It was too slow with no humor and few action scenes. None of the human characters returned and the new ones weren't interesting. It worked best in the final half hour. It reminded me too much of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and there wasn't much action or thought to it. The human characters were much less interesting than in Rise.

One of the best things about this entertaining and intelligent action-thriller is the way that it doesn't pick sides, doesn't paint the humans as stereotypical villains in the way that something like, say, 'Avatar (2009)' does. Instead, it portrays its delicate situation with nuance in a way which allows everyone's perspective to be both clear and understandable. Even the main ape antagonist, who's militant sensibilities stem from a deep-rooted mistrust in humanity established in the prior title, has reasonable and somewhat supportable motivations. Once the set-up is out of the way and the action - which is bigger in scope, spectacle and success this time - begins, the feature still keeps its focus on character and this is what allows it to remain as emotionally resonant as it really is. 9/10

Roddy McDowall is now out of a job being replaced by a sexless CG ape. During the opening credits we quickly discover the ALZ 113 virus has killed off many humans creating a quarantine condition which for some unexplained reason caused rioting and killing off more humans. In spite of the weak plot point, it was more probable then the original dog/cat virus which lead to breeding apes with long gestation periods as pets.The film spends time building ape character with perfect English syntax subtitles. In this plot, our quarantined humans are running short on fuel and seek to restart a hydro-electric dam in ape territory and seem willing to go to war for oil, er ah, energy if need be. Koba, a neo-con ape, doesn't trust the humans and wants to have a first strike. (Koba was a nickname for Stalin.)Some of the initial soundtrack and imagery reminded me of "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" with later scenes of cooperation reminiscent of the final film and TV series. There was nothing bad about the CG apes, except they got their money's worth from them. The ape on ape fighting was far too long, reminding me of that first Iron Man film.Okay, this film is done. I am ready for the film where women wear the Linda Harrison loin cloths.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is one of my all-time favourite films. Here is why: It is heavily emotive, powerful, and dark - a worthy sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, featuring a fine cast, superb visual effects, and a laudable score from Michael Giachinno (The Incredibles, Spiderman: Homecoming) bound together in the tale of a well-woven series of tragic misunderstandings that lead ultimately to the bloody outcome of total war (quite literally). Firstly, I'd like to comment on the plot. The beauty of the conflict between man and ape seems to be contained in the fact that neither side is truly evil, and that neither side desires war, but rather peace. Paralleling reality, war - that inevitable and inescapable fate which, by the means of often indirect and convoluted paths looms incessantly closer despite everyone's best intentions - draws men, women and children inside of it in a living tornado of human lives. Some have accused the franchise of a predictable and typical story; but consider that most of the audience is already familiar with how this story ends, making the movies more character- centered as a result. The real conundrum is not so much which race gains control of the planet, but rather where Caesar is driven morally (a theme further developed in War). As in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, we are not concerning ourselves with whether the new Death Star survives the rebels' attack, so much as we are concerning ourselves with the fate of our characters - will Kylo Ren accept Han Solo's invitation to renounce evil and return home? The plot is relatively simple, yet soulful and meaningful.As a means of countering repetition of my previous review on Rise, I shall tend to be brief on matters I've already addressed. Our new ensemble of actors is refreshing, and lends the movie a new context. Enough recognizable faces reprise their roles as familiar characters such as Caesar, Maurice, Koba and Rocket; yet, we are treated to a whole, fresh crew including Gary Oldman's Dreyfus, Jason Clarke's Malcolm, Keri Russell's Ellie and Kodi Smit-Mcphee's Alexander. Though our new human protagonists are comparable to our previous ones, they differ so much as to add something quite new to the trilogy. The movie maintains fine general character continuity, and they fit nicely into the synopsis, without becoming too centrepiece, which I admire. Dreyfus especially provides abundant material for thought. He is a villain wrought by misunderstanding and circumstance - not entirely culpable for his actions, which, owing to his ignorance, he sees as the only logical path to take. He was originally a family man, not a war general or governor of thousands. Again, misunderstandings pave the way for ruin. Perhaps my only criticism here would be Alexander's lack of pertinence to the overall story. He was intriguing, yet in retrospect, feels unexplored. In the face of the sequel, seemingly his and his family's history was cut tragically short, leaving little room for imagination to conjure a future for him.Visual effects have improved notably since Rise, and Matt Reeve's recent comment on them is worthy of note. To paraphrase, he pointed out that Weta is often straining itself to reach new heights as movies are made. If a particular texture or metaphysical reaction is required for a movie such as this one, hitherto unaccomplished feats are then nominated order of the day. Thus capabilities are stretched and extended with each new production. An understanding of this can perhaps aid viewers in assessing the state and stage of progression we are in - as always, we are constantly making rapid advancements in technological areas. Another noteworthy item is the amount of work involved in creating these visual effects. For instance, one of Dawn's most complicated visual effects-heavy shots was rendered a total of 1200+ times, and completed only a couple of weeks before the movie opened in cinemas. Meanwhile, Giachinno's score meshed well with the tone of the movie - dark, deep, powerful (though minimal), tribal and occasionally rather mischievous.Finally, I want to give a word on Matt Reeves' expert directorship on this film and in general. The biggest reason the Apes trilogy resonates so effectively with its enthusiasts is the priority Reeves gives to the emotional connection the audience shares with the main protagonist (i.e. Caesar). He likes often to talk of this intimacy, and of the internal emotional and moral struggles that occur inside Caesar (and hopefully Batman, given a few years down the track). A second thing - Reeves directs movies not like a business, but like a passion. He isn't afraid to experiment, and seems to really care about the story he presents. Maybe there lies the key to why his movies are as powerful are they are. And maybe in ten years' time Matt Reeves will be a common household name. My final point is Reeves' apparent zeal for building and shooting on large sets, constructed largely from natural resources (as opposed to green-screening the movie into existence), thus really bringing the movie's fictional world into reality - resembling the typical Christopher Nolan style, which I also much appreciate. In closing, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is one of my all-time favourite movies, ranking quite closely to its predecessor, and I highly recommend it to anyone who values a gripping narrative, gorgeous visuals, and superb acting wrapped together in a powerful film. I have seen it about five times since its 2014 release, and I plan on many more viewings. The trilogy is mostly solid the whole way through, and all three films are worth your time. If you love film and have yet to watch it, you're certainly missing out.