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Here's the review of the new movie I saw this week.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Starring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, and Keri Russell
Synopsis: “Planet of the Apes” has been a part of our cultural landscape for a long time. It was popular in the 1970s, then got a second chance at life in 2001 with a Tim Burton re-boot.
While that re-boot didn’t take, 10 years later Hollywood tried it again. In 2011 “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” put the franchise front-and-center by taking it back in time. In truth, it wasn’t so much a re-boot or a sequel as it was a prequel. The film sought to explore the origin story so we could learn just how Apes came to talk and then rule the world. Making the most of new movie technology and a fresh take on the subject matter, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” turned out to be a surprise hit that re-booted the franchise. Three summers later “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” picks up that ball and looks to run with it. Seeing as how this continues the prequel path, we know how this story is going to end. At some point Caesar and his love of humans will give way to a war that sees that relationship sour. I won’t give away the ending of this movie, but I will say that “Dawn” helps pave the way back to where things started with “Planet of the Apes” in 1968. It also continues the strong work in “Rise” and helps build on what’s quickly becoming a movie franchise. There are a lot of reasons for this. Given the rise of post-apocalyptic films and TV shows, the world feels more primed to dive into the dystopic vision of the “Planet of the Apes” world. Second, visual effects have greatly improved. What was once done by actors wearing bad wigs and make-up is now achieved through actors in CGI motion-capture suits. The effect is more life-like and impressive apes, and more vibrant performances. But really, what makes these films work is Serkis. He’s the star of the films, and his ability to emote, express and develop a complex performance while in motion capture makes him a unique artist in the world of modern filmmaking. He has been plying his craft for years — first as Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” series and then in a variety of other parts — but Caesar might be his masterpiece. The other human actors are OK. For the most part they help to advance the plot, but none is as compelling as Caesar. And therein lies the problem moving forward. Eventually the story will change, and eventually Caesar will be gone, and you have to wonder how great the series will be after that. In terms of working as a film, director Matt Reeves (“Cloverfield”) does a nice job balancing the story and making the most of the action sequences. A film like this can be hard to put together because of the immense amount of special effects, but Reeves does a nice job of putting it together. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is a worthy follow-up to “Rise,” and is a more entertaining and better film. It will be interesting to see how the story develops from here.
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief strong language.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:

Friday, July 18 — "Sex Tape," "The Purge: Anarchy," "Planes: Fire and Rescue"

Friday, July 25 — "Lucy," "Wish I Was Here," "Hercules," "Step Up: All In"