REVIEW: War for the Planet of the Apes

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

My guess is that in a decade or so, people will realize the latest incarnation of The Planet of the Apes was essentially a perfect trilogy of blockbusters that unfolded right under our noses. Sure, they were moderately successful (well, the first two were; I don’t know about the third one since I can’t predict the future), but they were so unconventionally brilliant that it might take a while for that to dawn on people.

Back in 2011, moviegoers were still reeling from Tim Burton’s disastrous remake, so it was quite a shock to discover Rise of the Planet of the Apes – a fresh start – was actually pretty great. Sure, the CGI hasn’t aged well and most of the human characters were boring (aside from John Lithgow), but everyone noticed how amazing Andy Serkis was as Caesar.

When Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hit theaters in 2014, visual effects had advanced enough that Serkis’ performance became even more incredible, as did the photorealistic depictions of the apes and the plague-ravaged landscapes they inhabited. What’s more, the emotional power of the narrative hit harder thanks to director Matt Reeves’ focus on the fraying relationship between apes and humans, along with stronger actors (including Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Gary Oldman).

Still, none of that prepared me for how staggeringly brilliant War for the Planet of the Apes – the likely final installment in the trilogy – would be. Thankfully, Reeves returns as director (he also co-wrote the screenplay with Mark Bomback) and collaborates with Serkis to bring Caesar’s story to its inevitable, unrelentingly bleak conclusion. Honestly, I’m hard-pressed to think of another major studio franchise this dark.

The narrative picks up shortly after the end of the second film. The tenuous relationship between species has completely shattered; they now spend their days waging battles against one another. There are no more “good” people trying to make the case for living in peace with the rapidly evolving, hyperintelligent apes. The human characters who remain are vile and duplicitous, treating the apes as their sworn enemy or their slaves.

At first, Caesar – still the apes’ leader – tries to remain civil. After a battle that results in big losses on both sides, he sets the surviving humans free as a gesture of goodwill. The humans, under the command of an insane Colonel (Woody Harrelson), respond by returning to unleash even more death and destruction upon the apes.

Now fueled by anger and revenge, Caesar, along with a handful of his reluctant advisors, sets out on a quest to track down the Colonel and his men. Once the two leaders finally meet, a series of surprising developments lead to an epic battle that will determine which species will reign and control the future of the planet.

I would’ve never guessed that Serkis could improve upon the performances he delivered in the first two movies, but the work he does here is on an entirely different level. It’s the first time I’ve thought of Caesar as a flesh-and-blood character, rather than a combination of genius visual effects and an incredible actor. It’s maddening that he doesn’t have an Oscar nomination for his work in these films.

I get that many Academy members still don’t understand the motion capture process, but at least give the guy an honorary statue. It’s beginning to make them look embarrassing. If not, War should at least receive a nomination for best visual effects. It’s clearly worthy of that.

As for the film’s other standout performances, Harrelson’s unnamed mad Colonel, while despicable, is the most compelling human character in this modern version of the Apes franchise. Granted, the screenplay is a little too on-the-nose with the character’s parallels to Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, but Harrelson is eventually successful in differentiating the complicated villain.

The other memorable performance comes from Steve Zahn as Bad Ape, a former zoo prisoner who Caesar and his allies encounter on their journey. He’s clearly there to be much-needed comic relief at first, but the character transforms into much more than that by the end. He gets a complete, emotionally satisfying story arc of his own.

War would be worth seeing for the performances and visual effects alone, but the addition of Michael Giacchino’s incredible music elevates the film even more. A quick look at the guy’s IMDb page (currently 125 credits and counting) is persuasive evidence that he’s this generation’s John Williams. It’s been a while since I’ve walked out of a movie with an urge to purchase the score, but it certainly happened here.

Although it’s not perfect (there’s a section set in a prison camp that goes on for much longer than it should, even though I understand Reeves is going for a sense of desensitization and hopelessness), War is still strong enough that it’s on the shortlist for my Top 10 in December. I’m a little worried it’s going to be overlooked in an already crowded summer, so if you loved the first two installments, be sure to make time to see this one on the big screen.

War for the Planet of the Apes is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, thematic elements, and some disturbing images.

Grade: A