Dawn of The Plant of The Apes Review
Any Which Way You Can
Released : July 17 2014
Certificate : 12A
Director : Matt Reeves
Cast : Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Plot : The film is set 10 winters (ape talk for 10 years) after Caesar led his fellow apes into the forest. In which time the human race have all but been wiped out by the ALZ-113 virus, and Caesar and his fellow apes have built a community in the forest. But the apes peaceful life is threatened when a colony of surviving humans arrive.
The prequel that rebooted the franchise, with surprisingly impressive results, left a lot of anticipation and pressure for the sequel. And despite the huge box office successes of the ‘rise’ (taking more at the box office than the other main prequel of that year, which was X-Men: First Class) , the only person who stayed to take part in this sequel is Andy Serkis, who is fast becoming the Lon Chaney of the growing animated cinema world. Andy was even allowed to use his monster voice much more in this film, as Caesar’s vocabulary and enunciation has dramatically improved in the ten winters since the first film. But luckily this version of the franchise still remains the only one in which apes don’t take to speaking in British (or American) accents.
In these ten winters Caesar as been able to build a peaceful and functional community of apes which comes with its own education system, run by the wise ‘Yoda’ like Orangutan featured in the first film. The human race has not been seen by the apes in two winters, until a party of humans scouting for a power source in the woods stumbles across two playful teenage apes. Drama escalates from this point rapidly.
The film does not waste any time demonstrating the power of the apes, with an opening sequence of mass hunting, because of this seeing the apes in action is not as surprising as in the ‘rise’ but instead shows how the apes function as a family and as a community. This is short lived, but satisfying to see the apes way of life in their tree house village. But as the story progresses as the apes inevitable become embroiled in conflict with humans, these battles are much more dramatic and brutal than the small skirmish featured in the previous film on the Golden Gate Bridge. These fight scenes were made more interesting and added a certain degree of depth as it shows the varying levels of ‘humanity’ between the different apes, and likewise with the humans. But for some who have a soft spot for the apes, these prolonged sequences of violence might be too much, as in the ‘rise’ only one or two apes are injured in the making of the movie. But due to the story having ‘bad guys’ and ‘good guys’ on both sides, its was refreshing and enjoyable to not be rooting for either side, an effect that the ‘rise’ did not posses, nor do many blockbusters we see today. This allowed you to be absorbed in the ape/human character drama and the surprisingly impressive large scale special effects, again this version of the franchise being the most credible in its depiction of the ape movements, made possible through modern special effect.
The change in director for this sequel from Rupert Wyatt (for the ‘rise’) to Matt Reeves was a change for the better, but Wyatt had done a good job in showing Caesar grow into the ape leader he is today, but Reeves was able to skilfully take the story into the next darker chapter. Reeves showed the rapid decent into war between the two species seem enthralling, brutal and believable, a skill of blending these emotions that he employed in Cloverfield. Reeves was effectively able to present the multiply large set pieces, most notable of which are the opening hunting sequences and the battles of the apes against humans, but the previous film was more effective in its character drama between Caesar and the human hero (in this film was played by Jason Clarke instead of James Franco). When viewed in this senses the ‘dawn’ could been seen as a typical sequel, more action, bigger set and bigger budget, without capturing the original magic. The ‘dawn’ does tick 3 out 4 of those boxes and although Reeves might not have been able to capture the same level of impressive human/ape bonding as Wyatt was, he was able to submerge you into the wars aura and different layers without turning the film into an over the top repulsive violent sequel, crafting a chaotic atmosphere and not presenting an obvious species to morally side with.
Andy Serkis gives a performance which resembles a believable super smart ape such as in the first film, but unlike the first film Serkis employs his ape voice more frequently, and it sounded like what one might have guessed an ape would sound like if it could talk . But due to Caesar having more lines, the shock factor of him talking does not create the same jaw dropping effect as in the original. Some might be inclined to say that the quantity of apes speaking English is too much, making the film less liable. Keri Russell’s ape acting on the other hand are up for criticism, as the bounds of believability or more importantly plausibility of Kobas coordination is dubious. As in one scene he is seen riding a horse whilst wielding two full automatic machine guns, so anyone who was expecting fight sequences out of Avatar, with the spear being mightier than the gun will be disappointed. This level of skill from Koba is slightly over the top, it stands out as being a falter in a film full of believable ape actions. The power of modern special effects has enabled this reboot of the franchise to make the apes look more real than ever, and to see a monkey firing two machine guns whilst on a horse is a throw back to unrealistic origins of the series with men wearing ape masks. So Kobas acting is slightly laughable.
But if you are restrained enough to let that very minor fault slide and stomach the apes using guns and getting hurt, than there is no reason why you can’t enjoy this film just as much as the previous one. This sequel has turned up the heat very well, as it moves the story into the darker days of war. Its more spectacular, dark and theatrical than its predecessor but in the best possible way, with an ending that can be neatly picked up for the next chapter in this franchise reboot. This is turning into the best series reboot since Christopher Nolan’s Batman series.
Verdict : If Rise of The Planet of The Apes was Batman Begins, then that makes this The Dark Knight. A brilliant sequel that is just as good as the original.
Verdict : 4/5
Quote : “War has begun”
The Two Faces Of January Review
A Drive In Athens
Released : May 16th 2014
Certificate : 12A
Director : Hossein Amini
Cast : Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Oscar Isaac
Plot : A wealthy con man by the name of Chester (Mortensen) has taken his wife (Dunset) on a holiday to Athens, while there they meet a young tour guide (Isaac). When private detectives come seeking the money of Chester’s clients violence ensues, and the trio and forced to run for there lives.
It’s been a long time since we have endured the pleasure of Viggo Mortensen. And if he was waiting for a good line up to launch his return to the world of film, then he had done very well. As The Two Faces of January defiantly has the ingredient and collaboration to be great. Coming together to make this film are the producer of Tinker Sailor Solider Spy, the author of The Talented Mr Ripely and the writer of Drive. Well this as all the tools to make a tense thriller about a con artist.
Xmen : Days of Future Past Review
A new squeal after many prequels but has the cast of the prequel
Released : May 22nd 2014
Certificate : 12A
Director : Bryan Singer
Cast : James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman, Shawn Ashmore, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Nicholas Hoult
Plot : Set in the future (2023) the war between the mutants and humans has destroyed most of the world. As a last stand, the Xmen send Wolverine (Jackman) back in time to the 70’s to stop the war before it even happens.
A very pleasing return of Bryan Singer to his superhero masterpiece, as it has been a total of four Xmen films made since Xmen 2 in his absence, and in those four films the franchise has come to close to collapse since the first wolverine spin off. The series was renewed with James MaCavoy and Micheal Fassbender. Much to mixed reactions, some less picky viewers loving the 70’s groves and the new young characters, and as you would expect many missing the original gang. But one thing that both will sides will agree on is the size. As this is by far the biggest of all the films, for better or for worse. Featuring the old and the new cast to come together for a true superhero epic, the biggest assemble since Avengers Assemble.
Continuing the storyline from this point had its problems thou. Such as how did Magneto get his powers back. And having to allow for the new cast members of Fassbender and MaCavoy. But because of the time since X3 only the very attentive will be bothered by the plot whole or even notice it, and the large cast did make for a big scale epic, but at the cost of not devoting enough time to all the characters. As you would expect Jackman features most of the screen time as he always has. The film also chose to focus more on the young blood than the old, with MaCavoy and Fassbender featuring more then Stewart and McKellen .Depending on where you stand this will be pleasing, or annoy you that the first Xmen film with the full original cast for 8 years doesn’t devote enough time to the original team.
But MaCavoy and Fassbender don’t disappoint in there roles of Magneto and Professor X, as they didn’t in First Class. In this instalment MaCavoy even took the character, and the series, to character depth that hasn’t been visited before. A drunk (and arguable junkie) recluse is not the sort of character that you would expect to find in a film based on cartoons for kids. But the part is short lived and MaCavoy played it well, so we could quickly return to the fun Xmen legend and action. With the presence of Bryan Singer, the action and coolness were in no shortage. Best of which was in the form of Quicksilver played by Evan Peters and his role in breaking into the Pentagon, you might be forced to rethink which ever power is your favourite. And Magneto picks up even larger stuff, making the works of First Class look like child’s play. Plus the robots are pretty sweet to.
Verdict : Bryan’s back and this is everything you would want from a Xmen film with nothing held back.
Verdict : 4/5
Quote : “I don’t want your suffering, I don’t want your future”
Review: Belle
Released: 13th June
Certificate: 12A
Director: Amma Asante
Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sam Reid, Sarah Gadon, Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson
British television and cinema has a fine tradition of period drama, as numerous star-studded adaptations of Jane Austen novels will attest. However, it is rare to see a piece which so confidently captures the trappings of period romance while simultaneously addressing the issues of slavery and race that permeate the 18th century but are so rarely mentioned in the rose-tinted costume dramas. A black servant may be glimpsed in the wings of Pemberly, but the horrific trade that kept the Bennetts, Bingleys and Darcys of the world in cotton and sugar is never referenced.
Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) was the daughter of a naval officer Captain Sir John Lindsey (Tom Goode) and an African slave who was brought to England as a child in 1769 when her mother died and placed in the care of her Aunt and Uncle, Lord and Lady Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson and Emily Watson), as a companion to their other, white, niece Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon).
The genius of Belle is that at manages to address the intersections of society, gender and race through the actions and words of the characters without an excess of exposition. In fact, it is precisely the lack of exposition that informs so much of Belle’s character. Even her uncle, one of the most learned men in England, can’t (or perhaps won’t) explain to the adult Belle why she is too highborn to eat with the servants but too lowborn to eat with her family in company. Or why she is not expected to come out in society and meet with suitors like Elizabeth. But the images of subservient people of colour (never looking out of the frame, but always up, adoringly, at the white incumbents) in the towering portraits glimpsed on her first day at her uncle’s house, speak volumes to the young Belle. This feeling of alienation in a theoretically privileged life is elegantly embodied by Mbatha-Raw, who plays Belle with equal parts vulnerability and steely resolve. She is a magnetic screen presence, and Amma Asante’s deft direction helps bring the character fully to light.
Misan Sagay’s excellent screenplay fully explores the squeamishness of the aristocracy around Belle’s presence, while at the same time exploring the motivations of those that genuinely care for her. In a running time of less than two hours, we are treated to a riveting tale of historical politics, a classical love story and a full and frank exploration of the foibles of eighteenth century high society.
Verdict: 4.5/5
Stuck in the Cheap Seats 
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