Humans And Apes Face Off In New Clip From Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

Although I am habitually skeptical about franchise reboots, I must admit that the latest developments on the Planet of the Apes films are far and away more interesting than most remakes or prequels. Based on current trailers and a newly released clip from the film, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes promises to carry on the unique approach of its predecessor, as the apes continue to evolve and humanity continues to die off.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes picks up a number of year after Rise of the Planet of the Apes left off. Humanity has been ravaged by a deadly virus, causing a breakdown in society (is there any other kind of dystopian tale?). Meanwhile, a nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar (Andy Serkis) continues to grow, coming into greater conflict with the dying human population. A small group of survivors headed by Malcolm (Jason Clarke) come into contact with the apes and begin to bond with them. As seen in this new clip, Caesar has learned to talk, while Malcolm appears to be interested to coming to peace with the apes.

I think we all know what ultimately happens in the Planet of the Apes films, so it seems unlikely that this new series will challenge those elements in the original films. There’s a further division among the human factions, between the one led by Malcolm, who aspires to be at peace with the apes, and Dreyfus (Gary Oldman), who wants to eradicate the apes in revenge for the death of his two sons. It is an interesting dystopian tale, and we’ll have to see if the team in this film can develop the mythology that was begun in the first.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes will come to theaters on July 11. You can check out the latest clip below.