
Starring Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Judy Greer, Amiah Miller, Steve Zahn, Terry Notary, Karin Konoval, Michael Adamthwaite, Aleks Paunovic, Ty Olsson
Screenplay by Matt Reeves and Mark Bomback
Directed by Matt Reeves
Reviewed by Patrick & Paul Gibbs

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Andy Serkis as Ceasar |
War for the Planet of the Apes opens with a group of soldiers hunting for "Kong", the name that has been given to the ape enemy (apparently this is the year that the Great Ape meets the Vietnam War in Hollywood.). The soldiers are being lead by ape guides called "Donkeys" (that's right: cooperating apes are "Donkey" and enemy gorillas (rim shot) are "Kong."). It seems that following the events of the last film, some of the apes who allied themselves with Koba have broken off out of fear of reprisal and distrust in Caesar; in an attempt to survive, they have formed a tenuous and subservient alliance with the humans, helping them in their attempt to find Caesar and kill him. Caesar still leads the majority of the apes as war with the humans rages, but he is plagued with doubts and the specter of Koba hangs over him. The cost of war is driving Caesar into darker thoughts and instincts, bringing out an angry, vengeful side of him that he hasn't faced before, and may prove to be his toughest enemy yet. Meanwhile, the human army is lead by a zealot named Colonel McCullough (Woody Harrelson) who sees himself as the last great hope for humanity and therefore justified in any action he must take in order to ensure that this does not become a "planet of apes."

Director Matt Reeves approaches the film with a strong sense of respect for the source material and for the apes as fully realized characters, never making a distinction between them and the human characters (more so even than in Dawn, this film follows the apes as the sole protagonists from beginning to end.). The script by Reeves and Mark Bomback (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Live Free or Die Hard, Unstoppable) is uncompromising and respects the intelligence of the audience, letting the exposition flow naturally and unfold as the story progresses.
Andy Serkis is an amazing actor who has been a true pioneer in the acting breakthrough of the century (performance capture), and as terrific as his work as Gollum and King Kong was, Caesar may be the role of his career, and the way the performance and the character have evolved just as Casaer lierally evolves throughout the series has been awesome in the truest sense of the word. He is surrounded by a top-flight ensemble, including Terry Notary (the new King Kong) as Rocket, Michael Adamthwaite as Luca and Karin Konoval as Maurice, all of whom are given more to do this time around (if Maurice doesn't make your cry, especially in his interactions with a young human girl named Nova, as well as his quiet moments with Caesar, you have no soul.). Steve Zahn is a magnificent addition in the role of Bad Ape, a former zoo chimp who has had a harrowing journey of his own and provides most of the comic relief, but has his share of pain to deal with as well. There are other new and complex characters, including Aleks Paunovic as Winter, an albino gorilla, and Ty Olsson as Red, one of the "Donkeys" who colludes with the humans. Woody Harrelson, a rare actor who can be great in role after role and still surprise, is given a hugely difficult challenge in providing an antagonist who can try to step out of the shadow of Koba, but he makes it work by playing the Colonel with such earnestness and commitment that we are forced to see that there is something to relate to deep inside this loathsome figure (imagine if Will Patton's character in The Postman was infused with some of the stark reality and nuance of Gene Hackman in Unforgiven.).
Michael Giacchino delivers ones of his most inspired scores (comparable to Star Trek and Up) mixing suspense with melancholy and melding it all into something truly beautiful. From the opening moment (which we refuse to spoil), Giacchino's score establishes itself as a major presence in the film, and it could very well get him another Oscar nomination. Cinematographer Michael Seresin (Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) is a master with atmospheric lighting and he is in top form here.
It's a bit sad to see this outstanding series (arguably the best prequel trilogy ever made) come to an end, but it's such a satisfying and moving one that it leaves little room for complaints. That's not to say that it's a happy film: there's a lot of brutality and you may feel emotionally exhausted afterwards. But you'll also feel enriched by the boldness and beauty of this groundbreaking cinematic triumph, and hopefully you will leave the theater thinking and talking about what you just saw, and how it relates to where we are headed as a society. After all, isn't that what Planet of the Apes at its best has always been about?
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