Review of War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) by Wayne K — 15 Sep 2017

War For The Planet Of The Apes has a great opening, with hard hitting action, an atmosphere of dread and fear and some of the best CGI in recent memory. The Apes all look fantastic in this film, and Caesar, the hero of the rebooted franchise, is one of recent cinemas most sympathetic characters, possessing great inner strength and wisdom, but also a weakness for revenge and a frequent inability to see past what his better instincts tell him.

The bond he shares with his comrades is the emotional centre of the film, and provides some of the best scenes. Unfortunately, the latter half descends all too readily into cookie-cutter Hollywood blockbuster territory.

Stupid, monologing villains, heavy-handed message, overblown score, explosion-filled actions sequences. The subtle gestures and laconic speeches are replaced with big dramatic confessions and overcomplicated justifications to warfare and the imposition of slavery tactics.

It's like the film wanted to be fresh and interesting, then realised that familiarity is what draws the same mindless fans back time and time again, and so fell back on trite plot devices and deus ex machinas.

I remember watching Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes and being surprised how understated it was, whispering its messages, not shouting them. This film is the opposite. It might not be terrible, but if it had forsaken the tried and tested and continued on its original path, it would have been so much better, more interesting and much less predictable.