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

3. A Darker, Harrowing Tone

Right off the bat it's clear that Reeves is going for something much darker than Wyatt was. Wyatt's film, though very much about how Caesar's love for humanity was put to the test and ultimately crushed, had a brighter color palette and hinged a lot on hope. Hope that we could cure Alzheimer's, hope that Caesar could find his place in the world. It was fun, interesting, briskly paced, and downright good science fiction. Now, that hope has shifted into something different. Hope to survive, hope to rebuild and take back a planet that isn't ours anymore. That alone adds more weight to the story. This film also sports a more muted hue in its cinematography, which helps establish the tragedy that has befallen the human race. Sure, this is only a brief glimpse at what the entire film will be like, but it's fair to say that the post-apocalyptic setting will lend to a more harrowing tone. With humanity on the brink of extinction, the ever-growing threat of Caesar's genetically enhanced primate followers will hang heavily over the proceedings. And it's not just humanity that will be challenged. The Apes are fighting to survive as well, and as I mentioned before, it appears Caesar and Koba won't see eye to eye about the ultimate fate of mankind.