Dubbed the “final chapter” in Fox’s prequel trilogy – for now, at least – there’s a profound sense of magnitude and importance resting on the furry shoulders of War For the Planet of the Apes.
Both Dawn and Rise drew praise for the ways in which they balanced spectacle with a sophisticated, fiercely compelling narrative – the franchise’s box office total is a testimony to that feat, too, which currently stands at $1.1 billion – but with War For the Planet, Matt Reeves and Fox’s threequel looks set to tip the scales ever so slightly in favor of a full-blown conflict.
That’s not to say that both parties have engineered a big, loud, and dumb blockbuster, far from it; merely that War For the Planet of the Apes has raised the stakes so high that it’s small wonder why it’s been called the darkest entry in Fox’s saga yet.
Fighting for apes and his own twisted sense of revenge is Andy Serkis’ glowering Caesar, who has grown to become a full-fledged Messiah figure for the surviving simians. But if Caesar wants peace, July’s tentpole will have our CGI protagonist preparing for war, particularly after the introduction of Woody Harrelson’s fittingly badass Colonel.
It’s a conflict that promises to explode into a truly compelling battle, and if the first wave of reactions are to be believed, Fox may just have the summer’s best movie on their hands here. The flick was screened for critics earlier this week and as usual, people have now taken to social media to express their thoughts on the threequel, showering it in nothing but praise.
See for yourself below!
GOD DAMN IT'S SO FUCKING GOOD
— Kristopher Tapley (@kristapley) June 16, 2017
The most amazing thing about War/Apes is how enamored Reeves is with faces. So much of the film is in close-up. You fall into the eyes.
— Kristopher Tapley (@kristapley) June 16, 2017
You'd expect a movie like this to stay wide. Particularly shooting w/ Alexa 65. But that density of image is why Reeves loved the close-ups.
— Kristopher Tapley (@kristapley) June 16, 2017
I'm still buzzing about it. This is not a typical tent pole film by any stretch. The emotional tension throughout is like a high wire.
— Kristopher Tapley (@kristapley) June 16, 2017
I just had the pleasure of seeing #WarForThePlanet of the Apes. Jesus, you guys. Start hydrating now, you're going to need it. Wow.
— Grae Drake (@graedrake) June 16, 2017
If you thought you had no more feels left after @WolverineMovie, you are mistaken.#WarForThePlanet
— Grae Drake (@graedrake) June 16, 2017
I'm dumbstruck by what they continue to accomplish. #WarForThePlanet
— Grae Drake (@graedrake) June 16, 2017
#WarForThePlanetOfTheApes is magical. Apes on horseback in blowing snow, nuanced acting by Apes & Humans! @mattreevesLA rules!
— Harry Knowles (@headgeek666) June 16, 2017
Apes ? together Strong ? #WarForThePlanetOfTheApes is just phenomenal, I could watch ? on ? in the mountains & snow ❄️ forever! Wow!!!
— Harry Knowles (@headgeek666) June 16, 2017
It's OFFICIAL! #WarForThePlanetOfTheApes is AMAZING! Deep, dark, EPIC! RISE + DAWN + WAR = one of the BEST MOVIE TRILOGIES EVER! #HailCaesar pic.twitter.com/MEvaWumGUS
— Scott Mantz (@MovieMantz) June 16, 2017
The BEST movie of the summer is HERE! #WarForThePlanetOfTheApes is a LANDMARK TRIUMPH! Gripping, intense, powerful, moving, MAGNIFICENT! pic.twitter.com/bn3UnZTlGl
— Scott Mantz (@MovieMantz) June 16, 2017
Matt Reeves' "War for the Planet of the Apes" returns to the tense scheme of imprisonment and impending escape that made "Rise" so wowser.
— Hollywood Elsewhere (@wellshwood) June 16, 2017
Second half is "Escape From Alcatraz" + "The Great Escape" w/ Andy Serkis' Caesar playing a fusion of Steve McQueen & Richard Attenborough.
— Hollywood Elsewhere (@wellshwood) June 16, 2017
With "War," Reeves is delivering on an emotional & mise-en-scene level that is way, WAY above Marvel/D.C. bullshit. Masterful filmmaking.
— Hollywood Elsewhere (@wellshwood) June 16, 2017
Either you get it or you don't — "War" is about character & emotion, almost a silent film, an apes movie directed by Sergei Eisenstein.
— Hollywood Elsewhere (@wellshwood) June 16, 2017
"War" is a world-class filmmaking top to bottom. Equal to "Rise" and — it has to be said — better than "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes."
— Hollywood Elsewhere (@wellshwood) June 16, 2017
"War's" human-simian performances — especially from Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller and Karin Konoval — are tops.
— Hollywood Elsewhere (@wellshwood) June 16, 2017
Jerry Bruckheimer used to call his '90s guy movies steak, not hamburger. "War" is a megaplex flick, sure, but it's ribbed Chateaubriand.
— Hollywood Elsewhere (@wellshwood) June 16, 2017
When a really well-made, emotionally alive film comes along, we're all reminded that's it's the singer, not the song. Quality brushstrokes.
— Hollywood Elsewhere (@wellshwood) June 16, 2017
#WarOfThePlanetOfTheApes is the bleakest summer blockbuster I can recall. Suicide, torture, whipping, crying monkeys. It's unrelenting.
— Nigel M. Smith (@nigelmfs) June 16, 2017
Saw #WarOfThePlanetOfTheApes – that upcoming Batman movie is gonna look AMAZING.
— Nigel M. Smith (@nigelmfs) June 16, 2017
#WarOfThePlanetOfTheApes: the special effects are so seamless it's downright eerie. Makes case for future without proper actors.
— Nigel M. Smith (@nigelmfs) June 16, 2017
Excited yet? Dubbed the “conclusive chapter” in 20th Century Fox’s rebooted trilogy – for now, at least – War For the Planet of the Apes is expected to march directly into theatres on July 14th. The combined box office total of Rise ($481 million) and Dawn ($716 million) puts Fox’s lucrative Apes franchise far past the $1 billion mile marker, so there’s no telling how far that number will climb in two months’ time. Will War be the one to crack $1 billion on its own? It’d be foolish to think otherwise.
