Monkey masks/motion capture balls at the ready; Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is here. The eighth film in a series that's been chugging on and off since the late-sixties, it's irrefutable proof that the oft-bemoaned spate of remakes and sequels doesn't mean Hollywood is bereft of originality. The previous film, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, showed back in 2011 that the series, originally a nuclear war cautionary tale, was still scarily relevant and here Matt Reeves (taking over from original director Rupert Wyatt) only builds on that strong foundation. This time around the ape visual effects are completely jaw-dropping and there's some action set to rival the year's best (get running Quicksilver). A final act turn into franchise building could have been a bit more final, but we're willing to overlook that thanks to the sheer level of polish on show. What's curiously lacking in the film is easter eggs and references to earlier films. Wyatt's was chock full of little nods to the 1968 original, but by Reeves' own admission he and the rest of the Dawn team decided to play that element down in favour of making a great movie. But that doesn't mean the movie is fully bereft of little winks to the audience. Here we bring together seven of the best (and most obscure). Mild spoilers for Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes are present throughout. There's nothing too shocking, but if you're yet to see it, bookmark this page and come back later.
Honourable Mention - There Was Almost An End Credits Scene
It's so customary for blockbuster filmmakers to add a little extra scene after the credits to tease what's to come that when a film arrives without one it feels a little behind the times. Following on from Transformers: Age Of Extinction earlier this month, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is one of those offenders. Although only due to a last minute decision. According to Reeves there was a post-credit stinger than was cut last minute because the director didn't want to find himself "boxed in" for the third instalment. We can accept that (just about), although if you're curious as to what the tease would have been, the above still from the last trailer that is conspicuously absent from the finished film may give you a clue.
