Serkis, Reeves, Giacchino and rest give their career bests to make War for the Planet of the Apes a modern cinematic masterpiece.
The latest as well as the last film of 21st Century Fox's Planet of the Apes is a lot more than the ordinary best-of-the-year blockbuster (what were the greatest blockbuster films of the last two years?), it's one of the most intense, dramatic and suspenseful films of the 21st century and an outstanding finale, which is itself quite a feat for a trilogy to have, for even Star Wars and The Dark Knight trilogy are lacking in it.
In a year full of ambitious and too many superhero films (albeit most being great), Matt Reeves' War for the Planet of the Apes is what comes at the top and the only blockbuster film that stands tall among this year's very best films.
The film's intro just like the film itself, edges out it's 2014 predecessor which was itself a masterpiece. We're shown a written recap of the first two films, so the ones who won't see this film because of not having seen the first two ones are left out of excuses. And after that, every moment of the film is full of thrill, suspense, emotions and extraordinary visual effects. The first several minutes show the peace-seeking apes defending themselves against an army that's hate for the apes is classically visualised on the combat helmets and is led by Colonel (Woody Harrelson) who's a Hitler-like psychopath, and is soon to be responsible for causing a big emotional blow to Caesar, which would lead Caeser into a personal vendetta against the Colonel. Caesar (Andy Serkis) is accompanied by the intimidating chimp Rocket (Terry Notary), the good spirited gorilla Luca (Michael Adamthwaite) and the sensitive but smart orangutan Maurice (Karin Konoval), all of them have the best character moments in this film.
We all know how much of a suspense fan Matt Reeves is, if familiar with his work. From his outstanding direction in the 2011 vampire thriller Let Me In to his bar-raising 2014 predecessor of this very film, the man's relied on suspense to manipulate the audience, and here he's at the top of his game. Since Caesar and his companions leave on their journey, the very presence of a human feels jump-scary, kind of like how xenomorphs feel in the Alien films. As the plot progresses, so does the suspense and the suffering for the protagonists continues but that's what would make the final act thrills all worth.
The group is then joined by two new characters, one of them is Bad Ape (Steve Zahn), a hilarious comic relief ape that can speak. The other character is the mute human girl, Nova (Amiah Miller), who's the light of this grim film. She has not so many scenes in the film but whenever she's in the frame, she shines and serves within the genius of the visual direction of this film. She plays a vital role in one of the film's strongest and most emotional scenes, hats off to Michael Giacchino for that score, which ends as without a doubt his best work to date.
The film brings a very interesting twist to the Simian flu, as those immune to the flu are still somewhat affected by it. The flu now mutes humans and affects their intelligence, and is one of the motives to the Colonel's envy for the apes. The colonel and his army are able to capture Caesar as well as most of the other apes. It is very reminiscent of the Nazi situation, as the humans force the apes to work before slowly killing them one by one. From here on the film's thrills and suspense exceed the bar while providing emotional build-up, as the remaining apes must save the day. And honestly, the third act of this film is one of the best I've ever seen in any blockbuster film, it's Return of the King tier.
All-inclusive, the final result is that of a rare blockbuster masterpiece that is as Hitchcockian as it's Shakespearean. It's the series' most intense and most epic title, with outstanding character complexity and development as well as a marvelous work in every technical aspect. The cinematography is extraordinary, and is full of beautifully grim shots every other minute and so is the score, as already mentioned above.
Andy Serkis as Caesar gives his best performance, it's the most challenged his character's been and the way he tackles his character's essence in this film, an Oscar nod better come his way. Woody Harrelson's Colonel doesn't beat Koba but still manages to result as a great villain with richly written motives, he pulls off a very convincing performance.
And now in praise for what make this film a masterpiece, the direction as well as the writing. War for the Planet of the Apes may give casuals a good blockbuster vibe but to hardcore cinephiles, it's full of well crafted foundations as a film. The script, co-written by Matt Reeves and Mark Bomback is a very strong one and remains engaging since it's inception. The direction is simply outstanding, Matt uses the Hitchcockian character reaction shots, that also give a silent film feel due to the apes' being mute and also due to Giacchino's engaging score. The cinematography within the army is very reminiscent of Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987) and the Colonel may at times remind you of Brando's Kurtz from Apocalypse Now (1979). The influence from all these ideas and masterpieces is one of the most vital reasons to why this film is special.
The film can very well be considered one of the best films of the 21st century. Reeves' success with this series has made me more and more excited for his take on Batman, about which he already mentioned that he'd take some Hitchcock influence. Coming back to the film, I think the academy should really consider quitting snubs with blockbuster films, and at least nominate Serkis and Reeves for their artistry in this epic finale.
★★★★
