HBO Max Adds Must-Watch Sci-Fi Sequel With 91% Rotten Tomatoes Rating

HBO Max is adding Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to its streaming library tomorrow, giving fans a chance to revisit one of the best sequels in recent sci-fi cinema.

The 2014 film, directed by Matt Reeves and written by Mark Bomback along with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, is the second installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot series. It stars Andy Serkis as Caesar, with Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, and Kodi Smit-McPhee rounding out the cast.

Set in 2026, a decade after the first movie, the story follows human survivors struggling to stay alive after a deadly pandemic while Caesar works to maintain order in his growing ape community, which risks sparking a full-scale war between apes and humans.

The sequel was announced in 2011, and while Rupert Wyatt initially returned, he left the project in 2012 and was replaced by Reeves. Filming took place between April and July 2013 in locations including Campbell River, Vancouver Island, and New Orleans. Weta Digital handled the motion capture and visual effects, creating realistic apes and other animals, especially in the film’s action sequences.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes received critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 91% approval rating based on 316 reviews, with the site noting, “With intelligence and emotional resonance to match its stunning special effects, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes expands on its predecessor with an exciting and ambitious burst of sci-fi achievement.”

Metacritic scored the movie 79 out of 100, indicating generally favorable reviews, and CinemaScore audiences gave it an A− grade.

Critics praised the film for building tension, strong storytelling, and impressive visual effects. Guy Lodge of Variety called it, “an altogether smashing sequel… bests its predecessor in nearly every technical and conceptual department.”

Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, “Dawn is to Rise of the Planet of the Apes what The Empire Strikes Back was to Star Wars—it’s that much better.” Drew McWeeny of HitFix added, “Dawn is not just a good genre movie or a good summer movie. It’s a great science-fiction film, full-stop, and one of the year’s very best movies so far.”

Serkis’ performance as Caesar received high praise for its depth and emotional resonance. Ty Burr of The Boston Globe noted, “in bearing, speech, and agonized expressiveness, Serkis’s Caesar conveys the conflicts of a king with almost Shakespearean grandeur.” A. O. Scott of The New York Times highlighted the film’s balance of action, visual effects, and strong storytelling, saying, “Dawn… gives you a lot to think, and even to care, about.”

While the majority of reviews were positive, some critics were less impressed. Andrew O’Hehir of Salon.com criticized the opening montage, calling it, “hackneyed apocalypse… already sucks even before it gets started.”

Overall, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes remains a standout sequel for its mix of thrilling action, visual mastery, and emotional storytelling. With its arrival on HBO Max, both longtime fans and newcomers can experience the epic clash between humans and apes from the comfort of home.

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