I initially skipped the theatrical run (and the subsequent Blu-ray) simply because it looked like a cash-in on a beloved classic series (well, the first couple were beloved, some of the sequels were pretty cheesy). Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a movie that took me completely by surprise a few years back.
Caesar barely escapes the coup with his life, and with the help of Malcolm and his wife Ellie (Keri Russell) does whatever he can do to stop a war that is all but inevitable. Furious at the decision, Koba sulks in the corner, all the while planning a subtle takeover, wherein he will rule the apes and bring his vengeance down on the paltry human survivors in the town of San Francisco. Instead he allows them to continue their work on the dam in exchange for peace. However, Caesar is not willing to kill the humans for sake of bloodlust. The apes have lived in relative peace for 10 years, and with the intrusion of the humans, Koba wants to slaughter them so as to keep their secret. Apes, HUNDREDS of apes, with Caesar and the physically and emotionally scarred Koba (Toby Kebbell) leading the way. Now, headed up by Malcolm (Jason Clarke) and Dreyfus (Gary Oldman), the rogue human survivors have to trek into the wilderness around San Francisco to see if they can get an old Hydro Power planet online and supply limited power to the city once again. The city of San Francisco is a haven for the surviving humans in the area, and they are looking at a quick decline after all sources of power have been depleted. Humanity has driven itself to the brink of extinction thanks to a virus created to cure Alzheimer’s (ironic considering that’s how Caesar became who he is), and is desperately in search of a life line. It’s been 10 years since Caesar (Andy Serkis) escaped into the wilds around San Francisco. Things get lost in the scuffle (as they usually do), but the film is a worthy successor to the surprise smash hit of Rise. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a decidedly more action driven storyline, driving more political and ape subtext into the film rather than the emotional human element that was Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Given time with the discs and viewing them back to back actually gives us a slightly more cohesive storyline rather than viewing them years apart in cinemas. It was pretty much a done deal and I have been expecting these to pop up for months. With War for the Planet of the Apes coming this summer, it’s only natural that fox pull out the two prequels and give them the 4K do over.