War for the Planet of the Apes

The two previous Apes movies, which kicked off with 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes and continued with 2014's Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, has surprisingly become one of the most emotionally fulfilling summer movie franchises in recent memory.  I honestly can't think of a big budget franchise that is more human, tragic, and exciting.  And most of these movies have starred mostly CG apes performed by actors using Motion Capture technology.  But here's the thing.  There's a real story being told here, one that is complex and worth telling.  And the latest (but I suspect far from final) installment War for the Planet of the Apes is perhaps the best of the franchise, and easily my favorite of the summer's blockbuster offerings.

In a movie filled with some stunning effects and action sequences, the most amazing thing is how quickly the audience forgets that we are even watching special effects for a majority of the movie.  The lead ape, Caesar (once again performed by Andy Serkis), not only has to carry a majority of the movie alone, but create a complex performance.  The special effects artistry that allows Serkis' performance to be recreated by a CG ape is not only astounding, but the performance itself is so masterful that you wish that the Oscars could at least honor his work in this series with some kind of special award.  The fact that we completely buy into Caesar and never once question the behind the scenes wizardry that created him is only part of it.  The other part is the fact that he is so fully realized by the screenplay, the performance and the direction by Matt Reeves.  Caesar is easily the most interesting lead character in any movie so far this summer.

But this is so much more than a mere spectacle picture that wows us with its visual mastery.  It's a story that touches on issues such as racism, betrayal, fanaticism, revenge and sacrifice.  And it touches on these subjects in a meaningful way, not simplified, as if Reeves and his co-writer Mark Bomback are just checking off important topics on a checklist.  The movie digs deep into its themes, and creates what is easily the most adult of all the summer movies so far.  Yes, the PG-13 rating prevents the violence from getting too graphic (there are a lot of cutaway shots), but the movie is often grim, challenging and bleak.  But the movie also can be thrilling and at times even funny, due to the addition of a comic relief character.  But most of all, it is poignant, and makes you think about the film long after it is done.

Just like before, the movie is mostly seen through the eyes of the lead ape Caesar.  The humans are a constant threat, always seemingly lurking and threatening the existence of Caesar's clan.  He has tried to make peace before with the humans, but his efforts failed.  He is also haunted by nightmares of his former ape rival Koba (Toby Kebbell), whose followers have joined up with the humans because they both want to destroy Caesar and end his rule.  In order to save his own followers, Caesar seeks a desert land far away where they can live unharmed by the war-like humans, who want revenge on the apes for the disease that has wiped out most of the human population.  The humans are led by the Colonel (Woody Harrelson), an extremist militant who only believes in genocide of all apes.  His fanatical army obeys his every command, even though there is clearly madness within him.  When we finally learn the Colonel's motivation, it is a combination of tragedy, revenge and obsession.

Caesar, in his own way, is now driven by obsession as well.  He once believed that the humans and apes could live peacefully, but that belief has been betrayed by time and personal experiences.  Now, he wishes to go off on his own in order to confront the Colonel and his men.  He is soon joined by some of his loyal friends, one of whom, the orangutan Maurice (Karin Konoval), fears that Caesar is being blinded by his quest for revenge.  Along the way, they are joined by a mute little orphan girl whom the apes eventually name Nova (Amiah Miller), and fearful ape who has been alone most of his life and calls himself "Bad Ape" (Steve Zahn).  As the story unfolds, we can see references to films like Apocalypse Now and Bridge on the River Kwai, as well as plenty of references that will lead into the original Apes franchise.

But War for the Planet of the Apes is not just references and set up.  It is fully fleshed out, alive, and as intense as you could ever hope it could be.  Yes, it is a summer adventure movie, but it is one where there is a sense of dread throughout.  The moments of humor are few and far between, and the plot goes into some very dark personal areas of the minds of its lead cast, both human and CG ape.  This is the rare summer spectacle that seems to be designed solely for adults, so I hope parents will think twice before letting young children watch it.   At the same time, that's also what's so fascinating.  How many big budget summer movies can you think of are truly made just for adults?  And how many of them fully explore their ideas and themes in an intelligent and dramatic way?  It may have seemed like a gamble on paper, especially when you consider that half the cast are talking CG primates, but it has paid off beautifully, and I applaud the studio heads and filmmakers for letting Reeves' dark and fascinating vision truly take shape.

Am I saying that I want all of my summer blockbusters to be serious from now on?  Absolutely not.  I enjoy escapism as much as the next guy.  But when a movie like this comes along, you just have to embrace it, and applaud the effort it took.  This Apes prequel trilogy could have easily been a simple cash grab, but it has evolved into so much more, and ultimately has become one of the strongest examples of big budget filmmaking in recent memory.

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