2. The Dialogue
Many of us know the quotes. Damn you all to Hell. That simple, yet most powerful word of all, No. And of course, the damn dirty apes. I enjoy many of the other lesser-known lines as well, like The king is deadlong live the king! The dialogue in the Apes movies is so frequently captivating, both eloquently to-the-point and illustrative, both crisp and moving. Whether in quick retorts or drawn-out monologues, it is spot-on. And big or small, through dialogue, each character has relevant moments to shine. I love it. Some of the iconography of the franchise is even held onto too much, with filmmakers putting in references left and right to try and recapture it, as is frequently the case in Rise. Burtons movie uses the iconography almost like a skeleton. Its not the literal damn dirty apes line we love, its its place in the story. The best versions of the movies know that and I have no doubt it will one day return to that. But the lines are only a blueprint. The actors bring them to another level entirely, even the moments which on paper seem more mundane. Since these movies are all about building, every moment is important.