In the modern Hollywood landscape, we've been bombarded with remakes, reboots, and re-imaginings of well-known projects. Among all of these, it's rare that you find a reboot that actually takes the franchise in a new - and superior - direction, but these new Planet of the Apes films have managed to do that. The last two films in the series delivered a more grounded, emotionally-driven story with the fantastic science fiction concept. It's very surprising just how good these films have been, and War for the Planet of the Apes ends the franchise on a suitably satisfying note.
The linchpin of this franchise has always been, and continues to be, the ape leader Caesar (Andy Serkis). Part of what makes his character so effective is the exemplary special effects work, which looks (somehow) even better than it did in the previous film. But Serkis' performance brings the real power to the ape, and he deals with more turmoil than he ever has before. Every moment of pain, rage, and sadness is clear on Caesar's face. I know that Serkis isn't going to get an Oscar for this performance, but if he's ever deserved one, it's for this film.
What's so surprising about the film is that the titular "War" isn't a final, all-out, epic battle between the humans and the apes to decide the fate of the planet. Rather, it's a very personal war within Caesar himself, as he struggles with his desire for peace and coexistence against a very personal hatred and desire for revenge. War takes Caesar to a place he's never gone before, and that sudden shift in motivation was a bit jarring, but it fits. This isn't the same hopeful Caesar we've seen before; he's tired, greying, and broken. He's haunted by his past, by personal tragedy, and by the struggles of trying to exist in a world that's constantly trying to destroy him.
Despite being rooted in such a personal conflict, the film feels enormous. Director Matt Reeves knows how to make an environment feel large, and War has some truly breathtaking shots. The apes are all integrated into the environments perfectly; there's never a single second where they look fake or disconnected. Every flake of snow or drop of water on their fur looks natural. The film also adds some much-needed levity to break up the bleakness in the form of Bad Ape (Steve Zahn). In a lesser movie, Bad Ape is the kind of character who could have very easily become a Jar-Jar-Binks-level annoyance, but he's used to perfect effect here.
The central conflict between the humans and apes does come to a head, but not immediately. The majority of the conflict is portrayed through the struggles of an internment camp, which brings some haunting imagery to the surface. War isn't afraid to be brutal, and drag the apes through some of the worst conditions possible without breaking into an R-rating. The only human character who shows any semblance of positivity is Nova (Amiah Miller). The human who gets far more attention is The Colonel (Woody Harrelson), who expertly balances cold anger against a backdrop of desperation.
"War for the Planet of the Apes" is almost a for this film; "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" probably would have been a better title. The film has a fairly slow pace, but the emotion behind what's happening keeps the story engaging. The question isn't about victory or defeat, it's about escape and survival. It's interesting that the focus is kept solely on the apes, with no sympathetic point of view for the humans. At this point, the only humans left are soldiers devoted to destroying the apes. That lack of a moral grey line is a bit of a missed opportunity, but it doesn't hold back the story that's being told in any significant way.
War for the Planet of the Apes is an excellent end to this trilogy. It ends Caesar's journey on an emotionally resonant, victorious note, and, in a way, sets the stage for the original Planet of the Apes film to happen. I know there must be some temptation from the studio to remake that film, but this iteration of the Apes franchise shouldn't continue. These films have managed to attach more emotional weight to a bunch of CGI apes than I thought possible, and gave them so much humanity. Matt Reeves is moving on to the solo Batman movie next, and I'm ecstatic to see what he does with that property. He created something very special with his work on this franchise.
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