8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors 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.
Starring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby KebbellAction | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 81% |
Thriller | 22% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Russian: DTS 5.1
Ukrainian: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, Ukrainian
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
Blu-ray 3D
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
1968’s science fiction succès d'estime may have been Stanley Kubrick’s immortal 2001: A Space Odyssey, but in terms of launching a franchise and a now decades long imprint on the cinematic universe, Planet of the Apes may have had the more lasting impact. Interestingly, both the Kubrick-Clarke collaboration and the Rod Serling penned Apes deal with evolution, though obviously in completely different ways (and, not to put too fine a point on it, with different species). If 2001 at least hinted at the chance for a brighter future for Mankind, Planet of the Apes posited a much more apocalyptic outcome for homo sapiens, with those vaunted “damn, dirty apes” getting the better end of any incipient Darwinism. The original Planet of the Apes gave birth to no fewer than four sequels, not to mention various other properties like some short-lived live action and animated television fare. While there was a law of diminishing returns fully in effect in the sequels, the fact that most of them continued to do relatively well at the box office is some indication of how compelling the public at large found the general premise of an ape ruled society to be. Tim Burton revisited Planet of the Apes in 2001, failing to really capitalize on the potential of the already well established concept, and thereby also scuttling any plans for a new franchise. Though initially not that hotly anticipated, 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes turned out to have perhaps surprising success with both critics and audiences, offering a reboot which in some ways resembled Conquest of the Planet of the Apes more than the 1968 original. Perhaps just as surprising as the acclaim afforded Rise of the Planet of the Apes was the even more rapturous response that Dawn of the Planet of the Apes received upon its release, though some curmudgeons may still be prone to fits of eye rolling over predictable plot progressions and some risible dialogue. The film’s technical achievements, however, are inarguably fantastic, with state of the art motion capture, CGI and practical effects that palpably create a world where apes are involved in an epic struggle for survival with their former masters, good old humankind.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with both AVC (2D) and MVC
(3D) encoded 1080p
transfers in 1.85:1 (on separate discs). The "star" of this visual presentation is no doubt the stunning rendering of the various classes of
simians, something that is
done with astounding, even jaw dropping, realism, with truly exceptional fine detail in elements like the bristly fur of the apes. A lot of the film
plays out in almost Pacific Northwest dreariness, with dank, gray skies and at times fairly incessant rainfall, something that does tend to tamp
down any immediacy in the palette. Instead, there is a glut of dark greens and browns that may not offer much in the way of traditional
"pop,"
but which add a kind of gritty realism to the proceedings. Some of the more relatively well lit scenes, including several in the remnants of San
Francisco, do offer an at least relatively more vivid palette. This digitally shot feature also offers overall clarity and precision not only in close-
ups,
but midrange shots, where aggregations of apes and humans offer a surprising amount of detail even in large groupings. Despite the general
darkness of the feature, something that at least incrementally affects levels of detail at times, there are no issues with noise or other artifacts.
The 3D presentation of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is solid and generally immersive, if not quite as showy as a huge sci-fi
spectacular can tend to be. In fact, the opening half hour or so is surprisingly restrained, with only occasional elements like a bunch of spear
toting apes walking in the foreground while the "real" action plays out in the background offering real depth to the image. Instead, Reeves
tends to hint at planes of depth with elements like shadows of foreground objects in just part of the frame, rather than overt "in your face"
pop out elements. The overall darkness of the film also tends to limit the perception of depth, especially in exterior wide shots, where
shadows can at least slightly obscure a feeling of visual immersion. The best moments here tend to be some of the action set pieces, including
an opening salvo of apes chasing deer, and of course the epochal final showdown, where so much is stuffed into the frame that a sense of
depth is virtually inescapable.
Note: We are only able to take screenshots of 2D Blu-rays, and so the Menu shown in screenshot 20 is of the 2D version. The 3D
Menu does not offer any Extras.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes features a very forceful but nuanced DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix that offers a glut of thundering LFE
from virtually the first moment, as well as excellently placed sound effects which recreate everything from the kind of rain forest ambience of Muir
Woods to a ferocious fire that engulfs a camp late in the film. Dialogue is very cleanly presented and is nicely directional. The film offers forced
subtitles for the apes' "sign language". Michael Giacchino's enjoyable score is spread nicely through the surrounds and offers compelling support
for several key sequences. Fidelity is excellent and dynamic range is extremely wide on this problem free track.
Note: The 2D and 3D versions of the film offer different audio and subtitle specs. The specs listed above are for the 3D version. For a list
of the specs on the 2D version, please see Dawn
of the Planet of the Apes.
All of the supplements are found on the 2D Blu-ray disc. The 3D disc does not feature any supplemental material.
- Concept Art (1080p; 2:10)
- Characters (1080p; 2:40)
- Costumes (1080p; 1:05)
- Props (1080p; 00:50)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes manages to be both epic and intimate, and it very smartly plays with Apes canon in some inventive ways. Andy Serkis' motion capture performance is nothing less than amazing, and in fact overpowers some of the "real" humans on screen. But as daunting as this film's technical achievements inarguably are, it's the actual storytelling that makes Dawn of the Planet of the Apes a morning worth experiencing. Technical merits are first rate, the supplementary package is excellent, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes comes Highly recommended.
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