介绍:
Why launch a reboot of the "Planet of the Apes" series when the storyline had already been exhausted by filmmakers in the 1970s? Or to put it in another way, why would viewers of our times welcome a remake of the classic science fiction story?
The most obvious reason is, they didn't have the adequate technique back in those days to present a planet of the apes. The crude idea of letting human actors wear a mask to pass as apes can no longer appeal to modern day viewers. The images in Charton Heston's work may seem too disturbingly eerie and laughable for viewers to consider the film on intellectual or philosophical premises.
Nor did they have Andy Serkis. I mean, he had already been born, but it would take yet another couple of decades for him to become the ape guru that he is now. Despite all the credits that the Academy has owed him, Andy continues to amaze the global audience with his semi-anonymous performances.
The motion capture technique of our days has allowed many actors to take on the forms of other humanoid animals. In the 2014 "Dawn of the Planet of Apes", Toby Kebbell presents the smart yet vengeful ape Koba through excellent body language. But even more challenging is Andy's character Caesar, who has to show a wide range of emotions through subtle facial expressions. I can never forget the hesitation and struggles in Caesar's eyes when he reaches out his hand to Koba near the end.
For an international blockbuster production to allow for character development and discussions on cross-cultural understanding is a rare thing. It suggests technology is not the only aspect of filmmaking to have improved over the decades.
More than 40 years ago, Frenchman Pierre Boulle's story has already been told, and his philosophy broken down and discussed by film critics and movie fans alike. Months before the film was screened in China, its trailers allowed whoever is interested to catch a glimpse of its content. Yet still, viewers are mesmerized by every development on screen when they actually sit in the cinemas. The stress of an impending war permeates the entire film and ultimately adds to the charm of Matt Reeves's originality.
If the old dogs at the Academy were to learn new tricks, "Dawn of the Planet of Apes" would certain have earned Andy Serkis an Oscar. They have failed Andy many times, but as another saying goes: it is never too late to learn.
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