Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

I’m enjoying the development that the trilogy is going through so far, both in form and content. From an emotional human blockbuster with a distinctive auteur story to a bleak post-apocalyptic vision shrouded in dark colours and an insistent sense of impending conflict. The story itself is admittedly more or less generic and, with its clearly defined ideas and roughly sketched characters, it’s accessible even to the least perceptive patient of a Polio ward, but the experience stemming from the unearthly CGI and the gradual escalation of the seemingly controllable situation is nevertheless extremely engaging and, thanks to the atmospheric charge, this time the considerably more violent action scenes are as intense (albeit in a different, cheaper sense) as in the first film. Evil and good may have been clearly defined since from the moment they enter the stage, but their motivations remain so strong, logical and fateful that they far outweigh the unsurprising consequences of their actions... The visuals are truly fantastic, there are lots over-the-top sequences, and the scene of the year.. An incredibly very strong 4*. (28/07/2014)

Such an intelligent and breathtaking narrative with awesome CGI brings me euphoria. From start to finish, a visually epic and entertaining ride that makes you inhale at the beginning and exhale at the end. Caesar is a proper good guy with all the positive qualities (I'd like to have him as a friend), and Koba on the other hand is an incredible bad ass greedy and eager for war and revenge even his appearance looks incredibly ugly and evil. For me I'm beyond satisfied, but here I was expecting it so I'm not surprised :) 95% (29/10/2014)

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. (27/07/2014)

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. (17/07/2014)

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. (24/07/2014)