‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ — a thrilling epic
they were doing with their characters.
Reeves wastes no time getting the action started with a gripping opening battle. We enter the world through the eyes of some terrified intruders. A group of human soldiers walks through the woods in search of Caesar (Andy Serkis). They don’t know whether he’s still alive, but
Apparently all the new “Planet of the Apes” films needed to do to really hit a home run was take the humans mostly out of the equation. It’s what this whole trilogy has been leading to, really, as we dipped our toes into the rise, dawn and now war between this burgeoning civilization of apes and the humans who are desperately and often dishonorably fighting for their survival.
“War for the Planet of the Apes” is a riveting and surprisingly poignant epic that’s a notch above much of the franchise dreck at every multiplex in the country. It’s as though director Matt Reeves, screenwriter Mark Bomback and the production actually put care and thought into what
their leader is hell-bent on exterminating the apes.
Caesar and his followers have been operating from a secret hideout in the woods — a gorgeous little Eden tucked away behind a thundering waterfall. When the soldiers find them, the apes fight back swiftly and effectively and nearly take out all of the combatants. Caesar spares the lives of the few to send a message back to their leader that the apes are not savages and just want to live in peace separately from the humans.
Of course the message inspires exactly the opposite of the hoped- for re- sponse, and the harrowing and nearly silent nighttime raid comes soon, and leaves the apes no choice but to abandon their home and hit the road in search of safety. Caesar, however, decides he must go off alone and avenge his community by destroying the Colonel ( Woody Harrelson), a deranged Kurtz figure who is truly one of the most memorable villains we’ve had in quite some time.
A few of Caesar’s comrades follow him on his journey to find the Colonel. Along the way they pick up a young, mute girl (Amiah Miller) and a tiny, manic and adorable zoo ape (voiced by Steve Zahn), who has the same sort of comic energy as Yoda on Dagobah (without all the Force stuff and Jedi training). When they arrive at the Colonel’s base, they find a much bleaker and more complicated situation than they expected.
To say much more about the plot would be a mistake. Part of the greatness of co-writer Mark Bomback’s screenplay is how it manages to surprise and captivate throughout, and with minimal dialogue. At times, it even feels like “War for the Planet of the Apes” is essentially a si- lent movie with the mute girl and the majority of the apes communicating in sign language.
Caesar continues to be a complex, truly fascinating character that’s as wellconceived and executed as a live-action performance. Harrelson, too, is a menacing delight in his many-layered portrayal.
“War for the Planet of the Apes” would be a satisfactory conclusion for the series, if franchises were allowed to have intentional endings. Regardless of what happens next for “Planet of the Apes,” this installment makes for a great time at the movies.