War for the Planet of the Apes Review

     The rebooted Planet of the Apes trilogy is one of the most underrated franchise in Hollywood today. The first two films, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, have been a great success not only with the box office but with critics as well. While the first film was helmed by Rupert Wyatt, Matt Reeves has since taken over in the director's chair and greatly built upon what Wyatt introduced to audiences in the first movie. These films take a unique angle in which they frame the apes as the protagonists and it works incredibly. War for the Planet of the Apes is a bit different from what audiences will expect but is an amazing finish to very well developed trilogy.

     After Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his colony of apes are targeted by a militia group led by The Colonel (Woody Harrelson), the apes will go to great lengths to find the base and avenge his colony. It's difficult to really get into this without spoilers but that's the gist of it.
     This movie falls on the shoulders of the character, Caesar. When people gripe about there being too much CGI in movies, I automatically point to these films because the visual effects are flawless. Andy Serkis is the king of motion capture and seriously deserves to be in Oscar consideration because if he does not deliver then this movie falls apart from the get-go. I cannot praise the work of the visual effects artists and Andy Serkis enough in these films.
     Serkis is not the only standout when it comes to motion capture though. Steve Zahn plays the character Bad Ape and beautifully brings humor and charm to an incredibly dark story. The comedic timing in this is very well done and does so in a manner that will not take audiences out of the film. His character truly goes on a journey and audiences will love watching him on-screen.
     The story is a lot different then I was anticipating but it works on many levels because of our attachment to the characters from prior films. This movie begins with action and is greatly paced. The first act is probably the strongest of the film but that does not take from the remaining acts that are memorizing to watch.

     There is a bit of a story arc with The Colonel that has been done time and time again but that does not take away from Harrelson's performance. He is very intimidating figure and has a great build up. Due to great visual effects and performances, War for the Planet of the Apes is a wonderful cherry on top with this franchise. Although I did not enjoy it quite as much as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, it's still a fun time in the theaters.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10