Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

What happens when staying alive is all you can do, but you come to conflict with a group who feels that you are the only thing standing in the line of survival for them. A conflict struggle of this kind is the plot line behind what happens in 2014 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Making the plot line even more interesting was the 3D or non-3D option offered to potential viewers. Take it from a person who saw both versions of the movie, that 3D version gave the movie a different look and feel then did the normal version. Though there are many people who do not like 3D movies and feel they can be “gimmicky”….. I for one am a lover of 3 Dimensional movies. This movie was not perfect and could have enhanced some things that weren’t but overall I think this is on the list of movie where a 3D option was necessary.

                In Understanding Movies the idea that, “Traditional animation, with its time-consuming, hand drawn cel images, is being replaced by computer, which produces images that are created digitally, no a mano” we get the understanding that these images and imaginary world being produced through computer generation are changing the effects in movies. Caesar and his entire colony of apes weren’t really running around a jungle wreaking havoc on the jungle as it seemed. They were all CGI apes! Weta Digital is the mother the birthed Caesar and all his family and friends, and they did a great job. Forming these loveable and at times scary characters took work but the end result. Doing a little research the producer, Rupert Wyatt, said “We had a choice of using either live apes or CGI. Personally, I had moral problems with the idea of using chimps. And from a practical point of view it would be virtually impossible to get them to do what we need them to do within our schedule.” (www.express.co.uk) I am sure the apes and ape advocates are happy about the idea of not using them. The movie would have taken longer to make but also would not have been able to get the facial expressions and important differences each CGI ape character presented to the audience. The actions and almost human like betrayals and relationships the apes gave would not be possible to achieve without Weta. The CGI special affects where a great enhancement that we would have lost if we could have had actual apes.

   3D movies have been around for a long time but to watch a 3D movie that also has humans and monkeys “talking” to each other brings our world to an entirely different place. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes angles made the 3 Dimensions seem like they were in our laps, or better yet that we were in the movie. Many times in the movie, mostly when one group, either Apes or humans where having a meeting the 3D perspective added to the angle the camera was at. This angling made it seems as if the audience was a part of that meeting. This effect of being included in the movie makes you pay closer attention. When the apes became angry a place in me also want to become angry, or when they were on their way to fight I felt like I was firsthand experience and engaged in the fight as well. I believe the 3D perspective on the movie changes the way you feel about the groups of people or in this case apes. The side you feel compassionate towards is generally the side that begins to connect to your emotions because they are so close. We see a baby born and see Caesar get shot by his right hand man and all these moment where enhanced because the 3D allowed everything to be bigger.

Though the 3D effect of the movie was great it wasn’t a perfect movie in that 3D perspective. In the regular non-3D version the fires and explosions in the movie seemed normal like any other movie. This 3D world at the most important moments had 2D effects. The author should have used the 3D to upgrade the bigger moments. From a pathos stand point the 3 made us fall in love with the families both human and ape, also making the logical appeal of family and survival being most important thing to all organisms. “You can also use emotional appeals to make logical claims stronger or more memorable.”(Everything’s an Argument) The director is banking on majority of the audience having families and being able to connect to the logical appeal of family security through the use of emotional technics. However, from an ethical stand point to spend the extra money shelling out for the 3D movie the action scenes left a little to be desired.

All in all this movie receives a 3 pickle rating from me. The pathos of the 3D effect enhances the movie and makes you feel in tune with the groups of people. However the 3D should have enhanced moments of action and excitement but they just seemed the same as the regular and cheaper version of the movie.