Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

Director: Matt Reeves

Writers: Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver

Composer: Michael Giacchino

Starring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirk Acevedo, Nick Thurston, Terry Notary, Karin Konoval, Judy Greer, Jon Eyez, Enrique Murciano, Laramie Doc Shaw

More info: IMDb

Tagline:  One last chance for peace.

Plot:  A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

This series is great.  The first one ended with me champing at the bit to see the sequel and now I feel the same way.  I needs to see the next one.  It's not going to be tough to wait three years.  I'll have seen over 2,000 movies by then to help ease the pain.  It could go without saying at this point that Serkis is amazing.  The CGI is better than the previous film and seeing the apes ride horses is just badass.  I've only got a couple of issues.  MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD... There's no way Malcolm (Clarke) would've survived the C4 blast.  The other is Caesar (Serkis) saying "You're no ape" before letting Koba (Kebbell) go.  I dig that he let him go but I think it would have been more powerful to have held back that line and just see the expression of disappointment and hate in Caesar's face.  But that wouldn't be the Hollywood thing to do.  But then neither is making movies this good.  I'm looking forward to seeing it again and hopefully it'll be in the theater before it leaves for home video.  It's a great film in its own right and a worthy follow up to RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2011).