2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes was pretty great. 2014’s Dawn
of the Planet of the Apes was pretty great, too. And this year’s War for the Planet of the Apes turned out being great as well. Thus, an infrequent cinematic achievement is
accomplished: a great film trilogy – one of the best. On
top of that, since it’s a reboot-prequel to the original 1968 Planet of the Apes, it also succeeds in
being a great prequel – something less common than a great trilogy.
In War, two years after the events of Rise, Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his tribe of apes are now locked in grave
hostilities with Alpha-Omega, a paramilitary group of humans led by the
ruthless Colonel (Woody Harrelson). At
first, Caesar wants to avoid further bloodshed.
But when an underhanded human assault brings painful losses to the apes,
he begins to be driven by vengeance, and juggles the
hatred quickly welling inside him with the desire to bring his kind to safety.
The plot is actually far more
thought-provoking, poignant, and multifaceted than what the synopsis above is
able to imply. Though Caesar is the hero
and the Colonel is the villain, the conflict and the issue of morality are much
more complex. What’s at stake is the
survival of their respective species, and it’s made clear that compromise is
impossible – the two species won’t be able to coexist. In the
end, only one will rule the world, and the other will die out or regress. Thus, war can’t be helped. And in war come desperate tactics and the inevitable
necessity for ruthless deeds.
As a result, the tone of this
film is quite dark and grim. There may be
some mild humor, since there’s simply something inherently comedic about apes, as
monkeys. Nonetheless, there’s no room
for full chuckles. Like its
predecessors, this movie is a tragedy.
It’s not meant to be fun at all. It’s
excellent and riveting, yes, but not fun.
Just as movies like Schindler’s
List is excellent and riveting but not fun.
The narrative is absorbing and
deeply affecting. It has tons of
exposition scenes, yet the dialogue is so gripping that it’s never boring. It also delivers exciting action set pieces,
but they aren’t there merely for spectacle.
There’s as much sense of thoughtfulness and purpose to these big-and-loud
moments as there is with the small-and-quiet moments.
Nonetheless, the movie is not just all
about the substance. It doesn’t neglect the
“form” side of things – especially the visuals.
And, indeed, it’s magnificent “eye candy” through and through, brought
about by striking, exquisite cinematography and incredible, immaculate CGI.
To sum it up, War for the Planet of the Apes is a resounding,
meaningful science fiction epic. Sharp
direction, compelling performances, an intelligent and powerful story, thematic
depths, and marvelous special effects combine to make it so.
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