Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - B

Rated PG-13, 130 minutes

The apes still rule in solid, entertaining "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"

Andy Serkis as Caesar

Due to vacation, I just saw the latest entry in the new "Planet of the Apes" franchise, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" and it's entertaining, often rousing and intense as it continues the human-versus-apes fight. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it as much as my peers have (it's over 90% currently on the Rotten Tomatoes site), some of whom are comparing this to "The Empire Strikes Back" in terms of quality, which is a bit of a stretch. A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar (Andy Serkis, still remarkable) is threatened by a band of human survivors (including Jason Clarke, Keri Russell and Gary Oldman) of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species. Directed by Matt Reeves (of "Cloverfield," one of my least favorite creature movies, ever), it's an entertaining chapter in the new "Apes" franchise, though still lacking the power of the original, with an uneven, somewhat detached script and a lackluster human cast. The highlight is still the intense performance from Serkis (who has become the king of performance capture) and the ape actors, who outshine all the human actors, who are all likable but blandish, not to mention one of cinema's best actors, Oldman, is underused here in a small supporting part. The one small problem I've had with performance capture (especially in the new "Apes" films), is that the apes still appear, well, almost too human, with the eyes in particular a slight distraction, making it still feel too much like actors behind makeup and suits, though much improved from the gorilla suits of old. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," much like it's predecessor in this series, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (James Franco even cameos, sort of), is a solid, well-made and enjoyable film with a few good things to say about leadership, race and war, though it peaks a little early, with a weak ending that of course leaves it open for more of these. It's not not stronger than the 2011 film, but on par, fitting perfectly into the summer movie race, but one you may forget before the summer is up. Worth seeing for fans of the first film, who will enjoy it most.

Wes's Grade: B