Three new books help bring Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to life
It’s safe to say that Matt Reeves directorial forray into the Planet of the Apes realm has been a successful one, and his sequel to the 2011 reboot is doing gangbusters in the box office while winning over fans all around the world. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is an impressive digital accomplishment as well as a solid action & drama contemplation piece, which makes diving into the expanded universe of the movie via a few accompanying books definitely worth the time. Titan Books has been doing a great job novelizing big screen adventures, telling the same story while adding an edge and more depth to an already rich tale, and their Dawn of the Planet of the Apes efforts are pretty impressive.
Take a quick peek at the official novelization of the movie, a prequel novel meant to bridge the gap between Rise and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and an incredible art book that also covers both films. If they pique your interest, pick up a copy today!
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Firestorm / 304 pages (click to buy)
Unfortunately, I didn’t get my hands on this one before posting, but everything I know about the novel is extremely intriguing. If you’ve seen the new film, or even the 2011 prequel, you know that the same chemical compound that gave Caesar and his simian pals their heightened intelligence also did a number on the human population. By Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, over 90% of humans all over the planet have died off, but we’re never given any details regarding the devastation. In comes Greg Keyes’ Firestorm novel focusing on the interim between the two movies and the spread of the Simian Flu.
Firestorm sees Caesar and crew surviving while the world around them crumbles, and as humanity dwindles and dies off the newly-intelligent apes learn to cope with their cognitive abilities while trying to transition from captivity to freedom. Most reviews of the novel are praising its knack for bridging the gap while being its own contained adventure, and if you’re a fan of the rebranded Planet of the Apes epic that’s unfolding on the big screen, it might be worth adding this inexpensive piece to the puzzle.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes / 320 pages (click to buy)
Fortunately, I did manage to pick up a copy of the official novelization for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Unlike most book-to-movie translations, not much is lost when a publisher or an author aims to turn an established property and screenplay into a book. That means we as readers get to relive all the epic action and absorbing drama from the movie while also digging a little deeper into the world created and the characters traversing that world. Textures and emotions that might be glossed over or lost on screen can be expanded and dissected in detail when the entirety of the English language is the author’s disposal. That’s what makes these kind of companion pieces worth picking up, and you wouldn’t go wrong if you decided to read the novel before seeing the film or vice versa.
Granted, you don’t get the satisfaction of seeing each wrinkle or brow furrow of Andy Serkis’ digitally enhanced motion-capture performance, but something about being able to envision your favorite characters all your own while following them through the pages of Dawn of the Planet of the apes feels almost as satisfying. If you like the movies and the atmosphere established, you’ll most likely enjoy giving this easy read a go-through if you get the chance.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: The Art of the Films / 173 pages (click to buy)
Now, the real reason for this post, the art book for Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes comes to us in all its glory. If you found yourself completely immersed in the environment created by the crew behind the films, breaking the fourth wall and taking a peek behind the scenes is extremely enjoyable. This impressive art and effects compilation is the perfect coffee table book, which means flipping through almost 175 pages of detailed, in-depth explanations and reveals of how the movie magic was created is something you can do anytime you sit down for a sip of something scrumptious or are simply killing some time. Seriously, I’ve had this thing on my end table for about a week now, and I’ve flipped through it more than a few times to get a closer look at a pair of movies I really enjoyed.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: The Art of the Films is a book best enjoyed at your leisure, and one can only write so many colorful words without coming off as a little crazy when one is trying to relay the awesomeness, but if you pick up only one book tied to the new movie make sure it’s this one. The first half of the book, a little over 80 enormous pages, focuses on the first movie, and the second half is devoted solely to the in-theaters sequel. Each sections feel like they could have easily been their own entity, so getting both in one beautiful book is pretty fantastic.
I promise, I don’t take this book to bed with me at night, but it is the first art book I’ve ever gotten my hands on and I’m extremely impressed. Pick it up as soon as you can! Check out a glimpse of what you’ll get (click to enlarge):
There’s a good chance you can still catch Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in a theater near you, so go grab your ticket and enjoy the film if you haven’t already!