War For The Planet For The Apes

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES

Director : Matt Reeves

Year : 2017

Genre : Science Fiction

Rating : ****1/2

Every year, there is that one movie release that surpasses all others when it comes to anticipation. Back in 2015, Colin Trevorrow's divisive dino-epic 'Jurassic World' was my most eagerly awaited release while 2016 was dominated by the expectations and ultimately the crushing disappointments of Zack Snyder's dreary superhero mash-up 'Batman v Superman : Dawn Of Justice'.

However, I cant recall a time I have been so hyped for a movie than I have been for Matt Reeves' 'War For The Planet Of The Apes', the third (and hopefully the final) entry in the hugely successful sci-fi prequel series whose writing, direction and special effects have surpassed many, if not all of it's blockbuster counterparts. As regular readers will know, I consider both 'Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes' (2011) and 'Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes' (2014) to be some the greatest science fiction films of the decade - the latter indeed featured heavily in my run-down of the very best pictures of that year - so I waited for 'War' with a sense of eager fanboy-ish impatience tinged with a quiet, unspoken concern for whether the franchise would maintain it's intelligence and invention without having to dumb-down to the expected levels of modern mainstream fare.

Well, I needn't have worried. Despite the fact that 'War' may not be the best film of 2017 or even the best entry in the series - for me, 'Dawn' still remains the high watermark - it is still a deeply satisfying, emotionally rich and wonderfully thrilling finale to what may just be the greatest trilogy in movie history. The acting from both the live-action and motion-captured cast is phenomenal, the special effects are some of, if not the best I've ever seen on a cinema screen and the complex yet manageable story is layered, thought-provoking, moving and immensely entertaining - basically everything that 'Transformers : The Last Knight' and 'Pirates Of The Caribbean : Salazar's Revenge' isn't.

Andy Serkis once again breathes life into Caesar, the highly intelligent leader of the apes who after suffering great tragedy at the hands of a bloodthirsty army colonel (played with relish by Woody Harrelson) begins his own conquest for revenge and retribution - a conquest that may just determine the future of his species and the fate of the entire planet. As he proved with his stellar work in both Peter Jackson's Middle Earth series and his much-maligned 2005 re-imagining of 'King Kong', Serkis is the unrequited master of motion capture performance and this film sees the great actor at the very height of his acting powers - imbuing the character of Caesar with an almost Shakespearean grandeur and heft.

However, while a great deal of praise should go to Serkis - as indeed should that long-awaited Oscar nomination - it is important to not overlook the true geniuses behind the creation of Caesar and his simian co-stars; those being the numerous computer wizards whose astonishing technical and artistic expertise bring to cinemas some of the most impressive computer generated effects ever to be seen on the silver screen. Not only do the apes look extraordinarily real but the amount of facial expression that they are able to convey is truly jawdropping. 

With influences that range from classic war movies such as 'The Great Escape' and 'Apocalypse Now' to even the Bible, director Matt Reeves has succeeded in creating a dark, brutal and bleak story that is sure to pull on the heart as well as send it racing. The action scenes are thrillingly executed and shot and, as mentioned previously, the performances throughout are unanimously brilliant.

While Andy Serkis dominates the proceedings, Woody Harrelson is just as impressive in his sinister role as the colonel, a sadistic antagonist who may carry out some horrific acts of cruelty (the 12A certificate is most definitely warranted) but as is the case with the best cinematic villains, is given enough motivation and backstory to justify his violent actions, leaving the audience with a profound sense of conflict. Yes, we want to see the apes triumph over adversity but we also sympathise with the humans whose existence is threatened not only by the apes but by their fellow man. It's a difficult emotional balancing act but with an uncompromising script and moments of genuine emotional weight, Reeves succeeds where so many blockbuster directors before him have failed. The rest of the cast, while not given a huge amount of dialogue, all do good work too especially Steve Zahn whose tragic yet funny Bad-Ape counterbalances the overriding seriouness of the movie with a much needed dose of light humour.

In all honesty, it's very hard to pick a fault with 'War For The Planet Of The Apes'. Elegantly bringing Caesar's story to a riveting and satisfying end, it is the perfect conclusion to a saga that has continued to evolve its characters and push the boundaries of technology without ever allowing the effects or grandiose spectacle to supercede the narrative. It's definitive proof that Summer blockbusters don't have to be stupid to be popular and that audiences will go along with a premise not matter how seemingly dumb it may be if it's written with a degree of intelligence and integrity. Dark yet entertaining, bold yet beautiful, 'War For The Planet Of The Apes' is one of the finest films of the year, sure to please both newcomers and ardent devotees of this most enduring of sci-fi franchises. As Caesar himself defiantly proclaims, "Apes together strong".