War for the Planet of the Apes is the third – and potentially last – instalment in the rebooted Apes franchise. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves returns for War, as does most of the simian cast including Karin Konoval, Judy Greer, Terry Notary and Andy Serkis as the film’s central figure Caesar. Woody Harrelson portrays the film’s antagonist while Steve Zahn brings his humour to a new ape known only as Bad Ape.
As peace between species has collapsed — and a renegade band of human soldiers led by an imperious Colonel makes a final, all-out attack — Caesar is hit with an unimaginable personal loss and a dark line inside his psyche is crossed. Now, he is wrestling with merciless impulses and roiling doubts about his own ability to inspire the apes towards freedom. But if the apes are to survive the coming conflict, Caesar must lead. In a time when empathy and compassion have nearly vanished both in the world and his heart, Caesar searches for the grit, sense of fellowship and striving vision to lead the apes towards a future of hope.
“As War begins, the ape community is broken up,” explains Serkis. “Caesar is still trying to keep it together, but he bears the deep, painful burdens of a leader struggling to galvanize a divided people. Caesar has always been torn between the ape and human worlds. He does not want to see the destruction of either species. But he’s an ape and their survival is clearly on the line.”
War for the Planet of the Apes is rated 14A.
