The film franchise that keeps on giving has just posted the trailer for the latest installation. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes sports a new director, new screenwriter, and a new cast of characters, with only Andy Serkis reprising his role as Caesar. 

Cast

This installment does away with the previous film's casting, giving it a fresh start. Gary Oldman and Keri Russell aren't the only familiar faces. The film also stars comedian Judy Greer and Australian actor Jason Clarke (The Great Gatsby, Zero Dark Thirty, Farscape) who has been everywhere these past few years. Keep an eye out for Kirk Acevedo ("Mitch" on The Walking Dead) as well.

Storyline

In the trailer, Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) announces that they've spent 4 years battling the virus, and another 4 years battling each other, meaning that at least 8 years have passed since we last visited this world. Because we're following a completely new group of people, this was a really solid decision. In this film, Caesar and his band of super Apes have had the upper hand for nearly a decade, and are slowly becoming the humanoid creatures we see in the original film. The surviving humans are struggling to build some semblance of society, but it's obviously a losing battle. 

Director

Matt Reeves wrote and directed Let Me In, the American adaptation of the Swedish film Let the Right One In. He also wrote and directed Felicity; the eponymous role made Keri Russell a star. As he ventures into the world of this cult classic, he brings us a familiar story through new vehicles. 

Score

Michael Giacchino has scored everything from The Incredibles to the new Star Trek movies. His body of work shows a certain agility in building and releasing tension; an invaluable trait for this time of film. Listen again to the few bars used at Caesar's first appearance. Don't you have chills? 

Visual Effects

Motion capture isn't new--it has been famously used in the Lord of the Rings movies--but it just keeps getting better. Andy Serkis' Caesar comes alive with this technology. Even more impressive is the horde of apes needed for crucial scenes. Can you imagine what it would have been like if Charlton Heston had encountered these guys? After all, what would Planet of the Apes be minus hyper-intelligent ape overlords?