Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

PG-13

2014

2h 10m

Sci-Fi

Action

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

319 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Ten years after simian flu wiped out much of the world's Homo sapiens, genetically enhanced chimpanzee Caesar and his ever-growing band of followers has established a thriving colony just outside San Francisco in Muir Woods. Meanwhile, a small band of human survivors emerges, which forces Caesar -- as leader -- to grapple with the dual challenge of protecting his people and re-establishing a relationship with the remaining human population -- the latter being Caesar's secret wish.

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Critics Consensus

With intelligence and emotional resonance to match its stunning special effects, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes expands on its predecessor with an exciting and ambitious burst of sci-fi achievement.

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Shadow and Act Staff

Shadow and Act

Sep 14, 2022

The fact that “Dawn of The Planet of The Apes” is a summer tent-pole with a brain and a conscience shouldn’t be this refreshing...

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Dwight Brown

National Newspaper Publishers Association

Mar 21, 2017

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is still the best big budget summer movie of 2014.

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David Sims

AV Club

Sep 22, 2016

Dawn is not interested in staging conflict for the sake of it, and the misunderstandings and tensions that drive the plot don't always feel like contrivances.

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JD Duran

InSession Film

Aug 19, 2024

A

While Dawn of the Planet of the Apes can certainly stand on it's own two legs, the character building and set-up from Rise, makes Dawn a little bit more potent.

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Benjamin Wiebe

InSession Film

Jul 25, 2024

A-

Positive, nuanced, and brilliant.

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Apr 7, 2024

5/5

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" maintains a credible tone of seriousness over farce while operating as evocative post-apocalyptic science fiction.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 8, 2026

Dawn of The Planet of the Apes is also a 4.5 Movie!

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Tyler S

@tylerking24 Aug 12, 2026

My hope after the first one was that this franchise would ascend, and so far, that's look good! What a great story. Especially loved the writing and the performances here.

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diogo13 T

@Tua_mera Jul 12, 2026

An intelligent, fast-paced film that successfully corrects the franchise's timeline. Masterfully uniting two generations of mutants in a well-executed time-travel plot, the movie shines in creative sequences—such as the Quicksilver scene—though it falters slightly due to a few convenient plot choices in the finale.

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Chris S

@Janomi Jun 14, 2026

Directed by Matt Reeves, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes represents some of the strongest writing in the entire franchise. What makes the film so compelling is that nearly every major conflict emerges naturally from believable character decisions rather than forced misunderstandings or convenient plot devices. Both humans and apes are given understandable motivations, making the inevitable clash feel tragic rather than simplistic. Andy Serkis continues his outstanding work as Caesar, while Toby Kebbell creates one of the franchise's most memorable antagonists in Koba. Jason Clarke also provides a strong human perspective. The visual effects remain extraordinary, allowing emotional performances to come through despite the digital characters. While the pacing occasionally slows and some supporting characters receive limited development, the film excels as both thoughtful science fiction and blockbuster entertainment. Few franchise sequels balance spectacle and substance this effectively.

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Luca I

@Lucaiuly.94 Jun 8, 2026

secondo capitolo di una saga che è ripartita alla grande, tiene col fiato sospeso, la guerra con gli umani e anche la guerra interna delle scimmie, con Koba a movimentare il tutto. credo che questo film abbia uno dei finali più belli di tutto il franchise

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Fenton S.

@RT94694289 Jun 6, 2026

Koba has got to be one of the best villians of all time, he’s my goat.

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Matt Reeves

Director

Andy Serkis

Caesar

Jason Clarke

Malcolm

Gary Oldman

Dreyfus

Keri Russell

Ellie

Toby Kebbell

Koba

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Synopsis

Ten years after simian flu wiped out much of the world's Homo sapiens, genetically enhanced chimpanzee Caesar and his ever-growing band of followers has established a thriving colony just outside San Francisco in Muir Woods. Meanwhile, a small band of human survivors emerges, which forces Caesar -- as leader -- to grapple with the dual challenge of protecting his people and re-establishing a relationship with the remaining human population -- the latter being Caesar's secret wish.

Director: Matt Reeves
Producer: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Chernin Entertainment, Ingenious Media
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Sci-Fi Action/Violence|Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 11, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $208.5M
Runtime: 2h 10m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos

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