A deliberately paced epic that closes the trilogy on a high note,
War for the Planet of the Apes is not only one of the smartest movies of the year, it's possibly the best film of the summer.
When Rise of the Planet of the Apes was announced, no one could have imagined how good the reinvention of the classic sci-fi franchise would turn out to be. And it only got better when Matt
Reeves' Dawn of the Planet of the Apes took the series even further into that rarest of places: a reboot that raised the stakes of quality even higher than its source materials. So naturally the expectation was that War for the Planet of the Apes would be a finale that would under perform, as most third films do. It pleases me to say that not only is the film more …show more content…
With time running out, and talk of finding a new homeland starting to gain traction, Caesar (Andy Serkis) must decide what's best for his followers, and not a moment too soon. The planet is in the balance, and whoever wins this ultimate conflict will be the decisive victor.
The greatest compliment I can pay to War for the Planet of the Apes is that it manages to broaden its story's epic scope without biting off more than it can chew. It is a movie that absolutely ties together the three films in the Caesar cycle, and it does so by developing the story to its fullest potential. Every callback means something, and every decision has a weight to it that is paid off further down the line, which is fantastic considering the pressures for a third film to wrap everything up with a neat …show more content…
As opposed to the first two more-blockbuster-friendly Apes films, Matt Reeves and co-writer Mark Bomback have put together a film that is so densely paced that it does truly feel like the slowest of the bunch. But as a result, they have layered the film with symbology and meaning that fulfill the historical, Shakespearian, and even biblical influences to which Caesar's story has always alluded. Even with fresh characters like Steve Zahn's Bad Ape, the film manages to give us a new personality to latch onto in the world of the apes, while at the same time not making any of the established characters any poorer as a result.
If you're concerned there won't be enough action to buoy the more serious matters, rest assured there's still plenty of impressive warfare in War for the Planet of the Apes. The film opens with a jungle combat sequence reminiscent of Vietnam-era films like Apocalypse Now, and the third act of Matt Reeves' film contains some of the finest action sequences you'll see all year. And yet, the visuals don't waver, and the character work doesn't lack anything substantial for the most part, as another new character, Amiyah Miler's Nova, plays an important part in the journey of Andy Serkis'
War for the Planet of the Apes is not only one of the smartest movies of the year, it's possibly the best film of the summer.
When Rise of the Planet of the Apes was announced, no one could have imagined how good the reinvention of the classic sci-fi franchise would turn out to be. And it only got better when Matt
Reeves' Dawn of the Planet of the Apes took the series even further into that rarest of places: a reboot that raised the stakes of quality even higher than its source materials. So naturally the expectation was that War for the Planet of the Apes would be a finale that would under perform, as most third films do. It pleases me to say that not only is the film more …show more content…
With time running out, and talk of finding a new homeland starting to gain traction, Caesar (Andy Serkis) must decide what's best for his followers, and not a moment too soon. The planet is in the balance, and whoever wins this ultimate conflict will be the decisive victor.
The greatest compliment I can pay to War for the Planet of the Apes is that it manages to broaden its story's epic scope without biting off more than it can chew. It is a movie that absolutely ties together the three films in the Caesar cycle, and it does so by developing the story to its fullest potential. Every callback means something, and every decision has a weight to it that is paid off further down the line, which is fantastic considering the pressures for a third film to wrap everything up with a neat …show more content…
As opposed to the first two more-blockbuster-friendly Apes films, Matt Reeves and co-writer Mark Bomback have put together a film that is so densely paced that it does truly feel like the slowest of the bunch. But as a result, they have layered the film with symbology and meaning that fulfill the historical, Shakespearian, and even biblical influences to which Caesar's story has always alluded. Even with fresh characters like Steve Zahn's Bad Ape, the film manages to give us a new personality to latch onto in the world of the apes, while at the same time not making any of the established characters any poorer as a result.
If you're concerned there won't be enough action to buoy the more serious matters, rest assured there's still plenty of impressive warfare in War for the Planet of the Apes. The film opens with a jungle combat sequence reminiscent of Vietnam-era films like Apocalypse Now, and the third act of Matt Reeves' film contains some of the finest action sequences you'll see all year. And yet, the visuals don't waver, and the character work doesn't lack anything substantial for the most part, as another new character, Amiyah Miler's Nova, plays an important part in the journey of Andy Serkis'