Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Hour of the Wolf Movie Review

Human Jason Clarke finds relations strained with simian neighbors (l to r) Andy Serkis, Toby Kebbell, and Karin Konoval in DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.
Human Jason Clarke finds relations strained with simian neighbors (l to r) Andy Serkis, Toby Kebbell, and Karin Konoval in DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.

This is a trivial question, but it’s been bugging me, so let me get it out, okay? Why is the sequel to RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES called DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES? I mean, “dawn” suggests a beginning, right? And you can’t actually rise until you begin, right? So shouldn’t the titles of these films be reversed? Then again, that first film wasn’t really focused on the planet of the apes beginning, but on the events that eventually led to that beginning. And this newest film isn’t so much about the planet’s rise as one glimpse into how humanity loses its foothold to the newly born society of intelligent simians. But then, I guess EVENTS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING AND HAVING A DIRECT IMPACT UPON THE DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES and ONE CHAPTER THAT WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THE RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES wouldn’t quite pop on movie posters, would it? Never mind.
Hm? What did I think of the film? Oh, I loved it. No, let me clarify that: I LOVED IT. But it’s not really as simple as that, so listen in to my review for the HOUR OF THE WOLF radio show to get my take on this thoroughly entertaining summer blockbuster. Click on the player to hear the segment, or right-click the title to download.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – Hour of the Wolf Movie Review

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DARK SKIES: CFQ Spotlight Podcast 4:08

Close Encounters of the Familiar Kind: Keri Russell (left), Josh Hamilton (second from right) and Kadan Rockett endure an alien attack in DARK SKIES.
Close Encounters of the Familiar Kind: Keri Russell (left), Josh Hamilton (second from right) and Kadan Rockett endure an alien attack in DARK SKIES.

If there’s one thing we know about a Blumhouse film, it’s that the producers of the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY franchise are convinced the American family just isn’t safe at home. In the case of DARK SKIES, the entities bedeviling a married couple (Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton) and their two young sons (Dakota Goyo and Kadan Rockett) aren’t restless spirits, but malevolent aliens, determined to put the suburbanites through the wringer for reasons unclear, even to alien expert J.K. Simmons.
Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French and Dan Persons get together to see if spooky stuff is spookier with a science fiction twist, and how exactly a typically overextended, middle-class family manages to afford a comprehensive home security system and room-to-room video surveillance. (Possible explanation: selling the footage to Blumhouse Productions.) Plus: What’s coming to theaters this Friday.

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