Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes Trailer: 5 Key Things We Learned

Apes have risen. And painted their faces.

By James Garcia /

Rupert Wyatt's Planet Of The Apes prequel/reboot was one of the biggest surprises of 2011, even if the franchise was one many fans didn't feel needed to be revitalized, after the incredibly poor reception to Tim Burton's 2001 remake of the 1968 original. Thanks to a solid script, Academy Award nominated special effects, and a great motion-capture performance by Andy Serkis, the film was a runaway hit critically and financially. With an 82% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a box office haul of over $481 million, the franchise had been given new life and people were excited to see the story move forward. A sequel was quickly put into development, though Wyatt decided not to return and was replaced by Cloverfield director Matt Reeves. Here's the official plot synopsis:
Eight years after the events of the first film, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species.
The first trailer for the film was released Wednesday and though it doesn't reveal much of the plot, it does give us a glimpse at the state of humanity and shows the overall tone for the film, which is darker and more haunting than what we saw in 2011. Now that you've had a chance to see the teaser, let's take a closer look and analyze the few things that it does show. Here are five things we learned...