'Dawn' picks up a decade since the events in 'Rise,' with the apes now firmly in control, providing a new backdrop for the primate driven blockbuster. But what happened narratively in between the two films?
Well, that space between the films is where Fox has been exercising the kind of clever muscles that I wish studios would flex more often. They've already issued three short films that show human survival in the wake of the Simian Flu that was spreading rapidly across the globe at the end of 'Rise.' And now they've filled in much more with "Firestorm" by Greg Keyes, which not only utilizes the somewhat antiquated but still standard movie novelization format, but allows it function not just as a retelling of the film, but as a substantive add on to the experience. Sure, you don't have to read the book to enjoy the film (or vice versa), but for those looking to get a bit more out of the blockbuster before they see it, or afterward, "Firestorm" exceeds expectations handily.
