Andy Serkis’ acting and the evolution of motion capture and CG have made movies like the Lord of the Rings, The Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and the Dawn of the Planet of Apes feats of excellence. I remember watching Lord of the Rings for the first time and being in awe of the character Gollum. As an avid fan of the books, I didn’t know how they could make this character feel real. Andy Serkis and CG completely brought this character to life and I was floored by his performance. He and CG/motion capture have continued to amaze me over the years. And the success of the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is largely because of Andy Serkis’ mastery of his craft and how far CG and motion capture has advanced.
Andy Serkis is captivating as Caesar, the leader of the apes, and his transformation is so believable that it is easy to forget you’re watching a human. He portrays an ape effortlessly using mannerisms and movements that are so natural and on point. His facial expressions are different depending on whom he is talking to- strong and unwavering with anyone who is a threat, soft and tender with his family, and melancholy with the sympathetic humans. The depth of his emotions made it easy to understand Caesar’s motives, his feelings, and actions. I didn’t expect to feel such a strong emotional connection to his character but it was because of this accessibility that I had not felt since his performance as Gollum. Andy Serkis has elevated motion-capture acting and it is no surprise his company, Imaginarium Studios, is being booked to help with big budget movies like The Avengers.
Another reason I love the film is how seamless the CG looks. Instead of working on a green screen for their motion-capture, they shot on location which made a big difference. The apes being shot in front of a real forest backdrop allows the audience to be pulled deeper into the film. When an entire shot is CG, it becomes noticeable and jarring. It is really easy to stop paying attention to the film itself and look at either the background or the characters themselves instead of the story. This is a common problem with movies like Avatar. The background is beautiful but often distracting which takes away from the overall experience. I really appreciate this technique being used in this film.
The story itself was enthralling and entertaining. And while we know where the plots of these movies are headed- I was still on the edge of my seat the entire time. This movie sucks you in and doesn’t let go until its over and its largely in part because of the amazing combination of an actor on top of his craft and the achievements of CG and motion capture thus far.