Review of War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) by Derek L — 23 Jul 2017

War for the Planet of the Apes, the finale of the magnificent Apes prequel trilogy, ends the series on a high note-though not the highest. Two years after the events of Dawn, War takes us right into the battle with Caesar and his apes fighting to protect their home.

But when the colonel, played by Woody Harrelson, takes away everything Caesar has, Caesar goes on a quest for revenge. And that's the story. There is no epic battle, no grand war. This is a smaller-scale, emotional story and for the most part it works.

It's devastating, poignant, and makes you care for the Apes. Andy Serkis gives his best performance as Caesar and War boasts the series' best CGI and score. But it does fall flat near the end, and runs around twenty minutes too long.

There's not enough war for a movie with war in the title and Harrelson isn't given enough to do. Dawn is a better film because it delivers better action and human characters, along with an epic final battle.

War is the second best movie in this Apes trilogy, which is one of the best trilogies of all time. Overall, War ends Caesar's journey with a powerful, emotional installment that tops Rise but can't top the brilliance that is and was Dawn.