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
90%- Reviews Counted: 241
- Fresh: 218
- Rotten: 23
- Average Rating: 7.9/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: This just might be the most engrossing, the smartest and the most daring "Apes" movie ever put on film.
Fresh: Beginning with the eradication of mankind by the simian flu that spread at the end of the last film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the new picture is the bleakest in a series that was never exactly all-singing, all-dancing.
Fresh: Continuing to exist peacefully in the same cannon as the films started in 1968 ... Rise and Dawn, like the earlier films, have enjoyably different vibes, adding to the series' epic-story feel.
Fresh: Given the constraints under which he must have been working, being filmed with motion capture technology and under layers of heavy make-up, Serkis' performance is extraordinarily expressive.
Customer Reviews
A Predictable, But Solidly Entertaining Sequel
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" was a summer blockbuster that caught many critics and filmgoers (myself included) by surprise. It rebooted the "Apes" franchise with revolutionary CGI technology, coupled with an incredible performance by Andy Serkis as Caesar. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes", while not the surprise that the first movie was, is still one of the better blockbusters of the summer.
10 years have passed since the "Rise" of Caesar and the outbreak of the simian flu that gave the apes their heightened intelligence. He now leads a colony of apes in peace, seperated from what's left of humanity; who were all but destroyed by the virus. When they come into contact to a small band of human survivors, a fragile peace is formed; but tensions begin to mount and it soon becomes clear that war will break out. The only question is who will draw first blood?
This film not only embodies but improves upon what was great about the last film, and those points are the visuals and Andy Serkis' performance. There are several points where you see the faces of all the different apes and they look very real. Serkis continues to build as a fascinating character with Caesar, who will do anything to protect his colony and his family. Matt Reeves; who directed the one of the greatest disaster movies of all time, Cloverfield, continues to show that he knows how to build tension and direct action while also giving it purpose. Michael Giacchino's score is very haunting and adds a lot to the drama of the film.
I hate to criticize this film, but there are some flaws that make this a slight step down from the previous "Apes" entry. If there were any problems I had with "Rise", it was that the human characters and the script were overall just 'there' and served the story without adding any spark to it. The same problems slide into this one as well, as the humans characters have almost less dimension than before, and there's no memorable dialogue. The story itself doesn't have any real surprises to it, as it eventually seeps into run-of-the-mill "us, or them" territory that we've seen in "Avatar", "Last Samurai", and several other films of its kind.
Overall, the first-rate visuals and great ape characters are so much fun to watch; it's just unfortunate that the played-to-death story and the two-dimensional human characters bring down what could have been a great summer movie to a slightly above average summer movie. Still, those shortcomings shouldn't discourage anyone from going out and seeing it. It's a very well-made blockbuster that does what any movie of it's kind should do: entertain. I give it a Low Full Price. (If there is such a thing)
"Apes! Together! Strong!" - Caesar
Best movie I've seen in a long time
When I first saw the trailer I knew it would be a great movie and a better sequel to the franchise
Best movie this year
Amazing, must see again!!!
- Genre: Action & Adventure
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