Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
If you enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes, you'll likely enjoy Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. That in itself is no small feat: Rise had the power of surprise on its side, as nobody expected it to be a decent film. We all saw Dawn coming from a mile away, but it manages to live up to, and occasionally surpass, those heightened expectations. Dawn has the same strengths as Rise: The acting and special effects are just as good, if not better, the second time around. Andy Serkis brings a bit of a self-conscious Shakespearean intensity to his performance as Caesar, bestowing upon him the grace of a man—or a mostly man-shaped thing—who knows he carries the future of an entire species on his shoulders. Toby Kebbell is maybe the first motion-capture actor to give Serkis a run for his money as Koba, an ape who doesn't share Caesar's fondness for human beings. While other motion-capture apes in the film have distinct personalities—Karin Konoval's Maurice deserves a Best Supporting Orangutan nod—Kebbell gives a true performance, delivering a subtle series of dueling emotions beneath the surface of Koba's simmering anti-human resentment.
by Paul Constant