Some people claim that organized religion is the root of all evil and violence in the world – that without disputes over God, humanity would live in relative peace. I thought of those people while watching “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” which presents a world in which violence and war still exist without a hint of God or religion. That’s because this entertaining and thought-provoking parable about human nature understands that the evil that men (and apes) do is rooted in power, self-absorption and fear. All other reasons – from God to politics to land to race to money – are just secondary excuses.
The film begins 10 years after a simian virus has wiped out much of humanity. A faction of highly evolved apes with the ability to speak are living relatively peacefully in the mountains of California and being led by Caesar (Andy Serkis). Because of the kind doctor that raised him, Caesar has a fondness for humans – though his time as experimental fodder in a laboratory also makes him aware of their propensity to do horrific things.
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