The jewel of this weekend’s cinema crown will no doubt be “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” which boasts a high critic rating (currently 91% on Rotten Tomatoes), but not a whole lot of buzz behind it. It’s the sequel to the reboot of the remake of the famed “Planet of the Apes” franchise from the 60s and 70s, which may or may not work in its favor. It’s predecessor, 2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” was a surprise hit, but it’s probably the biggest under-the-radar flick of the 2014 summer movie season. While I’m sure the critical acclaim is appreciated from 20th Century Fox, this is summer. If the box office registers don’t ring in its favor, “Apes” will still be considered an expensive failure. Andy Serkis is again drawing rave reviews as Caesar, the ape who gains intelligence and leads his race to dominance on Earth. If anything, the buzz surrounding “Apes” has been the rise of mocap performances to respectability; Serkis has played characters like Caesar and Gollum from “Lord of the Rings” to great acclaim, and his performances behind essentially a cartoon version of himself is finally drawing attention. Perhaps a mocap or “virtual” performance Oscar category is in the offing?
