By: Omair Alavi You may have seen men take revenge in films but in War for The Planet of the Apes, you have an Ape doing what man is famous for! In this Matt Reeves directed movie, you get to know that Apes are peace loving creatures who are provoked at the behest of wayward…
SAMAA | Omair Alavi – Posted: Aug 1, 2017 | Last Updated: 4 years ago
By: Omair Alavi
You may have seen men take revenge in films but in War for The Planet of the Apes, you have an Ape doing what man is famous for! In this Matt Reeves directed movie, you get to know that Apes are peace loving creatures who are provoked at the behest of wayward military men and like many humans, they don’t like being treated as slaves. The third film in the Planet of the Apes saga comes out as a blockbuster with the right ingredients to take the franchise forward.
The Plot
After a tragedy close to home, ape leader Caesar (Andy Serkis) sets out on a mission to avenge the death of his loved ones and in the process save his friends who are at the mercy of Colonel McCullough (Woody Harrelson), a merciless warlord who wants to end the race of the Apes. Does Caesar manage to kill his nemesis or does the Colonel win the battle of Man vs Ape to stake his claim on Earth. Watch the movie to know who comes out as victor and savior of his kind after a battle of wits and strength.
The Good
Andy Serkis is not the name of an Ape who can act but an actor who excels at Motion Capture! Serkis is Caesar and as a Mo Cap actor, he excels at the character that he has been playing for a few years now. Although all apes must look the same to the public, here every individual has a different identity and you don’t have to think twice about who is who. The Bad Ape character enacted by Steve Zahn also brings comic relief that was missing from the earlier installments. The fight sequences between Man and Ape as well as the climax are something you should only experience in cinemas, especially if it is an IMAX, as the special effects combined with Mo-Cap acting will take you to another level!
The Bad
Remember Marlon Brando’s character from Apocalypse Now? Woody Harrelson apes the performance here and falls short of Col. Kurtz by a huge margin. The veteran actor could have made the role his own but in an attempt to look like Brando, he comes out as unprepared and merciless for personal reasons. Caesar comes out as the better man here because he acts according to his surroundings, something the Colonel doesn’t adhere to. In fact, he doesn’t have much to do at the climax where the clash of both the leaders would have been nothing short of epic.
Verdict – 3.5/5
War For The Planet of the Apes is no doubt one of the better films this year but its length is a problem – at times, it gets dragged when it should have crisp and quick. The cinematography is brilliant and so is the choreography of the battle sequences that would have benefitted from better editing. The acting by Mo-Cap actors is so good that you would end up believing that Apes can talk and our planet is on the verge of being taken over by Caesar’s men when in fact it’s all due to the magic created by the director and his brilliant team of humans. Pun intended!
