Review of War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) by Katie B — 15 Jul 2017

There was a lot of pressure for 'War For The Planet Of The Apes' to be as dramatic and thrilling as its predecessor, 'Dawn', fortunately, it succeeds. This is a dark, intense and action-packed follow up and I doubt fans of the previous films will be disappointed.

The main leader of the apes, Caesar (Andy Serkis), doesn't want to fight as he wants to live in peace with his family, unfortunately, his home is attached by soldiers along with the Colonel. This ends in a tragedy which leads Caesar wanting his revenge. While the majority of the apes find a new home, Caesar, his friend Maurice the orangutan and two other apes become determined to find and kill the Colonel. On their journey, they meet a young, lonely and orphaned girl who they name Nova who proves to be helpful in many ways.

Despite running at 140 minutes, the story is fast-paced, however, not every scene is filled with action. The scenes where the apes are talking via speaking or sign language are just as compelling to watch. We learn more about what's happening to the humans and, for those who haven't seen the original films, you'll be surprised at how it ends.

As the main villain, Woody Harrelson, best known for his comedic roles, proves he can handle the darker and more dramatic roles.

However, the best performance comes from, of course, Serkis as Caesar. It's a powerful performance that ends on an emotional note. It's by far his best performance since Gollum in the 'Lord Of The Rings'.

A fourth film is currently being planned, however, I think that the filmmakers should leave it how it is as the ending is a fitting conclusion to the whole series.