Summer blockbusters could learn a lot from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Focus on character conflict and motivation, action sequences that serve the story and characters, and no lingering shots of disaster porn. The climactic scene in the movie is between two special effects and it's so emotionally cathartic it brought me to tears.

So glad Andy Serkis got top billing on this one. Even moreso than the first one, it's his movie. It's amazing how well characterized all the fucking CGI apes are. Bravo, Weta, you better get a goddamn Visual Effects Oscar out of this. For fuck's sake, the movie opens and closes on Caesar's goddamn eyes. HIS DIGITALLY CREATED EYES.

I think going into it assuming a certain degree of graphic novel logic and debt owed to magical realism helped me re: plot holes.

I just saw it today as well, and this is my take on "things that didn't make sense" as well. Boy that was a whole lot of movie. And so very, very not afraid to take out anyone in the cast.

I need to IMDB Octavia Spencer, but this is the only action-type movie I've ever seen her name in conjunction with, that I can recall. She looked like she was having a blast playing a bad-ass mama bear.

It's also a movie I'm going to need to rewatch a few times, just to catch everything.

I also agree with this.

I also saw the documentary about Roger Ebert, Life Itself. I really liked it, but be warned, it really doesn't pull any punches on what shape he was in at the end. Although, until the very end, I was impressed by just how he managed to remain upbeat during what must have been a ghastly series of events to live through.

I think going into it assuming a certain degree of graphic novel logic and debt owed to magical realism helped me re: plot holes.

I did not know it was a graphic novel before seeing it; if I had that may have influenced what I thought of it a little. I didn't really get a magical realism feel from it at all. I am going to seek out the graphic novel, and maybe rewatch the film when it comes out on DVD. TCG enjoyed it much more than I did.

The cast was A++++++++ awesome. I kinda want to see Brazil again now, too.

Oh, and I may have bought a digital copy last night. Possibly.

The acting was very good.

I'd like to see Snowpiercer but I'm worried the violence will be too much for my comfort level. Is there a comparable movie I can judge by? Is it Tarantino-level violence? Most importantly, do any animals or children get hurt?

Zen,

I don't think you should see the movie.

I'd like to see Snowpiercer but I'm worried the violence will be too much for my comfort level.

I was wondering the same thing.

It is fairly violent, and there are several points where children are in danger.