All hail Caesar!
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| Andy Serkis as Caesar |
It is an extremely rare occurrence when a movie rightly deserves to be
called epic. Scale alone can be impressive but it takes a level of nuance for a
big film to make an equally big impact on an audience. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes understands that which most
blockbusters don’t, that epicness isn’t defined by length or bombasticity but
by engaging strong characters with a sweeping landscape. That landscape happens
to be in the hills of the forest North of San Francisco where Caeser governs a
new generation of hyper-intelligent apes who communicate via sign language.
Following the events of the first film, a virus has caused the collapse of
human civilization and the apes have found a familial peace with each other in
the new world order.
All is well in the rocky treetops where they have built
Swiss-Family-Robinson-like homes for themselves. But life in Eden is about to
change because humans are not all yet extinct. Those genetically immune to the
virus have survived and are looking to rebuild. Soon enough a pack of rangers led by a man named Malcolm
crosses paths with the apes and attempts reconciliation in exchange for granted
access to a hydroelectric dam to power the fallen city. But Ceasar is hesitant
to trust humans after suffering at their hands. He senses war is looming and will
do anything to protect his family, anything to prevent apes from falling – ‘Apes
together, strong,’ he signs. Indeed Caesar is an epic character and we are
drawn to him like a magnetic. The fact that he is entirely rendered on a
computer is beside the point that he elicits more emotion than any other
character – Andy Serkis is completely transparent in role. I don’t know how the
special effects team pulled it off and I don’t want to know. The magic is in
the not knowing.
From the offset, Dawn
exudes a feeling of timelessness unlike I’ve ever felt from a Hollywood sci-fi.
It effortlessly lured me into believing the unbelievable, that computer
technology, when used as an aid to story rather than a distraction, can advance
cinema in ways I once thought impossible. The skeptic in me was floored by the
realness of the motion capture that captures every frown, every crease, every
eye movement from the real actors. Some of
it may look silly on the posters or in the trailer but it doesn’t feel silly
once you’re swept into the narrative. The screenplay is intelligent and
engaging on many levels, the core moral drama is weighty and moving. The
tension is high, the emotion even higher: for a big blockbuster that’s almost unheard
of. I got so used to watching pulp I’d forgotten what it was like to be treated
as a thinking, breathing audience member.
It’s not so much the plot I was surprised by, as it
was the confidence and gusto with which it was carried out. The human characters
are secondary to Caeser who is the hero of the piece. The very real dilemma of
peacemaking between species is endlessly fascinating and poses some serious
moral questions. From the personal to the spectacle, the film stands above its
competition produced this year. Like in the case of Peter Jackson’s King Kong
and Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, this is not one to miss on the big screen.
(Although I suspect it holds up remarkably better than the others on a small
screen).
Since the series reboot in 2011, all storytelling and
technological triumphs have grown from strength to strength to create a
haunting setup for a third installment.
Now having been spoiled, I don’t think I’ll ever understand why
filmmakers of talent waste their time producing meaningless dribble. Director
Matt Reeves has made something I suspect will only grow in prolificness in
years to come. If my praise sounds too high, it is only because it has
previously been very low. Once in a while a movie comes along and takes you by
surprise simply because it believes itself as is the case with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. The lack
of gimmickry and flashiness only strengthens the appeal of the visual. Say
goodbye to the boorish kineticism of loud and clangy blockbuster counterparts.
When mature and considered, tech and story together, strong!
