Summary
Dawn of the Planet of the Apescame out 10 years ago in July 2014, and it has been my favoritePlanet of the Apesmovie ever since. There have been 10Planet of the Apesmoviessince the inception of the franchise in 1968, not to mention all the comic books and other expanded universe materials. While noteveryPlanet of the Apesfilmis set in the same continuity, the series is widely considered one of the best sci-fi franchises of all time. 2024 marked the beginning of a new chapter in the saga following the prequel trilogy.
Caesar’s story inRise of the Planet of the Apes,Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, andWar for the Planet of the Apescan be considered a prequel to the original films, even though this new take on the franchise contradicted the previous installments in a couple of ways. The modernPlanet of the Apesmovies brought the saga back to the big screen for the first time in 10 years following the disastrousTim BurtonPlanet of the Apesremakeand raised the bar not only for this franchise but for science fiction in general.
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes Remains The Franchise’s Best 10 Years Later
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes raised the bar for the franchise.
I loved all three films in thePlanet of the Apesreboot trilogy, butDawnwas my favorite entry in Caesar’s story. The first of Matt Reeves’Planet of the Apesfilms,Dawn of the Planet of the Apestook the world and the characters that had been introduced in the first installment and took them to the next level.Dawn of the Planet of the Apesis the kind of film that can only happen in the middle of a trilogy, as it relies on audiences already having a connection to those characters and that world.
Rupert Wyatt directedRise of the Planet of the Apes.
Rise of the Planet of the Apeswas a “textbook origin story” in the sense that perfectly introduced Caesar and set up the elements that would be important for his journey. In some ways,Rise of the Planet of the Apesdid not need a sequel.I could have accepted that Caesar and his followers going into the woods at the end of the film would eventually lead to the “planet of the apes” that the astronauts encounteredin the 1968 film. Still, I was glad thatDawn of the Planet of the Apeshappened.
Planet of the Apes(1968)
86%
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
37%
Escape from the Planet of the Apes(1971)
76%
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes(1972)
52%
Battle for the Planet of the Apes(1973)
36%
Planet of the Apes(2001)
43%
Rise of the Planet of the Apes(2011)
82%
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes(2014)
91%
War for the Planet of the Apes(2017)
94%
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes(2024)
80%
Dawn of the Planet of the Apesis not only my favorite film in the Caesar trilogy but my favoritePlanet of the Apesmovie in general. The original movie is one of the most important works of science fiction of all time and is much more than just its iconic Liberty Statue twists. Its sequels included fun time travel and sci-fi concepts, but there was not much else to them.Burton’sPlanet of the Apesremake got a lot of things wrongand just didn’t work, leavingRiseto save the franchise in 2011.
How Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes Changed The Franchise
Dawn treated Caesar as a very complex character.
Rise of the Planet of the Apeswas a very bold reboot that completely reimagined the franchise. Instead of suits, makeup, and prosthetics, the apes were brought to life through visual effects and motion capture. Additionally, rather than continuing the series from where it had stopped or leaning into the time travel aspect of it all,Risetold a brand-new origin story centered on a somewhat original character. Still, as important asRise of the Planet of the Apeswas,I believeDawnis the film that showed what this saga could be.
The line between right and wrong was much blurry inDawn, which introduced layered characters and gave Caesar a lot of moral dilemmas to solve.
WhereasRisewas an action-packed movie with a very defined structure – Caesar goes through the hero’s journey and saves the day at the end –Dawn of the Planet of the Apeswas a very complex story. The line between right and wrong was much blurry inDawn, which introduced layered characters and gave Caesar a lot of moral dilemmas to solve.Rise of the Planet of the Apesgoes from plot A to plot B quite fast, whereasDawnslowly builds up the tension that will eventually lead to war.
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Sequels Were Both Incredible
War and Kingdom continued to elevate the franchise.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apesmay be my favorite movie in the franchise, but I also loved its sequels.War for the Planet of the Apes, which was also helmed by Matt Reeves, concluded Caesar’s trilogy with an intense, gut-wrenching film that felt unlike anything the series had done before.Warwas not thePlanet of the Apesmovie I was expectingbased on its title, but it was a most fitting conclusion to Caesar’s story. It showed the horrors of war and explored Caesar’s character in a beautiful way leading up to his death.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apeswas the beginning of a new chapter in the series, and while it referenced Caesar’s story in many ways, it introduced a brand-new set of characters. I liked the decision to setKingdom of the Planet of the Apescenturies afterWar, as it allowed the new film to explore the impact of Caesar’s journey in the long term. The world ofKingdomwas much closer to the one from the original films, yet it still felt like a direct result of what Caesar had built.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Ape’s Sequel Could Be The New Trilogy’s Version Of Dawn
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes deserves a trilogy.
AKingdom of the Planet of the Apessequel has yet to be confirmed, but I hope this is the beginning of a new trilogy.A newPlanet of the Apesmovie set afterKingdomcould be the “Dawn” of this second trilogy, expanding on the themes and the characters from the first film.Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ ending makes it clear that the story is not over, and that the tensions between apes and humans might only increase now that the latter have restored communications thanks to Mae.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Cast & Character Guide
Owen Teague leads the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes cast as Cornelius. But who else is starring alongside him and what characters do they play?
The nextPlanet of the Apesmovie could be one of the best in the franchise if it continues the tradition set up byDawn.Risewas a great film, butDawnwas somehow even better.Kingdom of the Planet of the Apeshas done the groundwork already, which is why I’m so excited about where the franchise goes next. Regardless of what the next film will look like, I believeDawn of the Planet of the Apes’ impact in the series will remain for years to come.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Cast
A decade after a deadly virus decimates humanity, a burgeoning society of intelligent apes, led by Caesar, finds its peaceful existence threatened by a group of human survivors who stumble upon their sanctuary. As both sides grapple with fear and mistrust, Caesar works to broker peace despite growing hostilities. The tension escalates, leading to a dramatic clash that will determine the future of both species.
