Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
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In a world ravaged by a deadly pandemic, a leader of an ape community must navigate a tense standoff with the remaining human survivors.
The story
Set in 2026, ten years after a 'Simian Flu' pandemic decimated the human population, the film follows the remnants of human civilization. While humans are nearly extinct, a group of survivors led by Malcolm enters the territory of an ape colony in the Muir Woods National Monument. The apes, granted intelligence by the virus, are led by Caesar. The two groups must navigate a tense standoff as they attempt to coexist. The conflict escalates when a human's actions lead to a confrontation, forcing Caesar to decide whether to seek peace or prepare for a full-scale war to protect his people.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2026, following a 'Simian Flu' pandemic, humans are nearly extinct, with only a small percentage remaining. The apes, granted intelligence by the virus, have established a colony in Muir Woods led by Caesar. A human group led by Malcolm enters the territory seeking a hydroelectric dam. After a tense encounter where a human, Carver, injures a young ape, Caesar demands the humans leave. However, Malcolm manages to negotiate a truce where they can work on the dam if they surrender their weapons. While working together, the humans and apes begin to bond. The peace is shattered when Koba, a radical ape with a vendetta against humans, frames the humans for a series of attacks and sets fire to the area, leading to a full-scale assault on the human settlement in San Francisco. During the chaos, Caesar is presumed dead and is rescued by Malcolm's family. He is taken to a medical facility where he eventually recovers. He and his son, Blue Eyes, reunite with Malcolm. They return to the settlement to find the humans and apes are being held captive by Koba's forces. In a final confrontation at a tower, Caesar defeats Koba and declares him no longer an ape. The film ends with Caesar and Malcolm preparing for the inevitable arrival of the human military.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 130
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Matt Reeves
- Writers
- Mark Bomback · writer; Rick Jaffa · writer; Amanda Silver · writer
- Cast and characters
- Andy Serkis · Caesar; Jason Clarke · Malcolm; Gary Oldman · Dreyfus; Keri Russell · Ellie; Toby Kebbell · Koba; Kodi Smit-McPhee · Alexander
- Genres
- science fiction; action
- Themes
- survival; coexistence; leadership
- Tone and mood
- tense; serious
- Premise and plot tags
- post-apocalyptic; sci-fi; action
- Source material / true-story basis
- Planet of the Apes franchise
- Franchise connections
- Planet of the Apes
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was praised for its emotional resonance, technical achievements, and strong storytelling.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 91% · scale: percentage · review count: 316; Metacritic · score: 79 · scale: 100 · review count: 48
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Visual Effects · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was the highest-grossing film in the franchise.; The film's production involved extensive motion capture and visual effects by Weta Digital.; A novelization of the film was published by Titan Books and won a Scribe Award.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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