I often wonder why so many movie studios reboot or remake old classics. Rarely do the updated versions of the film capture the magic of the original film. Usually, it leaves the generation that remembers the film frustrated and new movie goers indifferent to films that played a big part in pop culture in previous eras. To be honest, I know why studios do it as they feel they have built in audiences who will spend their movie dollars if for no other reason than nostalgia. That is why I have been so impressed with Director Matt Reeves trilogy of ‘The Planet of the Apes’ and in particular the finale ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’. It drew from a movie that was considered semi-campy even in the seventies and took the mythos completely serious and he has given us a thoughtful and updated parabole for modern times. In addition, I am rarely impressed by special effects, but the CGI rendering of the apes in this film is so seamless that, in someways, they become more human than their live action counterparts. Andy Serkis, the actor who plays the motion capture for the lead ape Caesar, also played Golumn in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. Many felt (myself included) that he deserved an Oscar for his performance, but the Academy has yet to acknowledge motion capture performances. Once again, Serkis brings a level of gravitas and humanity to Caesar where I feel he has once again risen to a level of Oscar consideration. I don’t use the word “Epic” lightly, but as I watched this film, that word was constantly in my mind.
Most people are familiar with the twist ending of the original Charlton Heston film where it was revealed that the ape dominated planet he found himself on was actually Earth. Matt Reeves explores the sequence of events that led to an ape dominated earth. His first two films laid the foundation of the creation of the hyper intelligent Caesar where the byproduct of the process used to engineer him led to the creation of a Simian virus which wiped out most of humanity. Reeve’s first two films explored the travails of two dominant species tying to co-exist. What I really loved is that he skipped the easy road of morality with a victim/persecutor story line. Instead he explored basic questions of survival. Good and evil exist in both Ape and Man and conflict happens despite the best intentions of leaders to avoid it. Anger and hatred can warp the most noble of beings and ultimately survival is what determines life.
The opening of the ‘War of the Planet of the Apes’ find humans living in military tribes and the Apes carving out an existence in hidden forest refuges. Humans still have the upper hand due to their technology, yet are fearful that extinction of their species is a possibility. One Military group led by a man known only as ‘The Colonel’ (played by a surprisingly fearsome Woody Harrelson) has taken it upon themselves to wipe out all apes lest mankind perish. His cult like sway over his military followers is reminiscent of Marlon Brando in ‘Apocalypse Now’. In fact, there is an inside joke when one sees graffiti that says “Ape-pocalypse Now” painted on a sewer wall. The Colonel leads several missions into the forest to hunt the Apes that, despite the technological difference, lead to massive causalities on both sides. Despite major losses, Caesar still dreams of peace and even spares his human captives, returning them with his message of desired peace. It isn’t until the loss of his family at the hands of The Colonel that Caesar renounces his leadership of the Apes and sets out for personal revenge against him. He knows his soul has been lost to everything he had hoped to achieve, but ultimately fate has left him no choice than to seek retribution. With a small band at his side, he points the rest of the apes in the direction of safety while he goes in search of The Colonel.
Along the way, Caesar’s small ragtag group of apes come across a human child who has lost her ability to speak and reasons at the most basic of levels. They discover that the Simian virus which wiped out most of humanity has mutated and is turning many of the remaining humans mute and bestial. They give the child the name ‘Nova’ after a car hood ornament she cherishes (a call back to the original Nova from the seventies). Eventually the group finds The Colonel and Caesar is captured. The film borrows liberally from the film ‘Bridge Over the River Kwai’ as it becomes a prison movie. The Colonel’s madness in the face of Caesar’s dignity gives this film a weight the original series never had. We completely understand what motivates everyone and we challenge ourselves to say we would do anything differently in each of their places given the circumstances.
As I stated before, the seriousness and gravitas of this film given its’ campy origins is what sets this apart from the typical reboot. This is an Oscar level Epic even though I doubt the Academy will reward it. The power of the performances through the CGI would have given any one of these actors an Oscar level consideration had they not been apes. Even though these films are doing well both critically and in the box office, I feel many won’t see this new trilogy based upon pre-conceptions of the original. Take a chance on this. You don’t have to see the first two in this trilogy to enjoy this film, but if you can, see all three. It’s a rare example of where a reboot is vastly superior to its’ source material
I give this film **** stars
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