War For the Planet of the Apes (2017)

 

And so we come to the close of the revamped trilogy about the planet of the apes. And this one, above all, is one that is emotional even though there is some spectacle to be seen. 

No really, it's tough to keep the eyes dry at the end of this one. 

Following the events of the previous film, a battalion of soldiers is now actively searching for Caesar and his group of apes. Conflicts escalate, but Caesar sends back some captured soldiers to their colonel, hoping this will be the end of the hostilities. But of course, no such luck. The colonel himself penetrates the ape sanctuary and kills Caesar's wife and eldest son, which sends him on the path to revenge. He does order the other apes to head out to newly discovered lands beyond a desert, where they might finally be safe from humans. 

Of course, Caesar gets company: Maurice (the orang-utan), Rocket (his most trusted chimpanzee 'general') and Luca (a massive gorilla). They come across a little girl who is unable to speak and Maurice quickly adopts her. While searching for this army camp, they also find a lone chimpanzee who calls himself Bad Ape and who has gone a little kooky in the head thanks to years of isolation. But he knows where the camp is. 

When Caesar finds it, he also discovers that all the apes he sent out are captured and used as slaves to build a massive wall for the colonel. Caesar also gets captured and is incessantly tortured and abused, but he manages to not only inspire the other apes yet again, but even intrigue the colonel, who is - let's be honest - completely deranged. 

So who else than Woody Harrelson can play a character who is both charismatic, off his rocker and volatile? 

Eventually, Caesar discovers that other soldiers are coming to this camp, not to aid the colonel but to take him out, so he has to make sure all the apes get out before it is too late. But in doing so, he gets mortally wounded... 

If you have enjoyed the first two outings, this one will seal the deal, as Caesar's journey comes to an end here. It feels a little smaller than the previous one, focusing more on Caesar's psyche and the clash between him and the colonel. You get some added character development, especially from Maurice, who takes a liking to the little human girl that they eventually dub 'Nova'. 

Oh, there are a great many references to the classic 'Planet of the Apes' to be found as well. The crucified apes? Nova? The fact that humans are slowly losing the ability to speak? All here. Caesar's youngest son is even called Cornelius.

The motion capture is once again spot on, and Serkis gives a very poignant performance throughout. The rest are no slouches, but he nails it again. But you can tell you need to have seen at least the previous outing to completely grasp what is happening here. 

Nevertheless: this is an emotional rollercoaster and one heck of a film. Perhaps the last one wins by the smallest of margins, but this one once again comes highly recommended.