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Parents' Guide to

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Intense sequel is darker than first, with more weapons.

Movie PG-13 2014 101 minutes
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 16 parent reviews

AllAges
AllAges Parent of 8-year-old
August 13, 2020
age 15+

Nowhere near the original Apes.

Has wonderful moments, but an “f-bomb,” violence, and soon-to-be dated CGI brings it down. Also a half-remake of a better movie, “Battle for the Planet of the Apes.”
c.fox
c.fox Adult
June 10, 2020
age 13+

huge step up from rise

a huge step up from rise, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is good but much darker than first, watching the beggining made me tear up. Does have some strong language including one f---ing, lots of violence including one epic battle seen with people getting shot, and crushed to death, with apes shown being shown getting shot, burnt and crushed to death. overall, it's too graphic and dark for tweens, but once they turn 13 they'll love it.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 16 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Ten years after the culminating events of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the simian flu has spread across the globe, killing the majority of the human population and plunging the world into a new dark age of chaos in DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. But back in San Francisco, Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his super-smart ape pals have flourished, creating a society in which all apes work and live together, abiding by rules that prohibit them from killing each other. Caesar is the alpha male, so when a group of humans led by Malcolm (Jason Clarke) and a trigger-happy Carver (Kirk Acevedo) stumbles upon the ape sanctuary while looking for a dam, it's Caesar who yells "Go!" at the bewildered human survivors. Realizing that the dam is their only hope to regain power to the survivors' colony, Malcolm returns to ask the apes' permission to do his research. Koba (Toby Kebbell), who was once a tortured lab chimp, advises Caesar against trusting the humans, but Caesar allows Malcolm's crew to work ... until tragic circumstances lead to an all-out war between the apes and the humans.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (16 ):
Kids say (55 ):

This movie will surprise viewers with its depth and relevance to a world in which co-existence between humans is beginning to look every bit as difficult as harmony between the humans and the apes. The decade between the events in Rise and the action in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has decimated humanity but helped the apes evolve into a well-organized community of united chimpanzees, orangutans (wise Maurice is back as the community's teacher), gorillas, and other apes. By focusing on the apes at the beginning and the end, director Matt Reeves makes it clear where society is heading ... and who has the more interesting story lines. This installment's most compelling characters are definitely the apes, particularly the mistrustful Koba -- who not only refuses to trust humans but is willing to lie, cheat, and steal to start a war with the neighboring survivors' colony -- and Blue Eyes (Nick Thurston), Caesar's oldest son, who's torn between listening to his thoughtful father and the more vocally militant Koba. Caesar and Koba are fascinating foils, and their relationship is so much more heartbreaking than their human counterparts Malcolm and Dreyfus (Gary Oldman), who thinks the apes are just "dumb animals."

In the first movie, Caesar related to Will (James Franco) as a son. But in the sequel, he and Malcolm are equals -- both fathers trying to do what's best for their sons and their communities. Their friendship doesn't have as tearful an emotional pull as the father-son dynamic, but it's still poignant to see two voices of reason standing against hate. It's too bad there isn't more for Keri Russell or Kodi Smit-McPhee to do as Malcolm's partner and son; they -- along with some of the original apes, like Maurice and Rocket -- don't have a lot of lines. Still, Dawn is ultimately a dark and violent drama with more substance than anyone would expect from a franchise sequel. The movie's visuals are unforgettable (apes on horses! apes with guns a la Arnold Schwarzenegger!), and the action is occasionally disturbing (a couple of the kills are particularly upsetting).

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how violent Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is compared to the first movie. How is it different? What's harder to watch -- the weapons-based violence in this sequel or the animal abuse in the first movie?

  • What's so compelling about post-apocalyptic stories? Why are viewers drawn to humans struggling for survival?

  • Animals are usually depicted as humans' friends or pets, but what do these apes want -- to rule over humans or to just live free and apart from them?

  • Discuss how Caesar's and Koba's approaches to ape-human relations differ. Are there real-life comparisons you can make to their differing world views?

Movie Details

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