Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

A few minutes of over-digitalized introduction suggests that the second instalment bet on a completely different horse than the first part, where digital monkeys complemented an emotionally charged and dramaturgically sensitive story about people and the place of animals in the human world (and vice versa). It was a cleanly made film in the Spielberg tradition. The second film drowns in digital effects, is action-packed and, following the current trends set by Nolan, visually dark. Which in itself might not hurt if all of its characters had a meaningful place in the story and if it didn’t provoke emotions with cheap sentiment. I really expected more from Matt Reeves than a mere flashy but empty blockbuster. (10/17/2014)

Ten winters have passed since the events in part one and apes haven’t seen humans for a good few years. But the idyll that Caesar build in the jungle away from the city is to come to an end when man enters his territory. Slow building of relationships and introduction of heroes prove to be worth it in the more warring second half. When Koba gets to work with his gun. The ape gang led by Andy Serkis comes across more realistically than last time and so we should say a few words about the excellent acting performances. Kebbell’s Koba is awesome. The human rabble is concentrated around Clarke’s family and even though they fade a little beside their ape brothers, they are still really fine. I was surprised about Gary Oldman’s appearance. He isn’t given much room. Excellent narration from Reeves on a conversational level, but he’s also at home in warring situations. The attacks by the apes and one-to-one combat are original and powerful (especially the scene with the armored transporter and the rotating turmoil of battle) with precise special effect sequences. The ruins of San Francisco is a feast for the eyes too. I’m happy. Apes do not kill apes. (07/25/2014)

This time there’s no CGI in the service of perfectly crafted emotions, honest monkey looks, and precise directorial construction of a simple plot, as Reeves sees the film's basic thrust on the exact opposite spectrum of blockbuster rules. Work with the characters is at zero, and plot predictability is at the max. As the minutes ticked by, I honestly felt so bad for every moment I guessed in advance that I wanted to turn in my movie ticket and get my money back. Fail of the year. (07/27/2014)

A sequel that is neither grander, nor more action-packed or more spectacular than its predecessor. It continues in a very generic manner and the conflict between the two species is portrayed quite narrowly (one city versus one clan of apes in the forest). Nevertheless, it is a decently done work with a good cast and captivating visual effects, which are beautiful and not just for the sake of it – the CGI successfully manages to evoke various types of emotions in the viewers. There are plenty of tearful scenes, but the truly moving ones make up barely fifty percent. Minimal action, but dense psychology and it certainly won't offend the intelligence of the audience. However, I consider this trend as something expected from the first installment and, despite all the positives, the second installment did not move beyond that. (07/18/2014)

People. Apes. Hominids. Mammals. Scum. Everybody. Speak. Lots. CGI. Lots. Blockbuster. Thought. Seemingly. Superficial. Black and white. Too simple. Half-assed. First. Better. Suspense. Subliminal. Silence. Storm. Sequel. Different. Very. Overtone. Current. Inevitability. Pretend. Worse. No. Better. Different... And as a bonus to the short-spoken speech of animals, you get the origin of the shrew legal loophole in the apish lawbook committed on Rambo the Ape. (07/16/2014)