I got into an advanced screening of this film, and I could not be any happier that this was the first film I got a chance to see before its formal release.

For those of you who are new here, I never do spoilers in a post that is not marked spoilers, and since the movie isn’t even out yet, I would not ruin it for you.

So Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the sequel to 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which I first saw about 3 weeks ago.  After I saw Rise I was really excited for Dawn.  Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a great origin story with compelling characters and a straightforward plot.  Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a very dark and emotional character driven story that layers in elements of conflict, revenge and several other themes.  This movie is a complete leap from its predecessor, and I will talk about how before I talk about any performances or direction.

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