STACK Magazine November Issue 121

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Whether you love or hate the
Transformers movies, you have to
admit that the sight of Optimus
Prime riding on the back a Dinobot
is pretty cool. But is it enough
to make you want to see the
fourth film in a franchise that has
copped its fair share of flak since
the dire second sequel, Revenge
of the Fallen? Need further incentive? There’s no Shia
LaBeouf! The annoying SamWitwicky has been replaced
by the more affable Mark Wahlberg, who acquires an old
truck that happens to be Optimus in disguise. In the wake
of the destruction of Chicago in Dark of the Moon, the
Transformers are now considered the bad guys by the
CIA, whose chief techno whiz (Stanley Tucci) has created
a new breed of robots to beat up on Optimus and the
Autobots. Michael Bay, having apologised for past sequels,
approaches Age of Extinction as a ‘reboot’, effectively
transforming the franchise with a new cast, bigger
explosions, better CGI, a longer running time, and Dinobots.
Just don’t look for gravitas – remember, this is a film for
14-year-old boys that’s based on a toy range. • See page 68
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
was a seriously brilliant reboot
of the Fox franchise, and a
hard act to follow. Fortunately,
director Matt Reeves
(Cloverfield) has delivered
a follow-up that’s every bit
as impressive and manages
to surpass its predecessor
technically, thanks to advances
in performance capture. Your
jaw will hit the floor when
you discover just how real Caesar (Andy Serkis)
and his tribe of primates look. They aren’t ‘special
effects’, they’re fully-fledged characters with their own
distinctive personalities. When we last left the apes
they’d headed into the hills of San Francisco, leaving
humanity to be wiped out by a lethal virus. 10 years
later, a group of human survivors stumble across
Caesar’s village, triggering interspecies conflict that
inevitably leads to war. Compelling, philosophical and
emotionally resonant, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
is a blockbuster every bit as intelligent as its simian
stars. Highly recommended. • See page 66
Prime target.
TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION
NOVEMBER 2014 JB Hi-Fi
Hail Caesar!
DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
DVD & BD
Andy Serkis: Rediscovering
Caesar
Gallery
BD ONLY
Journey to Dawn
Humans and Apes:
The Cast of Dawn
The World of Dawn
The Ape Community
Move Like an Ape:
An Artist’s Medium
Weta and Dawn
The Fight for a New Dawn
Deleted Scenes
Audio Commentary with
director Matt Reeves
JB Hi-Fi Exclusive
3D Blu-ray/ Blu-ray
Collector’s Edition
BD ONLY
Bay on Action
Evolution Within
Extinction
Just Another Giant Effin’ Movie
A Spark of Design
T.J. Miller: Farm Hippie
Kre-O Transformers: Take
Us Through the Movies!
The Angry Birds
Transformers: Origin Story
Trailers
JB Hi-Fi Exclusive
Limited Edition
Bumblebee Packaging (BD)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes (1968)
visit
084
REVIEWS DVD&BD
Release Date:19/11/14
Format:
Release Date: 26/11/14
Format:
TOP HITS
TOP HITS
A gigantic Hong Kong
set was constructed in
downtown Detroit. The set
was so big that the Detroit
People Mover track ended
up becoming part of the set.