War for the Planet of the Apes Review

The movie begins with a short explanation of Rise and Dawn, followed by a top angle shot of forest, that shows a battalion of humans as they slowly move towards an ape-built stockade with slogans chalked on their helmets – ‘Monkey Killer’ but they have a few apes on their side. The subtle beginning escalates into a intense firefight. #Goosebumps

What follows next are a few sweet moments of Caesar and his family. Also a reunion of the entire ape community under a waterfall hideout. The sweet moments suddenly turn bitter as Caesar has a confrontation with McCullough right after Colonel kills his son (BlueEyes). The anger in Caesar’s eyes says it all, what makes the scene more dramatic is when Caesar chases after the Colonel, and leaps into the waterfall. A blood debt is set, and it must be repaid.

Caesar departs to exact revenge on the Colonel, accompanied by Maurice, Luca, Rocket, Bad Ape ( a hilarious addition) and Nova ( a mute girl). The heroism of Caesar is well known from the previous movies and he once again proves how generous he is. The horizon-stretching wide shots of Caesar and his comrades traversing openly, is nature at its best. The scenic beauty and Motion capture 101 just add to the visual treat that is this trilogy.

The brilliance of these films lies in just how skillfully it subvert our sympathies. The movie beautifully reminds us that not every story has a protagonist and antagonist.Even though the final scene between the Colonel and Caesar is a silent one - it speaks volumes in terms of humanity, respect and empathy. The heart and soul of the entire trilogy is without a doubt Andy Serkins and in this installment he is brilliantly supported by the stunning Woody Harrelson.

The story isn’t overly complex. But each character has their own role and arc, the relationships portrayed are important and the set pieces have consequences beyond just spectacle. The movie has everything it requires to be a stunning cinematic experience. Every quite scene followed by a action scene is handled remarkably by Matt Reeves.

War for planet of the Apes is a simple yet powerful film, that evokes almost every emotion in us. It’s a very special movie that is undoubtedly one of the best films of this year.