Pandemic (/panˈdemik/): is an epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, or the world due to a susceptible population. By definition, a true pandemic causes a high degree of mortality (death).
July 30 2014: A cursory search for the word pandemic on the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) websites returned 6370 and 1940 hits respectively. With society’s fixation on anything remotely pandemic hitting new heights ever since the introduction of H5N1 in 2003 and H1N1 in 2009, the storyline around this latest chapter is not so farfetched. Hollywood has always had an affinity for the all-consuming plague tropes. From Contagion to Outbreak, 28 Days Later to The Andromeda Strain, we as a society have Hollywood and social media to thank for our collective anxieties of global extinction. Now, we can thank Director Matt Reeves for passionately ratcheting up our pandemic collective another notch with his latest installment, ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’.
Jumping off where Rise of The Planet of the Apes (2011) left off, this emotionally charged sequel picks up a decade later when 90 percent of humanity is dead and leader of the apes Caesar (Andy Serkis), has successfully created a self-sustaining genetically evolved Simian ecosystem in which gorillas, orangutans and chimpanzees all harmoniously co-exist far away from the primate labs and clutches of man. As these Mensa-like apes adapt and flourish by employing a rudimentary combination of language and signing in the jungle-like climes and over grown thickets of a dying earth, scattered pockets of humans struggle to eek out a meagre existence in this dystopian shell formerly known as San Francisco. If you’re keeping score, that’s Simians’ 1 – Humans’ 0.
The year is 2026 and two worlds are about to collide. The opening montage of jump cut media clips, hyper scrolling infographics and a blistering array of global carnage conclusively depicts the ravages of the Simian flu forcing you to commit to Reeves vision from the first frame. This fragile détente is about to erupt deep in the Muir Woods outside San Francisco. A critical piece of infrastructure in the form of a hydroelectric dam is all that stands between the band of humans, who are genetically immune to the ALZ-113 virus, and the prospects of long term power. One problem. The dam resides in Simian territory and an early confrontation that could have gone horribly wrong has Caesar issuing a directive to the humans lead by Malcolm (Jason Clarke), to never return. Returning with a lot of hutzpah and the largest olive branch, Malcolm convinces Caesar the dam is critical like to their survival. An uneasy alliance is formed as a series of cinematic parallel begins.
Director Matt Reeves creates an emotional landscape that compares and contrasts both the joy and tragedies of two worlds by digging deep into the roots of man’s complicated relationship with apes. We witness with great wonder the father / son paradigm between Caesar and Blue Eyes (Nick Thurston), as easily as we embrace the nurturing yet protective qualities of Malcolm with his son Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee). The sudden illness of Caesar’s wife soon after giving birth to a son allows Malcolm’s wife Ellie (Kerri Russell), to administer lifesaving meds. Digging deeper reveals the uncanny parallels Reeves sets up between Caesar’s main rival Koba (Toby Kebbell), and Malcolm’s cagey camp leader Dreyfus (Gary Oldman). The constant push pull narrative for supremacy is downloaded to the scheming Koba Dreyfus storylines fueling the emotional core of Dawn.
It is safe to say that the transformative effects of technology in the movie industry over the last 20 years will have a lasting effect on the way we see and experience characters on screen. None more so than the motion-capture technology for which this Simian base franchise is perfectly suited. The realness and believability that emotes from character arcs feels genuine right down to the most basic of movements. Like Gollum and King Kong before it, motion capture remodels two dimensional wooden characters into the most life-like representations of animal or alien culture. But, even with these latest whistles and bells, kudos must be given to Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver for the fluidity in which they penned an intelligent, self- affirming Simian protagonists starting with Rise of The Planet of the Apes and continuing into Dawn, neither pandering nor preening to an educated audience. The intricate webs that exist between a dying human culture and a thriving Simian world is ripe for exploration which the Bomback, Jaffa, Silver trifecta successfully exploit.
Verdict: 4.5 out of 5: The life death continuum in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes serves as a constant metaphor for two distinct civilizations in the midst of transition due to their precarious co-existence. The strength of Koba and Dreyfus`s zero sum games is an effective counterpoint to the chess-like moves between Caesar and Malcolm. As the companion piece to Rise of The Planet of the Apes (2011), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes segues seamlessly by threading powerful themes of family and survival through its narrative. Reeves transitions the childlike Caesar from Rise into the believable statesmanlike leader with all the complexities and social anxieties required in maintaining a Simian culture. The unflappable Andy Serkis once again walks in rarified air as his motion-capture performance is without peer. Add to that an ensemble cast of seasoned vets the likes of Oldman, Russell and Greer and the vision is set. For Reeves, the visionary behind Cloverfield and Let Me In, the road to completion was paved with the greatest intentions and those intentions are now realized for all to see.
Man vs Apes vs Survival.
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Language: English,
Release Date: July 11th ,2014
Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Producers: Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Runtime: 130 Minutes
Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Kerri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee,Toby Kebbell, Karin Konoval, Terry Notary, Judy Greer, Kirk Acevedo, Nick Thurston, John Eyez, Enrique Murciano, Lee Ross, Doc Shaw.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Review
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