War for the Planet of the Apes caps off a trilogy in which apes are brought to life on the big screen, not only as very convincing visual effects but also fully realized characters. Through Caesar, brilliantly portrayed by Andy Serkis and motion capture, we’ve seen a protagonist’s transformation from outcast to leader. The series’ thorough depiction of multiple facets of conflict is another major strength. It’s not surprising to see humans versus apes, but there are also clashes and dueling ideologies within each species, all handled with nuance. While a number of plot contrivances prevent it from reaching the heights of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes retains much of what made its predecessors compelling. It concludes major storylines and at the same time leaves room for the possibility of future material.
From Rise of the Planet of the Apes to the start of War, there has been a gradual shift of focus from humans to apes. The only notable people are Nova (Amiah Miller), a mute girl whose symptoms indicate that humans who were immune to the initial outbreak of the simian flu may not be in the total clear, and the Colonel (Woody Harrelson), the ruthless leader of a military group intent on destroying Caesar’s clan. Harrelson ups the Colonel’s menace to the max, but his back story forms a rationale behind his brutal actions that makes him much more rounded than a frothing-at-the-mouth villain. His interactions with Caesar, featuring their opposing beliefs and mutual hatred, are among War for the Planet of the Apes’ best scenes.
Unlike the case of humans, there are returning apes in the form of Maurice (Karin Konoval), Caesar’s trusted advisor and one of his closest allies; Rocket (Terry Notary), Caesar’s bully turned loyal supporter; and Cornelia (Judy Greer) and Blue Eyes (Max Lloyd-Jones), Caesar’s wife and son. Koba (Toby Kebbell) presumably remains dead but continues to haunt Caesar in nightmarish hallucinations, making one wonder if he was more right about human-ape relations than Caesar would like to admit. “Bad Ape” (Steve Zahn) stands out as comic relief in quite a dour film, generating the best laughs of the series while not overstaying his welcome. As for Caesar, he has never been challenged more, emotionally and later physically. Tragedy strikes early, consuming him with thoughts of vengeance that threaten to undermine his steadfast leadership and conscience. A certain religious allegory is clearly drawn, though pursued to the point of somewhat compromising the narrative. Several plot points hinge on overt incompetence and a major one is wrapped up rather conveniently and anticlimactically.
“War” is kind of a misnomer; those anticipating a standard buildup to an all-out finish between humans and apes will be disappointed, as screenwriters Mark Bomback and Matt Reeves have something different in mind. There is a climactic action sequence full of bullets and explosions, but it doesn’t unfold the way one would expect from the trailers. A similarly intense firefight opens the movie and helps set off the grim events to come. Returning director Reeves stages both battles impressively. With Dawn and War, he has firmly established his blockbuster footprint and likely made many Batman fans cautiously optimistic about the Dark Knight’s next solo film. Michael Giacchino’s moving score underlines the many poignant moments that are spread among the depressing ones. Despite its generally bleak tone, War for the Planet of the Apes contains many moments to appreciate its cinematography, particularly its shots of beautiful snowy landscapes.
Building on a previous theme of blurred lines of allegiance, we see apes who, due to their former loyalty to Koba, are willing to join the human side and endure being called donkeys. The Colonel mentions that many people are appalled by his methods and intending to act on their opposition. War for the Planet of the Apes effectively portrays the spectrum of philosophies regarding the two species’ struggle for survival, ranging from those who think peace and diplomacy are possible to those who decidedly do not. Motion capture, CGI, and good old-fashioned acting and writing have combined to produce characters that will have many viewers rooting against their own kind. War doesn’t end the prequel trilogy on its strongest note, but it’s not too far below the high bar previously set to be considered a disappointment. I’d certainly welcome additional movies fully bridging the gap leading up to the original Planet of the Apes. However, given the sufficient sense of quality and closure, I wouldn’t mind if things were left alone, either.
Dogomon 