Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes 3D Feature Builds An Immersive World

By Brent McKnight | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

3D can be a controversial topic. While it definitely has its place, it has become an overused crutch for the studios to squeeze every last penny out of theater audiences. And for every movie that makes full and worthwhile use of the technology—Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla uses it to full and awesome effect—there are a ton that are converted after production and the process adds nothing to the finished product but eyestrain and a few extra dollars to the ticket price. If director Matt Reeves is to be believed in this behind the scenes feature, his Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is going to use 3D in the best way possible.

Content wise, this short video is just Reeves discussing the way he uses 3D technology in Dawn, and if the film sticks to this, it definitely may be worth checking out. Instead of winging things at your face—something the childish part of my psyche still totally adores—he wants to use 3D to truly place you in the world he’s created, to immerse you this otherwise fantastic reality. As he says, he sought to craft a “visual reality that makes the illusion complete.” In other words, by giving his images an extended depth, he takes a world that might otherwise be unbelievable and makes it feel real and concrete.

I’m always skeptical of similar claims—Paul W.S. Anderson makes the same statement about using 3D in his more recent slew of Resident Evil movies—but Dawn does look like the real deal. The footage we’ve seen, and what is present in this video, looks like it creates the immersive feel that Reeves is going for, especially those wide shots of a swarm of apes climbing through the forests.

Dawn is set ten years after the events of 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and as you can see, things have taken a drastic turn. Not only have the apes established their own community and society, but a vicious plague has swept through and decimated the human population. A few survivors, including Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Kirk Acevedo, are looking to find a place to settle. The two sides form an uneasy peace, but as is the case with such delicate arrangements, you know that’s not going to last very long. Brought to the brink of war, this brewing conflict will decide who remains the dominant species on the planet. Given that we’ve all seen Planet of the Apes, it should be pretty obvious who is going to come out on top.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes opens everywhere on July 11.