War for the Planet of the Apes

The best of the new Planet of the Apes movies, War for the Planet of the Apes follows Andy Serkis’ Caesar as he embarks on a campaign of revenge against a vicious military commander known only as the Colonel (Woody Harrelson). The degree to which War for the Planet of the Apes instantly captures the viewer’s attention is quite impressive, to say the least, as filmmaker Matt Reeves delivers an absorbing opening stretch that’s rife with engrossing, surprisingly brutal sequences and set pieces – with scripters Reeves and Mark Bomback effectively (and smartly) focusing their energies primarily on Caesar’s quest for vengeance. (The other apes are, as a consequence and for the most part, virtually interchangeable.) The pared-down storyline often seems at odds with the incongruously epic running time, however, and it’s worth noting that there is, as a result, a wheel-spinning feel to certain portions of the midsection (eg some of the stuff at Harrelson’s compound ultimately seems a little superfluous and repetitive). And yet there’s little doubt that War for the Planet of the Apes builds to a third act that’s nothing short of captivating, with the inevitable battle between the apes and the Colonel’s men possessing a far more gripping and uncompromising vibe than one might’ve anticipated – which, when coupled with the emotional resonance of the ending, confirms the movie’s place as a seriously solid capper to a progressively accomplished trilogy.

***1/2 out of ****