AMC Spoilers - DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Review

[@gsukjdakid]

The reason why I dont enjoy the spoiler reviews, I because someone always nitpicking on the negatives. Is there one movie that is perfect? No. Saying dat ever other character besides Caesar was terrible and saying what u see is what u get. Are u kidding me? Thats why I stop watching when dey get to the negatives

[@EnzoTheBaker]

+Kent Jackson What are you, a little kid? Every review had to be all positives from now on?

[@dwbkmj]

John they (Apes) never left the Redwood Forest to see the humans in the first place which is across the bridge and the only reason they could see it was when the Dam gave them electricity. Come on man your negatives are stretching.

[@BSMART18]

The AMC Cast didn't mention it, but another positive of the film is the score. The score was freakin' fantastic and really added emotionally to the movie. Definitely a must buy for those who buy classical and/or movie scores.

[@McCoyisorder]

I totally agree with the 9.5 score. The movie was intelligent, and it's social commentary was present, yet simultaneously subtle, and it did not feel forced. They brought back characters like Maurice and Koba in a tenuous way. In the previous film they seemed like one dimensional characters, but in this film they were strong characters; Koba was a great villain on a quest of revenge, and Maurice was a loyal friend to Caesar. The seen where Maurice bonded with Malcolm's family was particularly fascinating. The interactions between the Apes felt authentic, especially the rivalry between Caesar. Caesar's had a very interesting coming of age story that felt slightly underutilized. The cinematography was gorgeous; it was atmospheric and beautiful. The music was also top notch. Koba's character theme reminded me of the Imperial March, while the music had a very 60s/70s Sci-Fi feel to it. The action felt necessary, and important to the plot. Every fight was meaningful, there was no destruction for the sake of destruction (I'm looking at you Transformers). I felt that Gary Oldman was underutilized though. Oldman is one of the greatest living actors, and he was marketed as a main character. He had some great character beats, but he also wasn't a typical villain. In fact there were no typical villains in this movie. Oldman and Koba both were the heroes of their own stories, and they believed they were doing the right thing. Koba was a fantastic villain, that was fun to watch. I loved the scenes were he was playing dumb, but I also loved that he embodied the class in humanity. He represented greed, pride, and arrogance. Ultimately, he shows that as the apes become more human, so do their flaws, and it made the story seem human. You completely forgot how foreign a concept talking apes is. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the best kind of Hollywood movie. It was emotional, beautiful, atmospheric, and action packed. It is one of the great sequels in cinematic history, and proves that rebooting a franchise can be a brilliant move.

[@PUREXRED]

Well I get why John gave it a 7.5 because everyone loves the movie so much that he had to put his hipster mode on.

[@johnnyboy513]

To be honest Koba was the most interesting character in the movie even more than Cesar well in my opinion. Cesar was very complex character but I also thought Koba was more of a well developed villain because he had the same mind set similar to Magneto or non-fiction radicalized leaders such as Malcolm X, Vladimir Lenin or Osama Bin Laden.

[@1sadsexual2sadsexual]

Yes

[@oliverpilgrim5391]

8.5/10. The scene that really got to me was when Cesar was watching the old footage of Franco teaching him. I don't know why that scene activated my allergies.

[@SlingMeAWeb]

I cried too.

[@tonymoma9647]

John, I disagree with you about the supporting ape characters. Koba was not a "tweedle-my-moustache"-villian. What we saw happen to Koba is what happens to men who allow their hate and lust for revenge to consume them. Koba's killings weren't 1-dimensional. He killed Ash because at that time, Koba saw himself as the undisputed leader and, unfortunately, he's not as noble as Ceaser. He can't tolerate disrespect or insubordination. I'm not saying Koba's was right, just that there are definitely men like that in this world. Have you ever heard of the terms "Yes-Men" or "walking on egg-shells"? Why do you think they exist? When Koba went on a killing rampage at the end, that was again a result of his moral shortcomings. The apes abandoned him to follow Ceaser. It was a fall from grace similar to Denzel Washington's fall from grace at the end of Training Day after Ethan Hawke walked away from him. In summary, not every action a villian performs has to be justifiable. After all, The Joker in the Dark Knight and Magneto hurt innocent people as well. Doesn't mean they are not layered or complex. It just means there is a part of them that simply isn't noble, even if there is also a part of them that we can relate to. I also thought Ceaser's son did very well, and basically, the apes in general. I agree on the human character's though. Only Gary Oldman left an impression on me.

[@johnnyboy513]

Thank you Koba has to be the best villain ever

[@actormertsirin]

I am a huge X-men and a comic book movie fan. That being said, as awesome Days of Future Past was, this was better. Anyone else think that way?

[@KILLAWATTS804]

Hell no....Xmen still conquers all so far

[@GamerX76]

Just because he doesn't like this film doesn't make him wrong. And no, Days of future Past was better IMO.

[@gameonhdphyco8473]

Yall needs tah shut up! Who cares witch is better... im just glad we have a great verity of awesome movies!!! More great movies and less cheesy crapy movies I say! =D

[@jayhartRIC]

I think DOFP was better. The new Apes movie was good, but it dragged in parts for me. Plus the spoiler review pointed out more flaws (movie mistakes) to me. DoFP pretty much corrected most (if not all) continuity errors for the whole series and did it as well as it could be done, IMO.

[@rickylongo2808]

***** I'm don't know about that but I get the vibe that he has a bias for comic book movies. I'm not saying his opinion is invalid in anyway at all and there's nothing wrong with that if that's how he feels. By the way I do agree Dawn is the best and DOFP is a close second to me.

[@DragonFist9323]

Last night when the movie was over. There was a guy in front of me and he said "i think i should've seen tTransformers instead of this" i was like are you fucking kidding me?

[@WoodenCrayonify]

Cant believe Campeas 7.5 or his reasons. The apes had no interests in humans or human dealings, whether they saw the city or not, they had no reason to go down there, especially since Caesar didn't want or need anything from them. Bland characters? Man I usually love and agree with everything you say Campea, but you are way off the mark. And you gave DOFP a better score than this? Seriously this film shits on DOFP, which i liked as well.

[@cobwebschannel]

No Harloff? Shocking. And sad.

[@cobwebschannel]

No, Alicia was on the podcast. Must have been something else. Oh well.

[@MrJlewis85]

I was thinking the same thing. Every episode up to the release of the movie, "APES ON HORSES!" and then no Kristian Harloff.

[@evavakaevil6340]

I think Harloff would have scored it a 10 :D Check out his and Mark Ellis's review--it's awesome! BTW, if you're not following the Schmoes Know channel, ANDY FREAKING SERKIS is going to be calling into the podcast this coming Thursday!!!

[@ryoku79]

Jeff Lewis hahaha i know just hearing "Apes on Horses Apes on Horses" by Kristian leading up to the film and then he doesnt show up. Kinda funny i suppose

[@TheJmlew11]

He's going to have a long extensive talk about it on his podcast. I think Krisitian is awesome, but I like it better when he isn't part of spoilers because I hear him go over similar points through videos. Also it allows us to hear the thoughts of other members of AMC

[@alexbo7543]

John c'mon dude. Really 7,5 ?

[@Abubakarr100]

My favourite part about this film was the villain koba, I completely sympathised with him. He felt betrayed by Cesar and was motivated by anger towards humans.

[@1sadsexual2sadsexual]

Yes! another Koba fan

[@BisiLIFE]

dedman91 Koba was damaged. Very seriously damaged. So llong as the colony of apes lived apart from humans, or no humans ever croseed their path, he was (relatively) cool. But the revelation of humans made Koba's mind to switch and ALL bets were now off. Brilliant character!

[@1sadsexual2sadsexual]

BisiLIFE Exactly! I'm glad i'm not the only one who appreciates his Character.

[@jon5755]

Agree

[@rr1628]

WackyVee Okay when comparing Koba to Caesar. I like to put Caesar as Charles Xavier whereas Koba is Eric Lensherr. I'm no psychiatrist, but I guess we can't blame a person with very dark childhood (both Koba and Magneto). I mean, past is what define you in the future, right?

[@wrkr]

This review was HIGHLY enjoyable. Very insightful and great conversation all around. Thanks AMC crew!

[@HyperSole]

I loved the movie! Did anyone else get a Lion King vibe off of it?

[@Buddy2587]

My niece said the same thing.

[@bakashinji]

I did

[@mikegnome]

Yeah the Elton John soundtrack was a bit odd.

[@mattduck69er]

Yep, I said it to my friends after the movie and they didn't.. Glad there's others!

[@HyperSole]

Especially the scene in the final act..."You not ape."

[@antmidinght]

i find it so funny that john thought the characters in this had no depth but the characters in godzilla did. and i really liked godzilla a lot

[@McCoyisorder]

He even made excuse for Aaron Taylor-Johnson saying that he knew real people that acted like that in real life, but didn't give the characters in this movie the same excuses. That seemed like a major inconsistency, having said that John is entitled to his opinions. A 7.5 is a great review, why quibble over 2 points. Either way people need to see this movie.

[@SubterrelProspector]

This movie was a sci-fi masterpiece.

[@FanThemePark]

I'd give it a 10/10 definitely one of my favorite movies of all time!

[@pythonmom]

I loved this film! From the moment it started until the final scene I was completely immersed in it. I admit... I cried... 3 times... For myself, if a movie makes me cry, it's a great movie, simply because I allowed myself to get that invested in it. Only one scene did I think "How did that happen?"--- When Caesars son found the "loyal to Caesar apes" imprisoned in the train car and he got them out, then it cut right to them walking into Caesars old house. How did they get past Koba and his "guards" and sneak out of the area?? Other than that, I didn't have an issue with any other parts of the film. It was the perfect length, not too long not too short... I enjoyed it enough to go see it again AND buy it on BlueRay when it's comes out. 9/10

[@Rickloven]

I can't stress how much I appreciate John calling out all the major flaws this film has. lol Pretty much everything he said is exactly what I thought. aha I really don't see how people (especially film people) are not finding these problems.

[@cobwebschannel]

I saw the logic 'head scratchers', the biggest for me was Ceaser fighting like a pro so soon after being weak. But it blows my mind that Campea thought the characters were terrible. I mean TERRIBLE? Really? This is an enormously emotional film with great characters and mind blowing effects. I give it an 8.5/10.

[@eurongreyjoy2]

John I love you but... you are freaking crazy! The characters are great! Amazing movie! 10/10

[@sizzlet8471]

Easily the best big budget movie of the year so far. Moving characters, terrific performances (especially Kebbell as Koba), and inventive spectacle.

[@Mikano94]

To John's point about Caesar struggling to climb the tower, yet being able to fight Koba, it all ha to do with adrenaline and urgency. Example, if I'm walking home after a long day at work/gym etc. I'm going to be a bit tired and sore, and I'm no going to walk as I normally would. But if some dude started chasing after me, I'm going to run my ass off no matter how sore and tired I am at that particular moment.

[@GopherBaroque61]

All movies have issues. If I enjoy a film, I tend to look past the issues. I found this film to be very good. I would give it a solid 9. Andy Serkis did such a phenomenal job as Caesar that I felt the emotion, especially at the end of the film. Can't wait for War of the Planet of the Apes.

[@isaacruthen9313]

Every other character other than Caesar is one dimensional? Gary Oldman's character? He wasn't a cliched villain at all. He wanted to save his people, and all around wasn't wholly good or bad. How bout Caesar's son? Battling with himself the entire movie. Not very one dimensional. John, I'm sorry, but you are just stretching for negatives. It seems like you are just trying to be "that guy" who doesn't like the movie that everyone else likes. You can look over all the terrible, glaring problems in TASM2, and give it a 7, but this only gets a 7.5? I don't know, you're entitled to your opinion, but it just comes off like you're trying not like this movie because other people do.

[@blackrock316]

I forgot he game TASM2 a 7

[@blackrock316]

***** lol, it happens man

[@RandomMZ1412]

Surprise! surprise!! John talking about having issues with stereotyping in the movie. He is the most stereotyped individual on this panel. I wish he can see that. I always expect "Greetings and salutations" before he says anything and he never disappoints.

[@MrScarecrow24]

I don't always agree with what John says, but normally I'm not THIS far off. Most of John's negatives I just didn't feel were problems at ALL! I absolutely LOVED this film.

[@GODTierROD]

I put this sequel up there w/ "Empire Strikes Back", The Dark Knight and The Godfather Part 2. It was amazing in all areas, acting, CGI, character. I do agree that certain characters should've been fleshed out, but that's minor. Spielberg should just reboot Transformers series with the crew behind this. This film shows you that fully cg characters can carry a film.

[@alphacause]

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is in my top 3 films of this year, along with Captain America : The Winter Soldier and X-Men: Days of Future Past. The movie's lead character, Caesar, was really fleshed out and deeply layered. In fact, Caesar was more of a complex character than many live action characters in most other movies. The movie was steeped in interesting commentary about loyalty, how ignorance is the primary driver of prejudice, and it really illustrated the perils of assessing those outside of your circle, and those who are in your inner circle, as one big monolith. My one big negative, outside of the detail John mentioned, about Caesar so quickly getting over his injury to fight Koba, was the fact that these apes were effective at all with guns. Even human beings require a lot of practice to be decent marksmen and we are the ones that designed firearms in the first place. So how can ape, who has never picked up a gun his life, and whose hands are not well suited to utilizing a gun, all of a sudden rival humans in a gunfight, when guns were designed specifically to be used efficiently by human hands? Even if you were to excuse this by saying that these apes have enhanced intelligence, even a genius, who has never encountered a device, requires lengthy practice before he can be as good at utilizing a device as someone who has had practice with the device, and whose physical structure is more suited to the device. Albert Einstein was a genius, but that doesn't mean he could pick up a M4 rifle and shoot it as well as a Marine who has average intelligence, but who has practiced with that rifle for years.

[@mscooldeadly]

So if they all hate a movie does that mean they want do a review on it. Transformers 4 may of sucked but I was curious what their thoughts were.

[@CoreyReviews]

Really solid movie, I didn't love it as much as I thought I was going to, I agree with all of the negatives. But still a fun, suspenseful, emotional and unpredictable blockbuster and another great sequel. I give it somewhere between a 7.5 to an 8.

[@actormertsirin]

Do you know why all the humans seemed one dimensional John? Because they've lost everything and everyone they know. They cannot trust anyone anymore. This is a survival movie for both Apes & Humans. This movie was damn perfect, in all possible ways. It touched so many different themes and had an outstanding narrative to it. Never once I was just laying back and relaxing. The moment it started I was IN. What a fantastic sequel... 10/10

[@noirerequiemii101]

Watching that film I was so entranced in the story atmosphere and drama, that all of those errors went over my head. The only one that bothers me is that I feel that the human family was just...awkward. Great review as always AMC it's interesting to hear your viewpoints. 9/10 for me, it exceed all of my expectations! (No one commented on the fresh and surprising storyline? I almost believed that Caesar was dead or that the humans would be enslaved).

[@temporaryhandle802]

I thought for sure John would love this since he's rated other blockbuster films (that in my opinion aren't as good as this) with a higher score. Well, 7.5 is still a good score. I'd give it a 9. I will agree that a lot of characters are underdeveloped. Part of the reason I didn't give it a 10.

[@wuzzy41123]

The two most shocking moments for me, that I honestly did not see coming, were when Koba shot Caesar and when Koba killed Ash. Both times I let out a gasp. When a movie can get you to gasp when a character is in danger or is killed, you know the director has done his job.

[@rickmamba]

John 7.5 for real. I rate the movie a 10, it is the best movie of the year(my opinion). The characters were great, the story was great, the visual effects were perfect, oh my God I can't wait to buy it on BluRay!

[@MoonAtomic7]

How to train your dragon 2 is still my fav movie of the year so far. I still liked this. Agree with almost everything you guys said, there's really nothing to debate about this movie, but like I said, How to train your dragon 2 to me did something I haven't seen in a long time.

[@123CoDKids]

AMC please answer this question, Do you think that Malcom and his family will be in the third film or will it follow a new cast?

[@TheGamerGirl2330]

This movie was really good, I liked it better than the last film, the villain Koba is one the most nastiest villains that I have seen in film. I also liked that they threw a family aspect in it with Malcolm and his son and Caesar and his family. I liked the action, I liked almost everything, Charlie's character though (in case you guys didn't know the guy who played Charlie in Fringe is in this movie) I did not like his character, I was so happy when he died. (Whomever Kirk Acevedo plays, never seems to die in a normal way) I also did cry when Caesar was "dying". 9/10

[@bgkid14]

What makes Ceasar such a great character is that he sees both sides of the coin. He spent the first half of his life being completely around humans and seeing how what good people are like, and they actually raised him to be the "man" he is today. But he's also seen what the other apes had to go through and experienced it first hand. So he's kinda a man of 2 worlds that fear/hate each other.

[@wuzzy41123]

So far, the YouReviewers Awards' Best Villain category is going to be nuts this year. We've already gotten Winter Soldier, Magneto and Koba and there is still plenty more to come, Ronan, President Snow and all of the Oscar films.

[@BoscoMoviesTV]

8.5 mostly because of pacing. Every scene had purpose to it but it felt like the pacing was almost a rollercoaster. Exposition, rising action, mini-climax, slow scene, mini-climax, slow scene, rising action, climax, resolution. Also disagree with John about some of the characters. I think you see more dimensions to Oldman's character as the movie goes on and his motivations, whereas Koba's character development spirals from being a true friend at the beginning to becoming straight evil. Some of the rest are, yes, one dimensional but also very real

[@EzraCubero]

I totally respect your opinion, John, but I wanted to comment back on your complaints regarding Koba. I don't agree when you say that the human interaction was an excuse to shoot Caesar. He desperately wanted war against the humans, but early on he respected Caesar too much to go against him. The turning point for me was when he got attacked by Caesar. In that scene, I saw how the gears were turning in Koba's head that now he can't even trust his own leader. So I found that to be the reason why he decided to shoot Caesar, blame it on the humans, and get the war that he wanted from the beginning. As for him killing apes once the attack begins, I found that was because he got brainwashed by his power and couldn't trust anyone who was still willing to follow the morals that Caesar wanted the apes to live by. Maybe there's something else that I'm missing (I've only seen the movie once) but I hope that was helpful.

[@johnnyboy513]

Kinda remind me of Macbeth or any dictator espcially Stalin or Hitler for that matter

[@Robz956]

Anyone else noticed the energy in the room died when John gave it a 7.5? I respect John and his opinion and all but everyone was so amazed and pumped for this movie that his overall review killed the mood. Maybe it was just me lol

[@DPMAN206]

That music though...freaking epic. They were definitely bringing back the classic spectacle/larger than life kind of music that most movies nowa days lack, IMO.

[@coleamparo2369]

hello guys! my name is chandler and i'm a huge fan of you guys! anyway,there isn't a clip, but at the end of the credits you hear movement of metal and some dirt, apes in the back round, and a mysterious figure(possibly Koba) breathing heavily. if this IS koba then i guess the mustache twirling bad guy isn't quite done twirling just yet. lol

[@trey1932]

I'm disappointed John. Caesar climbing up the ladder and then fighting... That's called adrenaline... The apes never ventured to the city, so why would they know about the humans? And Koba is the Magneto to Caesar's Professor X. Just a little more evil.

[@johnnyboy513]

YEAH

[@Ren_Davis0531]

I've always liked that this series never skimped on the emotional depth. They don't take the easy way out by making the Apes the good guys and humans the bad guys. Everything is efficiently drenched in shades of gray and I love it. They never made the humans outright evil (which continues from the first one) and they ended up being a lot more sympathetic than I expected. I love that the central theme is that intelligence breeds hubris and narcissism. Sapient beings have a tendency of thinking that people like them are superior to everyone else and look down on other species and groups of people and it's very telling of the competence of the storytelling that even Caesar falls victim to that way of thinking. That being said, I think this movie could have been better. The characters (outside of Caesar) feel underdeveloped. They were competent, but they didn't go far enough with the characterization to really make them great. Koba was the biggest problem. I feared that he would be a one note villain and he unfortunately becomes one as the film goes on. He was good when it started, but it felt like they stopped trying with his character after the big fight with Caesar at the dam. I think that a lot of the problems with this film stem from the fact that this is a more complicated story than the first. Rise was a character driven story about Caesar, so the underdeveloped characters aren't as much of a problem. It built Caesar up, tore him down, then reassembled him into a commanding leader fighting for his people, which creates a palpable connection with the audience. Dawn on the other hand tackles lots of complex themes and issues and that is harder to tell than a story about a downtrodden character who rises up and fights for his people. Overall, it was really good, but it could have been better. I still saw it twice today on opening day and don't regret it (although the lady giving her commentary the whole film and the hyperactive kid who wouldn't stop moving grated my nerves.)

[@PushkarajSShirke]

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: MonkeyRating: 10/10 actually a 9/10, but the cinematic brilliance of this movie in a time that lacks cinematic awesomeness prompted me to give it a 10. Waddabout: In a post apocalyptic world destroyed by the simian flu, a society of humans clash paths with a society of genetically mutated intelligent apes over a hydel power dam that could restore much needed power to the human society. The battle that ensues will trigger a war that will determine which will be the dominant species of the planet. What to watch out for: Amazing story line where no character is without raison-d-etre, good, bad, misled or sheer evil. Mind blowingly spectacular CG that is impossible to tell is computer generated. Andy Serkis in a performance that is DESERVING of an OSCAR. And a slow burning cinematic experience that leaves you moved, entertained and looking forward for the finale in this trilogy. What sucks: NOTHING. Only that few whiners will complain that a few parts are too slow. screw them whiners. BTW: Matt Reeves, the director of DOTPOTA is the same guy who made the other film that blew me away in recent times - one that i judged as a cinematic masterpiece in recent times - LET ME IN. Watch the video review on FILM PICKLE: Dawn of the planet of the apes Review - Film Pickle

[@JWUniverse]

Great review Everyone. This movie was just amazing everything was well done 3 years worth the wait! I gave it an A+

[@herbertragan7963]

Incredible film. Yes, great action, great effects, but so well thought out. A beautiful script with a lot of heart. 9 out of 10

[@papamamagur]

John, to each with his own thoughts but I think your knitpicks can be explained. 1. Cesar took 2 seconds to take Coba out when he was healthy, they showed how hard he had it when he was injured and with the gun in hand other apes had to help Cesar to win. 2. You couldn't see people from that high point, only the lights, which Cesar refers to as "The Lights". so it's not so strange he said what he said. 3. The Apes mentality was to follow the strong one, which when Cesar fell was Coba, so I get why they just went up and started the war without checking on Cesar. I agree with you on where he was found. How did he get so far away... but I can forgive that small detail. 4. the supporting cast wasn't that deep but they tried presenting some layers. Jason's character had his son in mind, and the agenda of living peacefully in the human society, and when Cesar came along he slowly realized it's not only the humans but also the apes that needs to live together. Gary Oldman's character had that one scene with the IPad pictures that you could feel that he is doing it for his family and not just because hatred to apes, and that he was a soldier and that all he knows. That kid that died with all the others in the last ape attack caused him to flip and want to destroy them all. Coba's arch was really good with being Cesar's friend and helper at the beginning and layer by layer distrusting him and his methods until that scene where he kills the other ape to make everyone afraid of him. The rest were pretty flat but believable, even the gunner character was just super paranoid and when they succeeded with the electricity, he was happy and not brooding that his way didn't work. If you reached so far, I give DOTPOTA a 9.5 just for pacing issues. I felt there were some misplaced scenes that made me feel like looking at the clock - and that shouldn't happen in a movie.

[@96nikecha]

7.5? Alright... I know... respect opinions. My opinion: I fucking hate Campea now! Mine is 9.5 as well.

[@wuzzy41123]

I would say my favourite relationship in the movie was between Maurice and Alexander. When Alex gave Maurice the book and started teaching him I started to tear up.

[@LostUtopiaFilms]

Probably my second favorite film of the year. Awesome movie that proves that reboots can be as good (sometimes better) as the original.

[@TylerMyers94]

This movie was so fantastic. Not only did it have great action set pieces and performances (especially by the brilliant Andy Serkis), but it had a really strong emotional core to it as well. Matt Reeves did a phenomenal job with the film and the visuals were all-around stunning and impressive. I LOVED this movie! 9.5/10.

[@LWAigasu]

See, when someone says "Mustache Twirling Villain" what comes to mind is a bad guy doing bad guy things for the sake of being a bad guy. Koba was clearly motivated by 2 things. Hate and a lust for Power, but that want of power was cradled in the belief that Ceasar was wrong in his belief that humans are good. Also, I think Koba felt betrayed by Ceasar with his love of humans...though, maybe that was just his excuse for betraying Ceaser himself.

[@alpacino5694]

No matter what, Campea will never score anything above his beloved Highlander.

[@johnnyboy513]

lol

[@mikegnome]

The one logic flaw that bugged me was when the son and girlfriend convinced Malcolm that it'd be better that they go along with him to the ape campground. "We're always safer with you." Ummm, yeah no. They just witnessed threatening talking apes, WITH SPEARS, riding horses. Besides that the movie is an excellent sequel. Can't wait for the next one.

[@MaxTheIOSDev]

9.5. It was such a great film, going for my second time today.

[@johnnyboy513]

Me too!

[@MarkKim98]

In the final scene, I liked how Caesar mainly targeted Koba's wound instead of full on beating him with his arms like he did in the middle of the movie. It showed that Caesar was weakened and forced to exploit Koba's weakness. It doesn't exactly counter the argument that Caesar became a ninja monkey after being "weakened," but at least it's some acknowledgement.

[@shyliebook5999]

7.5 was what I was thinking as well. It is an amazing movie in some impressive ways - motion capture and metaphor being my favorite. I thought a lot of the ape characters were not well developed, Caesar being the exception. I kinda understood why Koba was extreme once his anger was unleashed and he was reminded of the cruelties he suffered from humans and no kindness. I was distracted from the beginning, that apes had taken up tribal hunting culture. Were they doing it to eat the meat cause apes don't typically eat much meat although who knows what they were fed in those labs .

[@MegaOmega64]

I wish you guys do a spoiler review for how to train your dragon 2. It's not fair that you guys did reviews on 22 jump street, neighbors and edge of tomorrow, how to train your dragon 2 was a really good film

[@alexdavies8242]

dragon 2 was great, don't know why they didn't review it. 22 jump street yea was very mediocre at best. Don't get John's excitement towards it, and not apes. Apes shits all over jump street and so does dragon 2. But I completly understand why they reviewed it.

[@fordboyce3951]

The tank shot I can add to my favorite scenes of 2014. Right next to the fire-breathing scene in Godzilla and any scene with Quicksilver in Days of Future Past.

[@WuTangBoneThugs]

oh shit, John really is right about the characters. Why was Malcolm's son there? Malcolm's wife didn't do anything besides nursing twice in the movie.The rest of their team wasn't explored. They didn't give names to most of the apes including Caesar's sons and wife.

[@tracyb64]

@ WuTangBoneThugs - I somewhat disagree. I think Malcolm's son was there to give a flip side dynamic to the way Caesar and his son (Blue Eyes). In other words, if Malcolm's son was around the Gary Oldman character more and similar to the way Koba was around Blue Eyes, would their relationship be the same? You see the scene of Maurice spending time learning with Malcolm's son. Never would that happen with Blue Eyes because Koba was always in his ear :-(.

[@TheBoondocksaint117]

I can see John's point of view, but I felt that many characters did have depth; we just didn't see all of it. I was actually really surprised by Gary Oldman's character. Like everyone else, I thought he was going to be the big antagonist, but really, he only did what he believed was right. he wasn't rushing to kill them all like I thought he was going to, but he was prepared to. He tried for peace first, though, and that shows depth to me. I love Koba in this movie. I was very disappointed when he and Caesar didn't fight in the first movie, and I felt that tension building between them from the start. I love when he shoots Caesar, because it's that "Et tu, Brutus?" moment. I was on edge the whole movie. 9.5/10.

[@Lo-236]

Ive seen it 3 times already! I think the cinematography and Caesar/Koba are my favorite parts of this film. I fell in love with Koba/Caesar and wonderful performances by Toby Kebel and Andy Serkis. I still like Rise of the Planet of the Apes more, but this film was definitely my favorite film of the year.

[@ijnimk]

I also thought that Caesar recovered ridiculously fast but then I also noticed that Caesar mainly focused on hitting Koba's wounded side. This definitely showed how Caesar's intelligence dominated Koba's.

[@MichaelChfArteaga]

Even though it seems that Caesar miraculously recovered from his gun shot wound when he fought Koba, if you notice, Caesar was actually getting the shit beat out of him. he was only able to win because he fought more strategically and smarter than Koba (using the piece of metal as a shield, hitting Koba where he was already inured, etc), whereas Koba was using brute force. There were actually parts in the fight where Koba was going to town on Caesar and all Caesar could do was take it. I think that the fight scene was perfect :)

[@KiyoshiKumaneko]

Not sure but I think there may have been some Pokemon references. When the humans are running away and Koba says something like gotta catch them all. And Ash. lol.

[@amoslim5004]

I totally agree.. Amazing film.. John might be too biased tho.. For comic book movies i mean.. This has so much heart.. Can't wait for this panel to review Boyhood

[@IandiBoats]

Campia is crazy. 7.5 my eyeball. Si-fi is where we suspend reality. My only complaint is how the guns had endless bullets. Apes need to learn hiw to reload ammo. Lol

[@ArtofBrentMinehan]

The effects are perfect, the reason why you know the chimps and Caesar aren't real are simply that apes don't look and express that way. I cannot see it possible getting more real. Also incredible film!

[@123rockfan]

“So I’m the asshole?” That was pretty self aware for his character and made him an extremely realistic jerk. He also cared about the people he was with. And right before he dies he’s so happy that they got the electricity to work.

[@MrCarpediem6]

People talk about Serkis, duly of course, but the actor who portrayed, Koba, just wow, so much emotion ...

[@MarcusDede]

This movie was like the lion king and Jurassic Park mixed I give it 9.5

[@SamCera]

Did anyone else spot that Caesar used words more as the movie progressed?

[@amctheatres]

Yeah, but he was also interacting with humans more so it kind of required him to verbally speak more.

[@evavakaevil6340]

It reminded me of me with my family! I only speak Spanish with them and it always takes me a few days to get back in the habit. I think that was actually a brilliant way to show Caesar reconnecting with humans!

[@elsaandnoah]

Love Caesar - I loved the movie but especially Caesar. He's a noble character and I felt so much for him & his cause. I remember the tragedy and injustice in the first movie and now this one? I just found myself wanting the good apes to win & for everybody to live in peace.

[@andyfox8377]

either an 8 or 8.5 for me. I really enjoyed it but I completely agree with John there were moments that were just not believable which bothered me however Andy Serkis deserves serious recognition for this absolutely incredible performance!

[@TomazasTM]

Great movie and great spoiler review. Thank you guys! I get everything from this movie what I had expected! 9/10

[@brendenkillough]

I for once agree with Everything Campea says !! Spot on John.

[@moviefan7505]

John is WAY off on his complaints.... First of all, even though ape city was in relatively close proximity to San Francisco...there was no power to the city. The were using fossil fuels to make cars run, or power small machinery. They didn't have electricity enough to even power lights in the city. So even from a distance it would look like a dead city. The apes would have no reason to think there were still humans alive there. Second...Caesar did not "Wolverine heal" and become a "ninja fighter". You could tell in his fight with Koba that he was struggling, so he worked on the injury that Koba had sustained to defeat him. Third...what is he talking about as far as no characters? All of the major ape characters had distinctive personalities. Koba was very much General Zod from Man Of Steel. He wasn't necessarily evil. He was doing was what best for the survival of his race. Only when he became power hungry did he turn truly evil. Gary Oldman was also a character not clear cut evil. He also, was doing what he thought was best for the survival of his race. Plus, he had one of the most emotionally powerful moments of the movie. When his laptop powered up, and he saw the picture of his sons. He probably hadn't seen their faces, or even an image of them for 10 years. So you see his joy in seeing their smiling faces immediately turn to pain with the reality of them being long dead. I'm with the rest of the AMC crew on this one. Best film of 2014 so far.

[@flynwombz3571]

**SPOILERS** I agree with John, honestly. I maybe could've forgiven the very functional, one-dimensional element of a lot of the characters had they followed through on the whole film with the Caesar-Koba relationship. During the first half they did such a good job of setting them up as friends that had a fundamental disagreement, and I never hated Koba or thought of him as the villain. I even felt like I tracked with his decision to shoot Caesar. Based on how he viewed the humans, it seemed like his perspective could've been that it was a necessary evil to protect the apes, but once they broke into the human settlement and he threw Ash off the building, his character development became immediately unbelievable to me. It was disappointing that such a 3-dimensional character got reduced to an 8-bit power fiend once they'd done such a great job of keeping him believable and sympathetic up until that point.

[@flynwombz3571]

That having been said, I still loved the movie and the story. I don't make a habit of rating things on a point scale, but if I did I'd probably put it around an 8.5.

[@Gluesniffer16]

It think it might be better than the first but the relationship between Caesar James Franco was so strong in the first one I wish they would somehow showed Franco in a montage or something of him dying from the virus at some point in the movie like at the beginning of the film( kinda like the smeagal/Gollum story at the beginning of return of the king)or when Caesar picks up the video camera maybe, he was such and importAnt character and the guy that pretty much raised Caesar I would've liked to see something like that maybe in the next film

[@bgkid14]

And wait didn't they say something about Ceasar healing fast in the first film. It's mentioned the same time they bring up that he's extremely smart.

[@The810kid]

Koba could have betrayed Caesar from the jump but he waited to see his leaders way of dealing with the situation. He even got impatient and took matters in his own hands and saw the armory and viewed humans as a threat. He said in his own words let's warn Caesar but returned to hear of Caesar's lenient decision after the A hole guy snuck a gun. Then Caesar humiliated him in front of the apes and physically embarrassed him. At that point he even told Caesar's son that his father no longer trusts me.

[@rickA31]

I'm giving this 10/10. Perfect movie for me, I loved how well rounded it was. Fantastic action, writing, acting and even cinematography. It was just a great film, there needs to be more than this

[@rockingbirdey]

Jon, you do realise that the sanctuary that the apes was in was burning and so they were probably distracted

[@natimus_maximus4564]

John I respect your score and your opinion. A 7.5 is only .5 below an 8. An 8 is what I give the movie. It was good, about what I expected. DOFP is still my favorite movie this year.

[@johnyatsko5816]

John, I quite often agree with you, but I would like to debate the point of Caesar's superhuman strength. Initially I thought the exact same thing, that it didn't make sense. After the movie I thought differently. Caesar could see where Koba's actions were going to lead them. Caesar's desire was to live in peace. Considering that, I could see how he would conjure up the ability to give his all in the fight, kind of the same as that woman who lifted the bus off of her child. As far as it goes with him climbing up the ladder, I just feel like that's him being exhausted and scarred. Once he sees Koba then the fight for peace takes him over. Considering all of that, does that change your opinion at all?

[@nathanielpranger7370]

This movie is a reboot, a prequel AND a sequel but still awesome. I didn't know that was even possible.

[@IAmLiamF]

Straight 10 for me. I was glued to the screen for the entire movie. Perfect movie for my tastes. Usually what ruins movies for me is the score, but this certainly wasn't a let down

[@joshuastein366]

Hey John I love you man but I have to disagree with you. I think this movie was perfect. It's emotional, action-packed, and has outstanding characters. I actually thought Koba was a rather complex character. He wasn't so simple. I also thought you may have been nitpicking a bit which also made me wonder why your score was that low but I respect your opinion on the film nonetheless. This movie was perfect and flawless for me. Easily a 10/10.

[@johnnyboy513]

There was some flaws here and there but yeah this movie is truly a Modern Classic

[@JackMason21]

John, the characters aren't flat! Maurice, Blue Eyes??

[@evavakaevil6340]

What an phenomenal film! I was on the edge of my seat and in tears for most of the film. Andy Serkis's performance was so powerful... Oscar worthy IMO. And I completely disagree with JC about Koba. I think his character had many layers... he reminded me of a POW that becomes unhinged. Just WOW!

[@alexdavies8242]

Yeah whoever mo-cap Koba and Ceaser's son also did an amazing job.

[@TheMantaBluRay]

I enjoyed this movie. I... feel it's on par with "Rises" giving both films 8/10. While Rises has a MUCH better climax, Dawn surpasses Rises in a number of areas. Namely the performances and directing. Matt Reeves is excellent at making the world surrounding the characters A character in of itself. And Andy Serkis (along with the other motion-capture actors)..... is there anything else that hasn't already been said. Definitely the must-see movie this July.

[@longlivemsu]

I'm glad Campea brought up the human characters, because I thought I was going to be the only person who didn't absolutely love the film. Yeah the effects are a 10 out of 10, and just the ape parts of the film are a 10 out of 10; however, I couldn't care less about any of the humans. It's as if the writers knew everyone would side with Caesar and the apes, so they decided to force us into feeling sympathy for the humans with the "loss of loved ones" back story. Gary Oldman lost his sons, Jason Clarke lost his wife while his son lost a mother, and Keri Russell lost her daughter. I realize that the virus is a big event for the universe, but I should feel a connection with a character for how he or she is developed on screen and not by only one line or one screen shot like all of the humans are given to work with in this film.

[@TheKnownHazard1996]

You're nitpicking too much John, could've given it at least a an 8 or 8.5