'Atomic Blonde' Review

Atomic Blonde pits audiences in the thick of the Cold War. Pre-eminent MI-6 agent Lorraine Broughton has been sent into Berlin to work alongside ambiguous agent David Percival and retrieve a list containing classified intel on several secret agents that could compromise them all and potentially prolong the lasting international anxiety.

Atomic Blonde is directed by skilled stunt-coordinator and stuntman David Leitch with Kurt Johnstad spearheading the screenplay based on Antony Johnson and Sam Hart's graphic novel The Coldest City. Leitch has worked on many renowned action films over-the-years including the likes of The Matrix trilogy, The Bourne Ultimatum, and The Bourne Legacy but he's probably most well-known for co-directing John Wick alongside Chad Stahelski. Earlier this year, Stahelski struck out on his own to direct John Wick: Chapter 2 solo, but now it's Leitch's turn.

Leitch is currently set to direct next year's Deadpool 2, which is deep in the production process at this point (but you never know what could happen with all the director drama as-of-late), and after watching Atomic Blonde I'm fairly confident he'll be able to handle things on his own there. In Atomic Blonde, Leitch turns up the stylistic flourish that propelled John Wick to prominence but the film overall winds up feeling more akin to something like Hardcore Henry, another unique European-driven action film that couldn't help but succumb to the tropes of the genre.

Lorraine may be British, but she's definitely more Bourne than Bond. Leitch takes his years of stunt experience and utilizes it to offer Theron an unwieldy and unrestrained visceral fighting style that's simply thrilling to watch. It's such a relief to be able to see what's happening onscreen in an action movie because much of the last ten years has been dominated by gratuitous shaky-cam. However, the con to this was that Focus Features took note and plastered these sequences all over the marketing. I didn't ever go out of my way to watch an Atomic Blonde trailer. I saw the marketing material for the film almost exclusively in theaters and maybe once or twice as an ad in front of a YouTube video but while watching the film, I felt as though I'd seen nearly all the action already.

There was one brutal, bare-knuckles fisticuff in a staircase that I had not already seen a glimpse of that was so intense, even I felt a little winded when it was all over. As you can probably tell by now, Atomic Blonde rests its hat on the extraordinary execution of its action. I kept hoping something would rise to challenge the action, but nothing ever did.

Atomic Blonde's story is nothing special. I can guarantee you've seen this premise at least a dozen times before. The idea of a list leaking that could jeopardize an entire agency is nothing new and I'd be totally fine with that if the surrounding circumstances were more interesting. Everything about the plotting of Atomic Blonde just felt like every other generic action movie, the only difference being I had no idea why anything happened when it was all over.

In a spy movie you expect a number of double-crosses and surprises, but it was unfathomable to me how the motivations fueling all these characters were incredibly unexplainable. When the movie was over, the friend who joined me at the screening asked if I understood exactly what happened at the end and I was unable to provide an answer. I realized I had absolutely no idea because none of the plotting made a lick-of-sense. Information will inevitably be withheld from you during a spy film, but even with the additional information I couldn't quite piece everything together.

I think even poor plotting can be excused if you still manage to invest yourself in the characters, but I even had difficulty doing that. Atomic Blonde puts an outstanding amount of effort into make the viewer think Lorraine is cool by having her confidently smoking cigarettes, drinking vodka, and kicking butt like nobody's business. Unfortunately, none of that really worked for me as Charlize Theron was as insipid as Scarlett Johansson in Lucy. Theron's performance isn't bad per-say. It's simply soulless. In trying to be cool, Theron played things straight but to such an absurd degree that Lorraine lacks a personality all together. In comparing Lorraine to Johansson's other infamous agent Black Widow, you'll find shades of a complex past buried within both individuals but only Romanov exhibits a shred of humanity. 

Sofia Boutella strides in to redeem herself from The Mummy (2017) and add further credence that her scene-stealing turn in Kingsman: The Secret Service was no fluke. Boutella's French agent's an interesting side character who doesn't have quite enough screen time to fully flesh her character out, but she serves her narrative purpose well.

In the meantime, James McAvoy runs away with another outstanding supporting turn as David Percival. Percival's an unpredictable kooky agent that held his screen presence well opposite other seasoned performers and McAvoy proves his powerful performances aren't coming to an end anytime soon.  

 

Filling out the cast, John Goodman and Toby Jones fulfill the need for governmental entities and Eddie Marsan's Spyglass was a surprising standout. One last interesting thing to note is Atomic Blonde's unabashed use of '80s hits to fill the atmosphere. It's not exactly integral to the story like the soundtracks fueling Baby Driver or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but it's a fun mix nonetheless.

In summary, I think you can wait to catch Atomic Blonde on cable or home media and your money might be best spent seeing some of the diverse selections that have emerged in the past month such as Baby Driver, The Big Sick, Spider-Man: Homecoming, War for the Planet of the Apes, or Dunkirk. Atomic Blonde, much like its proverbial heroine, boasts some slick style but can't carry the necessary, underlying substance. The film reminded me of Bond's favorite alcoholic beverage once it was over; shaken around quite a bit, but not particularly stirring.

Film Assessment: C+

'The Big Sick' Review

Nominated For: Best Original Screenplay.

The Big Sick is a romantic comedy that tells the true love story between Pakistani comedian Kumail and local American grad student Emily. The two meet at one of his stand-up sets and as their relationship blossoms, Kumail grows increasingly concerned about how his traditional Pakistani family will react when they learn about the interracial relationship. However, things take a turn for the worse when Emily falls ill and has to be placed into a medically-induced coma. Kumail then grows close to Emily's paranoid parents through an eye-opening experience. 

Anyone that knows me could probably guess rom-coms aren't exactly my forte, my strong suits are simply spread across the sci-fi, action-adventure, and musical genres. In actuality, I don't even think I've even reviewed a rom-com before (Yep, I just scrolled through the "Move Reviews" page of my blog and was unable to find a single trace of one) and I legitimately can't remember the last good romantic comedy I've seen. I mention this because I feel it's important that my readers understand my mind-set walking into this film. I went out on a limb and saw The Big Sick because I'd seen how great the reviews for it had been. I hadn't seen a single trailer or even heard of the film till the weekend of its limited release, but I'm really glad I gave the indie (independent) rom-com a chance.

The Big Sick, like last year's Manchester By The Sea (also distributed by Amazon Studios), is one of the most realistic films I've seen of late. Nothing in The Big Sick felt hopelessly contrived to reel in the audience's attention. Every aspect was actually incredibly authentic, which is probably because the screenplay was written by the real-life couple upon which this film is based (merely updated to fit the modern day), Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani. 

Michael Showalter directs the low budget rom-com with a hands-off approach. There's not really any distinct directorial flourishes because the shining star of this film is its screenplay. The Big Sick is one of the funniest movies I've seen this year that also isn't afraid to tackle real-world topics such as racial profiling, interracial relationships, or even 9/11. It's all about the obstacles life puts in front of humanity and struggling to find a way around those. One reason that The Big Sick feels hauntingly real is that everything's easy-going at first before an abrupt tonal shift changes everything. 

The Big Sick also functions well as a romantic-comedy because it's equally endearing, hilarious, and serious. Showalter walks the tonal tight-rope with poise as the film never veers too far in one direction to completely undermine all the groundwork that's been lain. Rather than shy away from humor in the film's heaviest moments, The Big Sick sharpens its satirical wits to interject believable comic situations for the characters to traverse. The Big Sick isn't without its pacing problems or some seemingly cliché characterization with the portrayal of Kumail's family, but I'm not sure the story could have been told in the same manner without those adversities. 

 

Kumail Nanjiani plays himself and naturally knows himself better than anyone else possibly could, so  it's no surprise he was great in the role. Nanjiani is not the typical leading man, he's incredibly awkward. He doesn't display a dashing, debonair demeanor, but rather a sense of uncomfortableness in his daily life. Nanjiani excels in that niche, but also really impressed me by exhibiting a delicate and intense emotional angle I wasn't expecting to see.

Zoe Kazan fills in for the real-life Emily and exudes a quirky charm which the audience will be hard-pressed not to enjoy. The chemistry between the two actors also really solidified the relationship as it becomes instantly understandable that the two characters are fated to be with one another. 

Holly Hunter and Ray Romano step in as Emily's parents Beth and Terry and their dynamic opposite Kumail is one of the film's highlights. Hunter projects a fierce tough exterior to cover her sensitive side and she switched between the two polar-personalities incredibly well. In other news, I cannot stress to you enough just how funny Ray Romano is in this movie. Romano channels an unsure exuberance that lends itself well to the quips his character throws out of left field. The dialogue that came out his mouth had me dying of laughter and I simply couldn't get enough of it. 

If The Big Sick is playing near you, I highly advise you check it out. I know there's other films out well worth-seeing right now such as Spider-Man: Homecoming, War for the Planet of the Apes, Dunkirk, and my personal favorite of the year Baby Driver, but if you've already seen those, I think The Big Sick would make a great date movie. The Big Sick wasn't the critical darling I was expecting,, but I found The Big Sick to be particularly pleasant, and my opinion of it has only improved over the last few days. 

Film Assessment: B+

'Dunkirk' Review

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director; Christopher Nolan, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Original Score.

Won: Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.

The year is 1940 and Allied forces fighting in World War II have been driven back to the beaches of Dunkirk. The Germans have the British and French soldiers surrounded and the only hope of survival is an impossible escape. That's the dire circumstances our heroes find themselves in at the start of Dunkirk. Dunkirk then depicts the attempted evacuation of over 300,000 men by land, sea, and air.

Dunkirk is written and directed by auteur filmmaker Christopher Nolan, a man whose work's powerful enough to speak for itself. You're probably familiar with Nolan's other highly regarded films such as Inception, Interstellar, and The Dark Knight Trilogy, but you may not know that Nolan has yet to be nominated in the category of "Best Director" at the annual Academy Awards, or even win an Oscar for that matter (although he's received nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay and his films have faired well in the technical categories with a number of wins). 

Well, that's all about to change because there's absolutely no way the Academy would dare snub his work displayed in Dunkirk. While we still have a ways to go in regards to awards season, and it's a little early to speculate, I have yet to see any formidable competition arise. Dunkirk marks Nolan's first foray into the war genre and his experience with a big budget and practical effects carried over quite nicely. Nolan is accustomed putting his own spin on all his productions, and Dunkirk is no exception because Dunkirk is unlike any war film I've ever seen.

In Dunkirk, emphasis is placed on the event rather than the characters. You don't get the opportunity to know these heroes because Nolan thrusts the audience straight into the ensuing chaos. Dunkirk represents a glimpse of the events "in-the-moment" and I must say, I was enraptured from the get-go. There's no time to sit around the fire and talk about what's waiting back home because this is a struggle-for-survival. Time is of the essence for these soldiers and nothing communicates that better than a ticking timepiece, which Hans Zimmer impressively embedded into his swirling, epic score. Nolan then ensures that everything ranging from shot composition-to-an actor's expression conveys a sense of urgency to match Zimmer's harmonic pulses and it all culminates in a heart-pounding pressure cooker.

Dunkirk is probably the most expensive and authentic recreation of said-evacuation that divides its focus among three interwoven chapters, despite the fact each takes place at a different point in time;

1. The Mole, One Week.

2. The Sea, One Day.    

3. The Air, One Hour.    

Eventually, all of these ongoing events overlap and there are certainly some interesting intersections which your eyes will be more attuned to after an initial viewing. You'll find yourself thinking "Haven't I seen that already?" upon realizing the chapter title cards signified the location and duration of each chapter. On that note, it's worth mention that the dictionary defines a mole as a large solid structure on a shore serving as a pier, breakwater, or causeway (but there's also an underlying double-meaning that you should be able to wrap your mind around if you pay enough attention).

Occasionally the same events are shown a second or third time from one of the other primary perspectives and in an ordinary war-film that might wear the viewer down. However, this is Nolan we're talking about, and only a director with Nolan's skill and attention to detail is capable of captivating audiences with an intense inter-weaving of three different accounts. Even though Nolan is depicting the same event three times from a different perspective, he manages to integrate an overwhelming intensity that carries over nicely when he transitions among the tri-arched chronology. 

The performances across the board are certainly good, but are admittedly handicapped by Nolan's narrative. Nolan extrapolates some exceptional acting from his cast but I'll be honest in saying I had a hard time pinpointing particular stand-outs. The acting is largely reactionary and while the actors' work is commendable, no single performer blew me away. Fionn Whitehead, Aneurin Barnard, and Harry Styles showcased a surprising amount of range as the soldiers headlining the mole chapter, but none of them aren't offered enough character exploration for you to be entirely invested in the men-at-arms. Nolan has gone on the record comparing the casting of Styles to his decision to have Heath Ledger portray the Joker, but I'll go ahead and set the record straight that his performance is good, but nowhere near the leagues of Ledger's legendary turn. Familiar faces consisting of Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh, and James D'Arcy are also to be found among the ensemble and each actor carried their weight well.

Elsewhere, Tom Hardy once again finds his face obstructed by some sort of mask in Dunkirk and I did find it difficult to interpret exactly what he was saying on occasion. However, Hardy did a tremendous job expressing himself with essentially only his eyes. If you thought some frequent Nolan collaborators were missing from my breakdown of the performances, then listen carefully for Michael Caine's voice as it turns up once in the film's first act. 

Dunkirk is one of the year's most meticulously made movies that's undoubtedly elevated by the IMAX format. Nolan makes good use of the enormous screen's full aspect ratio and the spectacular sound design really explodes in IMAX's thunderous sound system. The heftier ticket price of an IMAX screening is certainly worth it and if you only plan on seeing Dunkirk only once, I'd go with the IMAX experience. However, the 70 MM print is also not to be missed for cinema enthusiasts as it was quite cool to see something projected on actual film opposed to the standard digital projection found in most theaters today. If you're curious, I saw Dunkirk in 70MM for my first go-around and my second viewing was in IMAX. I'd personally advise you to do the same because there's a lot you'll pick up on that you may not have noticed the first time around. But if you have to choose, pick IMAX.

In conclusion, Dunkirk is an exceptional example of why I found filmmaking so fascinating in the first place. In the hands of a less-capable artist, the events at Dunkirk would have probably come across as boring or generic, but Nolan's insistence to tell this story through unconventional means enables an intense, immersive experience you'd be hard-pressed to emulate or liken to anything else.

Film Assessment: A

'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets' Review

In Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, civilizations throughout the universe have joined together to amass Alpha, a space station metropolis housing species from a thousand planets. When an unfathomable threat emerges, intergalactic operatives Valerian and Laureline are tasked with unraveling the impending ultimatum in order to ensure the safety and well-being of Alpha and the universe-at-large. 

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is written and helmed by French visionary director Lucy Besson as an effort to adapt the long-running Franco-Belgian comic Valérian et Laureline into a feature length film. I was astounded to see Besson succeed in making one of the summer's most unique entires, but in the weirdest way possible. I'm not quite sure how Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is going to be received by mass audiences because even I constantly found myself at odds about whether I should be in awe at the wonderful world building and stunning spectacle on display or be appalled by the sloppy storytelling, dreadful dialogue, and lackluster leads. I chose the latter.

Besson's brain was clearly brimming with endless ideas on how he should translate the expansive universe and the amount of awe-inspiring aesthetics brought to the big screen are simply astounding. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets looks remarkable from start-to-finish, even though the vfx team are unable to compromise on authentically-rendered aliens and environments. The psychedelic setting is pretty on the eyes but it's distinctly a digital creation as opposed to an entirely immersive experience. The endless ingenuity and competently constructed CG-effects are what will get audiences on board this journey, but viewers may want to eject when they see what else Besson has in store for them. 

The narrative of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets follows a cyclical flow and in the second act loses the little momentum it had built from the start as story beats grow increasingly more repetitive to an obnoxious extent. There were a series of side quests that felt irrelevant to the grand overarching plot and these detours are quite taxing on the viewer as I steadily lost all interest in the events. These intrusions are clearly around as an excuse for Besson to explore this expansive world he's created and while that's the most interesting aspect of the movie, I wish he had found a better alternative to interweave these environments into the story. 

Besson's script also seems desperate to extract a few laughs with obvious pauses between lines of dialogue but none of the zingers land. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is unfunny to such an absurd extent that I find it difficult to believe anyone would have laughed at a single one-liner catered to the audience. It doesn't help that the dialogue presented is dreadfully cliché either. 

However, the film's more pressing problem is it's lead actors. Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevigne have absolutely no sparks flying between them so I was never able to buy into that romance that's supposed to be driving the story forward. The chemistry's simply not there and the dynamic seems contrived. Instead audiences are treated with deadpan dialogue delivery from both actors who put up cold, calculating fronts in direct opposition to the cool, charming characters on paper. DeHaan and Delevigne can't help but feel miscast in their respective roles. Based on the dialogue, Valerian's supposed to carry a roguish charm but DeHaan's unable to muster that and Laureline's a resilient intellectual but Delevigne never comes across as tough as the character's intended.

Oh yeah, and Rihanna's in this also! But you probably already knew that since she's in nearly all the trailers and posters put out by the studio. It's one of the oddest additions to the movie as Rihanna's shapeshifting blob Bubble enters and leaves the story in a whirlwind that leaves you thinking "Wow! That was woefully convenient." She's got an exotic appearance as eye-candy for a bit and then embarks on a short-lived adventure to be forgotten mere moments later. Esteemed actors like Ethan Hawke and Clive Owen can also be found among the cast and they fill their roles with the required attributes but neither left a lasting impression.

If you don't care about story or character, then Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is worth the price of admission for the arresting images and brilliantly-built backdrops alone. However, I'd personally say a ticket to War for the Planet of the Apes or Spider-Man: Homecoming would be more deserving of your time and money. I haven't yet seen Dunkirk so I can't make a whole-hearted endorsement there, but I plan on seeing it twice this weekend to check it out in both 70MM and IMAX formats so I can advise viewers on the ultimate experience. When all is said-and-done though, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets winds up bearing the resemblance of a soulless, superficial special effects reel rather than stepping into the shoes of a spectacular space opera. 

Film Assessment: D

'War for the Planet of the Apes' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects.

War for the Planet of the Apes picks up two after the events of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Caesar and his tribe of apes are now engaged in guerrilla (or gorilla) warfare against the remains of the U.S. military called in at the end of Dawn. The contemptible Colonel leading the heinous humans is relentlessly searching for Caesar's well-hidden encampment to wipe out the ape leader once and for all. However once an unforgivable act of violence is committed, Caesar sets off on a vengeful quest to end this war and determine the fate of humanity and ape-kind once and for all.

Matt Reeves returns to direct, even taking a hand penning the screenplay alongside veteran franchise writer Matt Bomback, and if one thing is clear from the get-go, it's that Reeves crafted an unabashedly intense work of cinema that will likely subvert viewer expectations. The marketing push promises an all-out war film but War for the Planet of the Apes is a vastly different animal. War for the Planet of the Apes wasn't necessarily what I expected but I'm absolutely okay with that. Instead of relying on the spectacle, Reeves relishes in exploring the characters with a keen focus on the trilogy's thematic undercurrent that war can corrupt virtue. Reeves understands longtime viewers are along to see the end of Caesar's chapter in this saga so he rewards them with a brutal, unforgiving examination of one of cinema's most captivating characters in recent memory. 

The Christ allegories are strong with this ape installment, but they're executed in a tasteful manner. Caesar has to put everything on the line if he's going to commit to the survival of his species and naturally some existential questions are derived from that choice. "How far is Caesar willing to go before he loses his soul?" is one of War for the Planet of the Apes's hair-raising questions and I found the subsequent exploration to be utterly fascinating. Now if only all of today's onscreen storytelling could be so sophisticated!

It's this level of sensational storytelling paired with Reeves' insistence on allowing the camera to linger on the moments of beauty and Michael Giacchino's soulful score that raises the bar for other blockbusters in this day-and-age. I'm a huge fan of Giacchino and his other work but this may very well be his significant collection of compositions yet!

Meanwhile, the tech-wizardry going on over at Weta has gotten out of hand. I'm absolutely certain that every single digital rendering was seamlessly woven into the breath-taking backdrops. I never once questioned the authenticity go anything occurring onscreen because it all looked so lifelike. If War for the Planet of the Apes doesn't pick up the gold statuette for Best Visual Effects this coming awards season, then perhaps humanity deserves to be governed by apes. 

Speaking of awards talk, I think it's about time Andy Serkis received some recognition for his outstanding accomplishments as the most dedicated motion-capture performers around because his performance as Caesar is exceptional. I know it's a highly-contested discussion about how much of a motion-capture performance comes from the visual effects artist and the actor but I don't see why both don't deserve to be awarded. Serkis put in the work and it's his potent performance that demonstrates his radical range as not only a performer, but an actor. It's truly the marriage of ground-breaking vfx and extraordinary acting that allows the character to come together and my, how far Serkis and Caesar have come since Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Oddly enough, I feel the most powerful performances of the year thus far have come from genre-driven film such as Logan, Get Out, and Wonder Woman. Of course we haven't made into the thick of awards season yet, but I've got my fingers crossed that these unconventional choices are rewarded come next February.

One of the unsung heroes of these Planet of the Apes prequels I'm not sure I've adequately acknowledged in my last two reviews is Karin Konoval as the unperturbed orangutan Maurice. Maurice has been with Caesar through thick-and-thin and his sagely advice has kept Caesar on-course so I've always had a soft-spot for the tranquil ape for serving the role of the non-verbal voice of reason. Returning primates worth acknowledging include Rocket, Luca, Red Donkey, Blue Eyes, Cornelia, and Cornelius portrayed by Terry Notary, Michael Adamthwaite, Ty Olsson, Max Lloyd-Jones, Judy Greer, and Devyn Dalton respectively. Amiah Miller also deserves a shout-out for delivering a physical performance on-par with the emerging young-talent of late without uttering a single word. The mute Nova is a serene, uplifting presence who shines in Reeves' brighter blemishes.

Another newcomer Steve Zahn served as an unexpected source of comedic relief in the role of Bad Ape that could have felt out-of-place in this brutal blockbuster, but Zahn nails the comedic timing as quite the unusual ape. 

Where I felt the film fell a little short was with the depiction of it's antagonist. The Colonel could have served as a perfect foil to Caesar, and he does to some degree, but Woody Harrelson doesn't have enough time onscreen to really measure up to the menace of Toby Kebbell's Koba. Harrelson projects a callous conduct onto the Colonel and all of his unspeakable actions carry weight so you understand Caesar's drive for revenge, but the Colonel still comes across as a zealot when things are said-and-done. There's one extensive exposition dump in the entire film that explains the Colonel's motivations and makes him somewhat understandable but never on-par with the former threat. Despite all of the constraints lain by the script, Harrelson does manage to evoke the gravitas of being a formidable foe and his ultimate comeuppance is poetic and played out beautifully by Harrelson.

If you have not seen War for the Planet of the Apes yet, I'd highly recommend the trip to the theater so you can bow down and hail, Caesar! War for the Planet of the Apes isn't just a terrific trilogy closer, War for the Planet of the Apes is a compelling conclusion to the Planet of the Apes simian-flu story that cements the series' stance alongside not only other sci-fi epics, but some of the greatest trilogies ever created. 

Film Assessment: A

Recollection Reflection Review: 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes'

I've reviewed Rise of the Planet of the Apes and am now revisiting Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to coincide with this weekend's release of War for the Planet of the Apes. I'm aware this review's a little late but I've had a busy weekend and only just got around to writing this review. I hope to have my review of War for the Planet of the Apes online ASAP.

'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects.

Recollection- 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' Review

Reflection- This section of my review is probably going to be a little boring considering my opinion of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hasn't changed much in the last three years. I remember thoroughly enjoying Dawn of the Planet of the Apes the first time around and that hasn't really shifted at all.

Review- In Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, it's been ten years since the Simian flu outbreak. Mankind has seemingly been wiped out by the disease while Caesar's established a thriving ape colony in the Muir Woods just outside San Fransisco. When a band of human survivors emerge desperate to gain access to hydroelectric dam that can provide power to their encampment, Caesar must grapple with the decision to remain isolated from humanity in order protect his people or work alongside the humans in hopes of co-existing peacefully.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes saw a change in direction as Rupert Wyatt handed off the blockbuster baton to Matt Reeves. Reeves along with screenwriters Mark Bomba, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver are then afforded the opportunity to thrust the viewer into a post-apocalyptic world that constantly swings the pendulum of being hopeful and hopeless. There are optimistic occasions where it seems ape and man can live alongside one another that are only contrasted by the horrors of warfare between two species.

Reeves and cinematographer Michael Seresin extenuate this disparity by capturing the natural beauty of California's prolific locales in the film's quieter, peaceful moments and shooting intense action sequences primarily in a dingy, disparaged urban environment. It really speaks wonders that Reeves and his technical crew were able to stage something as outrageous as primates wielding machine guns while riding horses and make it seem plausible. 

The Weta vfx artists also significantly stepped up their game as I still am unable to distinguish the motion-capture apes as being digital developments. The visual effects are undoubtedly an incredible achievement for the company that continually pushes the boundaries of technology in film. And I've got to give Michael Giacchino props for another sensational score full of captivating compositions.

In the acting department, Andy Serkis once again delivers a commanding performance via motion capture. Serkis is afforded an opportunity to intrinsically explore Caesar's responsibilities as a leader and father so Serkis imbues Caesar with the confidence, wisdom, and dedication that naturally accompanies said roles. Serkis is even backed by an exceptional primate posse including the likes of  Nick Thurston, Terry Notary, Karin Konoval, Judy Greer, and Larramie Doc Shaw as Blue Eyes, Rocket, Maurice, Cornelia, and Ash respectively. 

However Toby Kebbell challenges Serkis for the position of ruling motion-capture acting as his rampant, rage-induced primate Koba unleashes hell upon the humans and fellow apes. Kebbell gathers enough menace and intellect to portray Koba as a fearsome, undermining antagonist with understandable intentions, however radical those ideologies may be. It's precisely the quarrel between Caesar and Koba that evokes so many feuding philosophies found in history and cinema such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. or Mufasa and Scar. 

On the human side of things, Jason Clarke takes up a trusting demeanor as Malcolm and the progression from unease to upmost confidence in Caesar is a fascinating journey. Meanwhile, Gary Oldman's one of the most reliable supporting actors around these days and he makes the most of his time onscreen with grit and gusto. Elsewhere, Keri Russell and Kodi Smitt-McPhee each offer some sufficient impressions for their allotted screen time as Ellie and Alexander.

In conclusion, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes succeeds at something only a scarce number of sequels ever accomplish. It significantly surpasses a fantastic first film and improves upon absolutely every aspect of the predeceasing chapter with an exhibition of technical mastery rarely seen in today's blockbuster franchises.

Film Assessment: A+