When Rise of the Planet of the Apes arrived in 2011, it managed to do something few resurrected movie franchises have pulled off: It was surprisingly good. The film, starring James Franco as scientist Will Rodman and Andy Serkis as the striking, charismatic chimpanzee leader, Caesar, was briskly paced and had dazzling action sequences, including the memorable climactic scene on the Golden Gate bridge (even if they did exaggerate the number of apes likely residing in the San Francisco area).
For the sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, only Serkis returns to the main cast, with a new ensemble headed by Gary Oldman and Jason Clarke. The teaser doesn’t offer much in the way of action sequences, but the tone is clear: This may be the most harrowing film in the series yet.
