War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
Genres: Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Runtime: 140 min
Release Date: 14 July 2017
Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Mark Bomback, Matt Reeves
Stars: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn
Country: USA
Language: English
Storyline: Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.
Taglines: For freedom. For family. For the planet.
Filming Locations: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Budget: $150,000,000 (estimated)
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos
REVIEW:
A Visually Stunning, Yet Disappointing Conclusion to What Could Have Been a Great Trilogy
After two great films that proved that summer blockbusters could deliver big-budget effects and action sequences audiences love while also conveying a story that was intelligent and emotional, the rebooted Planet of the Apes trilogy unfortunately ends Caesars journey on a rather weak note compared to it's predecessors.
First thing off the bat, 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' and 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' were thoroughly enjoyable films, more so than expected them to be, though they were not quite masterpieces. 'Rise' was exceptionally well made and very entertaining, provoked thought and had heart. 'Dawn' had a bigger and bolder approach and delivered just as much, if not more so, on the brains and heart.
So naturally, expectations for 'War for the Planet of the Apes' were quite large. Unfortunately, despite really wanting to like it (have never watched a panned film expecting to hate it or an acclaimed expecting to love it, regardless of the general consensus, always thinking for myself and always try to be respectful and perceptive), 'War for the Planet of the Apes' was a disappointment. It is a long way from a terrible film, and is not deserving of the 1/10 ratings it's garnered (it's a 4 at least), that implies that there are no redeeming qualities at all that coming from a subjective person that is further from the truth, but out of the 2010's rebooted 'Planet of the Apes' trilogy it's the weakest by quite some way.
There are a number of things to admire about 'War for the Planet of the Apes'. The best things about it are the production values and the design and characterisation of the apes. Simply put, the production values all round are exceptional. Once again the cinematography and lighting are of great beauty and the scenery is strikingly atmospheric. It's the special effects and make-up that deserve the most praise, that the apes look so real and that it is hard to believe they were made with a mix of motion-capture and CGI key frame is once again testament to how good they look. Characterisation for them is every bit as incredible. When they communicate they don't need to say much and it is the most nuanced the film gets, when saying or doing little (as little as a glance or a gesture) it still feels like they're saying a lot.
Just as good is the character and performance of Caesar. He has always been a hugely relatable and complex character and is much more compelling than any of the human characters here. One really roots for him, he is impeccably designed and remarkably nuanced in how he moves and communicates and he actually feels like a real character. One cannot talk about the film and not mention Andy Serkis, the man very rarely fails to amaze me and he gives an intensely moving portrayal of Caesar, definitely deserving of award recognition.
A few of the action sequences are thrilling with much visceral tension in the best moments. The first 15-20 minutes are remarkably promising and highly suggestive of it being a good film. Although very closely indebted seemingly to Colonel Kurtz from 'Apocalypse Now', Woody Harrelson gives it his all and fares well compared to the rest of the human cast.
On the other hand, the human characters are nowhere near as well-written or compelling as the apes. Many are underwritten to the point of banality, underused and some add little to nothing to the story (especially the little girl). Harrelson aside, the acting from the humans isn't so hot either, the little girl is really annoying and very overwrought.
The script is also very messy, lacking the intelligent simplicity and nuance of the previous two films, and instead resorting to awkwardness and cheesiness. The story started off promisingly but went down the plug fast. The pacing became incredibly dull and stayed that way for most of the film, seriously struggling to sustain the overlong running time, and is filled with crass and gratuitous graphic violence, cartoonish villainy that has more cheese than threat, a strong lack of emotional core and tension, nothing to drive the story forward and a general lack of cohesion. Things feel very rushed, leaden and confused in the final act.
Matt Reeves did a great job directing 'Dawn...'. Here one really questions what happened and whether it really is the same guy. His direction here is overblown and lethargic, things that he very cleverly avoided previously. 'War...' is big on the spectacle and looks mighty impressive, but is one of those big and noisy films that forgets to properly tell a story or do anything with most of the characters. It also feels heavy-handed in its portrayal of fascism and slavery. One gets what the war of the title is referring to, but with only the characterisation of the apes working the tension and conflict just doesn't work.
Like the previous films, this one is also visually stunning presenting what is probably some of the best visual effects to ever be displayed on the big screen. Andy Serkis once again delivers an amazing performance as Cesar and makes the most-effective argument yet that motion-capture performances don't just deserve, but need to be recognized by the Academy. Woody Harrleson is also a great addition to the cast portraying a complex antagonist who fits right in with the strong characters within this universe. The action-scenes are top-not as always and one has to give major props to Director Matt Reeves and the writers for having the guts to tackle a big-budget summer blockbuster with such a dark and grim tone (all within the PG-13 limits of course).
The main issue with War is that it's story isn't near as strong as the previous entries in the series. This is in part because while this has always been Caesars journey, the films focusing on him as well as human characters has added a complex layer that is missing here. This installment focuses only on Caesar and the apes, therefore removing an element that made the last two installments as great as they were. The main issue though is when in the films second-half it goes from what starts out as pretty strong Sci-Fi Drama to a routine prison escape movie. For a series that has been acclaimed for it's strong writing, effects, and originality, was this really the best they could give us? When it comes to this portion of the film, it slows down dramatically and ends up feeling rather dull almost as if the writers wanted to shoehorn some weird tribute to WWII films such as The Great Escape out of nowhere. Although it does all lead up to a rather fantastic action sequence, that same scene concludes on a complete cop-out that will even the most forgiving viewers rolling their eyes. While Harrelson also plays a great character, he unfortunately feels underused considering how much depth he had.
I really did have high hopes for this film considering how excellent the last two were and the early praise for this one and while I wouldn't go as far to say it's a bad film, it's certainly a disappointing one. While it still has the impressive visuals and performances that he series has been recognized for, it's story and script leaves a lot to be desired making it easily the weakest installment in the series and one of the more disappointing films of the year so far.
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Genres: Comedy
