Review of War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) by Mattia M — 18 Jul 2017

"Apes together strong!" is the winning phrase for the latest installment in the Planet of the Apes franchise, War for the Planet of the Apes. I call it that not only because of its important role in pivotal points in the story, but also because it describes perfectly the reboot trilogy in the Planet of the Apes series. These three Apes movies (Rise, Dawn, and War), together, are one of the strongest trilogies put to the big screen in recent years, and War for the Planet of the Apes is the solid conclusion to it.

War for the Planet of the Apes picks up five years after the conclusion of its predecessor, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, where Caesar, played by Andy Serkis, leads an ongoing fight against a ruthless military organization called Alpha-Omega. A? is led by an equally ruthless Colonel, played by Woody Harrelson, who hunts Caesar and his apes due to his belief that they are poised to bring about the end of humankind. Now, the first thing I'll talk about in War is something that anyone who has seen the trailers already knows: the CGI this time around is flawless. The apes in this film look photorealistic for the majority of the time, and there are many shots in the film that lead me to question whether the apes are computer-generated or actual, filmed apes. Every moving hair on their body, every facial expression and mouth movement, every tear and drop of blood... it is all breathtaking and beautifully done and is a standout in the film. I would not be surprised if War took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects in March. Speaking of Oscars, where is Andy Serkis'? Once again, the king of motion capture is mesmerizing in the role of Caesar, continuing to make him the one of the most interesting non-human characters in all of cinema history. His performance is layered, emotional, and captivating, and the CGI captures all of that. And while he is obviously the focus of this film, he is supported by an interesting group of other Apes throughout the film: Maurice the Orangutan, Rocket the Chimpanzee, and Luca the Gorilla, who all add something different emotionally to the story and are boosted by great motion capture performances. They are also joined by Bad Ape, another Chimp, who defies his potential as an annoying character to bring well-placed comic relief and add interesting commentary to the film's themes. They all face Harrelson's interesting villain, the Colonel, whose character is given layer upon layer through the film's writing.

Now, War for the Planet of the Apes is something very unlike its two predecessors: Rise, which was largely an expository origin story, and Dawn, which served its purpose as an action-drama film. War, contrary to its title, is primarily a drama piece which thoughtfully explores timeless themes like loss, slavery, the human condition, and suffering, all in new and powerful ways. So, I'll make this clear right away: if you came to this movie hoping to see lots of action, you'll be disappointed. Don't go into this film expecting an explosive blockbuster extravaganza with satisfying moments and a happy ending. This is by no means a complaint of mine about the film, but rather a warning to the lighthearted movie-goers out there. The film concentrates on some poignant, heavy stuff, stuff that sets it apart from all of the other films of the modern generation.

It's hard to talk about War without going into too much detail relating to the story, so I'll stop there. In summary, War for the Planet of the Apes becomes something that is rare in modern cinema. It is an impressive film in many ways: its beautiful CGI, its exploration of powerful themes, its incredible performances, its fantastic musical score, and its ability to conclude a spectacular trilogy so perfectly. And while I will not be watching this film many times again in the future, due to its overall somber tone, it is also a film I do not think I will be able to forget. War for the Planet of the Apes is a cinematic masterpiece and one that will be hard to match if the franchise continues. It gets 5 out of 5 stars.