Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 2014

     This film is a sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes from 2011.  Scenes are also borrowed from the 1960’s and 1970’s Planet of the Apes films.  Caesar, the leader of the Apes, was also in Rise and he was a victim turned rebel and he made a homeland for the apes in the Northern California forest.  This location is where the apes are living now.  A simian flu has struck humans and only remnants of this civilization remain in San Francisco.  The few hundred humans send a scouting party into the forest to investigate activation of a hydroelectric plant that will bring electricity back to the city.  They hope to broadcast a message to try to contact other humans.  The first encounter between the apes and the humans does not go well with a relative of Caesar killed by one of the humans.

I really liked that the apes ride horses and how big they seem when placed near the humans.  San Francisco is really a ruin and not much better than the forest home of the apes.  There are good and bad elements on both sides of the species plus real equals.  The humans have an advantage with their guns and they can heal through medicine.  When the apes obtain guns, the advantage evaporates.   3 ½* (I liked this movie)  

130 min, Action directed by Matt Reeves with Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirk Acevedo, Nick Thurston, Terry Notary, Karin Konoval, Judy Greer Jon Eyez.

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, 90% critic 89% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3 ½*.

Special Note:  As a coincidence, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was shown on TV the same day as I watched this.  I will be watching that film soon but this is a reverse order with the newest film first.  A listing of the films is, Planet 1968, Planet 1974 (TV), Back 1981, Behind 1998 (TV), Planet 2001, Video Game 2001, Rise 2011, Dawn 2014, Beneath 1970.  An untitled sequel is scheduled for 2017.