Matt Reeves (director)
20th Century Fox (studio)
(length)
17 July 2014 (released)
06 June 2014
With the hotly anticipated release of 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' on the 17th July, who could resist the opportunity to attend a special press screening of footage from the film at the prestigious Soho Hotel.
The evening session begins with Andy Serkis, the actor renowned for his work in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ series as Gollum, revealing the general premise of the upcoming film. Serkis himself is no stranger to ‘monkey business’, having previously been involved in motion capture work in the 'King Kong' remake.
The sequel to the prequel ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ continues the story of Caesar, the genetically enhanced chimpanzee. Having now asserted himself as a simian statesman, Caesar rules over a tribe of apes in a forest, free from the fallen civilisation of man after a cataclysmic pandemic has swept the globe. When a band of human survivors encounter the isolated primate community two worlds collide and a series of events unfurl that turn Caesar’s peaceful community into an army.
Despite a clunky name ‘Dawn’, admittedly shows a lot of promise on a technical level. In the footage shown, CGI rendered chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas look palpably realistic. Sneek-peeks of the actors’ performances offer insight into the motion capture magic behind the velvet cinema curtain. It is hard to disagree with Serkis’ prediction that film audiences will see more and more animated characters on the big screen as technology continues to improve.
As well as tantalising film clips to wet the audience’s appetite for ‘Dawn’, the session also featured a panel section with an evolutionary zoologist and a primatologist who added extra academic clout to the proceedings. Their support for the film highlights the meticulous research Director Matt Reeves and its writers have been involved in to make Caesar and his acolytes as true to life as possible.
While fans will no doubt ‘go bananas’ for the latest addition to the ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise, the impressive visuals and intriguing story looks set to excite even casual audiences.
