Review of War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) by Jollyrae16 — 13 Jun 2019

It is very rare that a modern film trilogy doesn’t have a bad entry in the series but it is even rarer that every film in the series is brilliant in its own right. Any fears of the last part of the trilogy being a let down were quickly squashed as the critics gave high praise to the summer’s best intellectual blockbuster.

In War for the Planet of the Apes, we rejoin Caesar and his apes as they are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a merciless Colonel. After the ape family suffer unthinkable losses, Caesar struggles with his darker instincts and his ideas for vengeance against humankind. As the ape’s epic journey brings Caesar and the Colonel face to face, they are drawn into a monumental battle that will determine the fate of the planet.

Not a single frame is wasted by director Matt Reeves. The film is full of stunning cinematography from start to finish; with dazzling sets and locations which transport you deep into the middle of the ape’s world. War for the Planet of the Apes has probably the best use of CGI and motion capture ever committed to film. Caesar’s character has been rapidly developing throughout the series and now in the close ups, you can clearly see Andy Serkis in there more than ever before. All of his facial expressions are realised and you feel exactly how he is feeling. Caesar has become mythical himself and will go down as one of the most compelling characters in modern cinema.

The stunning musical score by Michael Giacchino is completely wonderful. It heightens the experience, enhances moments of silence, captures the tension and suspense and overall suits the material to a T. Giacchino is quickly cementing himself as one of the all time great film score composers.

Like the other previous entries, there are many Easter-eggs and links to the series. But this time the links are much more accessible to casual fans. The script expertly sets up the state of the humans in the original 1968 film while also setting up one of the original characters in a charming way.

There is much-needed humour injected into the film with the addition of the new character Bad Ape. Throughout the film’s sombre tone and dark setting, he provides some uplift. While being a hilarious and endearing character, he also surprisingly gives some of the most touching moments.

War for the Planet of the Apes is a stunning conclusion to Caesar’s story but also an incredible film in its own right. It’s the completion of a masterful trilogy which works extremely well as a whole story linking together. The Apes prequel series can now be added to the list of the greatest film trilogies of all time after pulling off the near impossible of not featuring one bad film.