Review of War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) by Omar L — 17 Aug 2017

Functionally, the movie serves as a wrap-up to the prequels that eventually set up the very first Planet of the Apes movies. Certain questions are answered, and you have the requisite action expected of a war movie.

But more than that, this movie is about confronting extinction and the erasure of legacy through the evolution of society (pun intended). Caesar speaks more in this movie than in the previous two combined, and perhaps has more spoken lines than the human characters. Serkis does an Oscar-worthy performance, conveying sadness, rage, relief, and determination via performance-capture. The emotional subtleties required in showing a layered leader are not lost, and Woody Harrelson portrays an excellent twisted counterpart and mirror to Caesar. One highlight of this movie is Steve Zahn as Bad Ape, who gives a perfect balance of fearful reluctance and determined eagerness.