*This review contains no spoilers*
“Apes. Together. STRONG!”
Let’s see about that.
I’m a fan of the previous two Apes movies (Rise, released in 2011 and Dawn, 2014), so when a third one swung into theaters this year to round up the trilogy, I went in with fingers crossed. There have been occasions in recent cinema when the third installment of a trilogy turned out so bad it almost undid whatever good achieved by the other two. (We’re looking at you, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man.) I could only hope Caesar’s words ring true – that War for the Planet of the Apes lives up to its predecessors, and that these Apes movies are indeed, “together, STRONG.”
STORY
Rise gave birth to the virus that enhances simians’ intelligence and conveniently wipes out most of humanity. Dawn witnessed the failed attempt to coexist between the surviving humans and apes, bidding us goodbye moments just before an all-out conflict. War greets us two years later, with Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his clan holding out in the woods, resisting attacks from what’s left of the US army, led by The Colonel (Woody Harrelson). The apes have a plan though: they would travel across the desert – Moses style – to a sanctuary where no humans could reach, where they’d be safe… But an incident which occurs right before that plan could materialise changes everything and kicks off the events of our two and a half hour story.
War for the Planet of the Apes uses the premise of war not as an excuse for explosive action, but a plot device to thrust its characters in situations they’d never want to be in, and force them to make decisions they wish they’d never have to make. In so doing, the film gives us insights into the characters’ psyche, tests their integrity and observes their growth. War is therefore essentially a drama, which mainly deals with internal, rather than external conflicts. For my money, the film does manage to balance between spectacle and substance, although if you go in expecting the former more than the latter, you may find yourself rather disappointed.
Director Matt Reeves and screenwriter Mark Bomback (both of whom previously helmed Dawn) have crafted a film that’s both personal and epic, taking inspiration from a wide variety of genres. At times, War feels like a western, with slow panning shots of characters on horseback, travelling through vast snowy landscapes. Other times, it contains moments lifted directly from the most poignant biblical tales. (One such moment unmistakably mirrors the Jesus Christ sequences in Ben-Hur (1959). If you’re familiar with that film, the scene is impossible to miss.) The rest of the times, fittingly, War pays homage to the best of war films, either by having visual cues from Apocalypse Now (1979), or characters and sequences that echo The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and The Great Escape (1963). While it’s fun to spot Easter eggs like these in the film, don’t let that distract you from the narrative, which alternates constantly between being emotional and nail-biting.
CHARACTERS
Caesar hands down steals the show, and for that I give 50% credits to Serkis and the other 50 to the animators. Having a digital character carry the film and emote believably so you feel as he feels, hurt if he’s hurt and cheer when he triumphs is no easy feat. The intensity in Caesar’s eyes is such that one character feels the need to remark: “My God. Look at your eyes. Almost human.” To that I say, “Damn straight.” The Caesar we meet in War is emotionally weary, weighted down by what happened with Koba in Dawn, and conflicted between his role as a leader and his feelings as an individual.
Woody Harrelson, when he’s not hiding behind those aviator shades, does an okay job as the film’s antagonist. Although to be fair, the guy doesn’t have a lot of opportunities to shine, except for that one heart-to-heart he has with Caesar. Also, his character makes a couple of strategic decisions later in the film that are inconsistent with his initial goal and are therefore, questionable to say the least.
War also includes an assortment of supporting cast, consisting of both humans and apes, every one of whom has a crucial role to play as the story progresses, which is always a sign of good writing. The script also deserves credits for making sure good and bad characters aren’t defined by their species. As with any story worthy of your brain, there aren’t black and white, but only grey areas – a running theme seen not only in War, but also in Rise and especially Dawn.
PRODUCTION VALUES
The VFX team behind War deserves high praises, not only for creating believable characters that require little to no effort from the audience to suspend its disbelief, but also for blending their wizardry so seamlessly with the gorgeous cinematography, bringing to life a richly textured, expansive and captivating world.
The sound of War is equally remarkable. It’s crucial in heightening the film’s drama during key moments, either by playing along, or contrasting with on-screen images and bringing new meaning to what’s being shown. If you have the option to view this film in theaters with enhanced sound systems, I say go for it.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
War for the Planet of the Apes is criminally mis-titled and even more so, mis-advertised. It isn’t the rambunctious action movie it’s hyped up to be, but an exceptionally good character drama which focuses mainly on Caesar’s trials and tribulations. If you’re like me, you’ll love every minute of it. However, if you’ve come to seek carnage (and there’s nothing wrong with that my friend), re-watch Game of Thrones, season 6, episode 9. You’ll find more entertainment in there than you’ll ever find here.
Dawn is still my favourite of the three, because it devotes equal time and attention to exploring both sides of the war, touching on profound themes and providing a healthy dose of social commentary. War is a more personal film, one that seems larger in scale, but is smaller in scope. That is not to say the film pales in any way compared to its immediate predecessor, because it doesn’t. It’s just a slightly different beast.
With spectacular visual effects, top-notch acting and great character development, War for the Planet of the Apes is a worthy conclusion to a wonderful saga. Highly recommended.
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