Review of War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) by Benskylerhill — 10 Jun 2018

What a spectacular conclusion to a superior trilogy. It may not be the bombastically action-packed finale that would be expected from a title like "War for the Planet of the Apes," but this film finishes the Apes origins saga in a way that's far more gripping, intelligent, and thought-provoking than a blockbuster could ever be expected to be.

Caesar ought to be cemented as one of cinema's most memorable characters. This movie completes his arc so powerfully as he--for the first time in the trilogy--confronts his demons and learns what it truly means to lead. The motion-capture is perhaps the best ever put to film as the apes' emotions are so effectively portrayed. Caesar is old, tired, and battle-hardened, as are his primate companions, and it shows. The human characters here are also arguably the best of the three films as the morality of all sides of the conflict are explored. Rather than painting this war as a black-and-white good ape vs. evil human sort of struggle, the story shows it to be a psychological war. It's a deeply complex political tragedy where evil deeds are done with the best intentions. It's thought-provoking in a way that is rarely seen in cinema today.

Although it is the most effective of the trilogy, War does suffer from some very sluggish pacing. Slow-burning stories are not always bad, but this one does not have enough locations or differing events to keep it engaging throughout the entire runtime. The dialogue is sufficiently intelligent to mostly make up for it, but the film seems to end in a disappointingly abrupt way that doesn't quite serve as a payoff for the long, bleak drama that led up to it.

Nitpicks aside, War for the Planet of the Apes is an emotionally exhausting sci-fi tale that adds the perfect cap to the provocative themes and poignant character arcs of its predecessors and makes this trilogy one of the best sci-fi series ever put to screen.

Story: 8.5.

Acting: 10.

Script: 9.

Visuals/Sound: 10.

Entertainment Value: 8.5.

OVERALL SCORE: 9.