WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Six years ago, director Rupert Wyatt released Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes which was his reimagining of the original 1968 film starring Charlton Heston as an astronaut who lands on a planet where humans are enslaved by apes. Almost fifty years later and it still remains one of Heston's most memorable roles. Before the release of Rise, there was doubt it would be any good because the follow-up sequels to the original were disappointing and Tim Burton's 2001 remake received a lot of criticsm. Fortunately, it was an impressive reboot and received critical acclaim and over $481 million at the box office. A sequel was soon announced, however, due to his concern that a May 2014 release date would not give him enough time to properly make the film, Wyatt quit and was replaced by Matt Reeves. Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes was released three years later and, in a lot of ways, was an improvement over its predecessor. It was darker and more intense as the conflict between the apes and the human race grew. This lead to a thrilling fight between the two species. Now, the third film in the franchise, War For The Planet Of The Apes has finally been released but is it as good as its predecessors?

Five years after the events in Dawn, Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel (Woody Harrelson). After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.

Unsurprisingly, there was a lot of pressure to create a film that's just as dramatic and thrilling as Dawn, fortunately, the filmmakers have succeeded. For those of you, like me, who haven't seen the original 1968 film, you'll be surprised at which way the narrative goes. It features a lot of twists and turns to make for an unpredictable watch. 

In my review of Dawn, I said that these films could be seen as, in a way, prequels to the original Planet Of The Apes films due to how it ends, with the apes being human-like and the humans behaving more like apes. In War, Caesar can now speak in full sentences rather than just words with many apes' intelligence having increased since the last film. The humans are shown from the apes' perspective and they're seen as the main antagonists. I think that this was a good decision to make because, in the original film, the apes were shown from the humans' point of view. By showing the humans in an evil way, we easily connect with the apes, especially Caesar who has developed a lot since the first film. He's a lot braver and more powerful. He doesn't want to fight, however, after a heartbreaking tragedy occurs, he becomes obsessed with getting revenge by killing the Colonel. Throughout this film, he shows a wide range of emotions including anger and sadness which causes us to feel empathetic for him as we know what he's been through. This all comes from Serkis' mesmirising performance. Using motion-capture to create the apes was a great choice. In the original films, computer generated imagery didn't exist so the cast wore make-up and costumes, unfortunately, it looked unconvincing. This was improved upon in Burton's remake with Helena Bonham Carter looking completely unrecognisable as her character. However, the creation of the apes has improved a lot and look a lot more realistic. This is where these films succeed the most as the visual effects are really impressive and I wouldn't be surprised if they receive an Academy Award nomination next year.

Harrelson is best known for his comedic roles, however, as the main antagonist, he shows he can handle the darker and more dramatic roles. He is introduced briefly in the beginning of the film, however, he's not seen again until the film is a third of the way over. Despite this, he still gives a strong performance. Amiah Miller becomes the second actress (after Dafne Keen as Laura in Logan) this year to portray a young, female mute who is named Nova. Her eyes, facial reactions and actions express emotions in a way words could never do. It's an impressive performance from someone so young. Despite this film being dark and intense, there are moments of comic relief which come from Steve Zahn's character, Bad Ape, who was the only survivor at a zoo and learnt to speak in full sentences from the humans. Karin Konoval returns as Caesar's loyal friend, Maurice, who is a wise Bornean orangutan that forms a bond with Nova.

At the time of writing this, a fourth film is currently being planned, however, I think that it's best that the filmmakers leave it as a trilogy. The ending is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy and ends on a bittersweet note. I'm not sure what more the writers could do with a fourth film but it'll be interesting to see if they do release another sequel. 

Fans of the previous two films will not be disappointed here. There's a lot of intense drama and exhilarting action throughout. Those who loved the original films should give the trilogy a watch because it redefines the apes. 

I can definitely see this being one of my favourite films this summer. It's an original and emotionally potent chapter to one of the longest-running movie franchises.

8/10

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In 1968, Charlton Heston starred as an astronaut in Planet Of The Apes, who crash lands on a distant planet where apes are the rulers and humans are enslaved. Almost 50 years later, it's still remembered as one of Heston's greatest roles, mainly because of his line, 'Get your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!'. 33 years later, visionary director Tim Burton remade it with Mark Wahlberg taking over Heston's role. Unfortunately, it failed to impress critics and audiences and, for a while, the Planet Of The Apes films remained a dead end until 2011, when director Rupert Wyatt reimagined the story and, by using motion capture, the film, titled Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, was an improvement over Burton's 2001 remake. It was set on Earth and focused more on the apes themselves, rather than showing them from a human's point of view. Because of this, we understood the apes' actions rather than seeing them as evil. Rise ended with the leading ape, Caesar (Andy Serkis), joining his fellow apes in a revolution against the humans.

The sequel, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, takes place a decade later after the events in Rise, with the human population having decreased massively due to the disease that spread. However, the humans that survived live in a fragmented, primitive society, lead by Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) and Malcolm (Jason Clarke). Their main goal is to restore power, unfortunately, the area is surrounded by apes, lead by Caesar. There is a major conflict between the two species, however, Caesar is more trusting of the humans and allows them to work on getting the power back in the city. Koba (Toby Kebbell) is an ape that was tested in the laboratory and is less trusting. This leads to the increasing conflict between apes and human that soon leads to an all out fight between the two species.

In a lot of ways, Dawn is an improvement over Rise. The story is a lot darker and Caesar has developed into a leader. The special effects are also more impressive as every ape looks real rather than an actor in unconvincing costume and make-up. 

Most films that feature conflict feel forced, however, in Dawn, we understand the conflict because of the events of Rise. Because of how they were treated by humans, apes now see them as nothing more than a threat to their kind. However, because Caesar was raised by humans, he knows that they're not  all evil and sees good in Malcolm, who wants nothing more than to fix the power. Unfortunately, Dreyfus doesn't feel the same way and would rather have every ape dead. The majority of the tension is driven by the conflict between the two species and is effective as we never know what's going to happen next. This leads to an unpredictable narrative that is both thrilling and intense. 

The majority of action films released focus more on the special effects rather than telling an involving story with interesting characters. Fortunately, the same cannot be said for Dawn. From the beginning to the end, it never fails to lose our interest. Caesar's character is an interesting individual as, since Rise, he has developed into a leader and has also become a father to two sons, the oldest being Blue Eyes (Nick Thurston) who, like Koba, is less trusting of the human race. Like Caesar, Malcolm has a family including his son, Alexander (Kobi Smit-McPhee), and his wife, Ellie (Keri Russell), who is Alexander's stepmother and has her own personal losses. Because they know of the possibilities that they could lose their families, Caesar and Malcolm become allies during the fight that break outs between the apes and humans towards the end of the film.

Rise was previously directed by Wyatt and he was originally going to direct Dawn, unfortunately, because of the May 2014 release date, he believed he wouldn't be given enough time to make the film properly. He was soon replaced by Matt Reeves, who is best known for his monster-based horror, Cloverfield. Reeves proved to be a good choice as he has successfully created a film that is an improvement on its predecessor. He clearly understood the characters and narrative and managed to follow it up. 

The performances are just as strong as the ones that featured in Rise. Previously, Jason Clarke was best known for his supporting roles in films such as Zero Dark Thirty and The Great Gatsby. However, he takes on the leading human role effectively and he proves that he can handle dramatic roles in big blockbuster action films. Because of his performance in Dawn, this lead to more leading roles in films such as Everest and Terminator Genisys. Both Keri Russell and Kodi Smit-McPhee both give solid performances as does Gary Oldman who, at first, seems like a one-dimensional ape-hating human, however, at a point in the film, we see him tearing up at old pictures of his deceased family and we learn he has his reasons for hating the apes.

However, out of all the performances, the stand out is Andy Serkis as Caesar. The actor is best known for his motion capture roles for iconic characters such as Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings franchise and the giant titular gorilla in King Kong. He seems to be the go-to actor for motion capture as he has also featured in Steven Spielberg's 2011 family film, The Adventures Of Tintin, where he portrayed Captain Haddock. These roles prove how much work he puts into them, both mentally and physically, and why he's one of the most talented actors working today. I doubt the film would have been as effective without his performance as Caesar.

In a way, both Rise and Dawn could be viewed as prequels to the original Planet Of The Apes as the human race becomes enslaved and the apes soon begin to rule over them. Rather than being set on a distant planet, the films could be suggesting that Earth will soon become the 'planet of the apes'. It's an interesting theory that will most likely be explored in the upcoming sequel, War Of The Planet Of The Apes which sees a huge war breakout between the apes and humans. 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes expands on its predecessor with an exciting and ambitious burst of sci-fi achievement. This is because it features intelligence and emotional resonance to match its stunning special effects and another outstanding performance from Andy Serkis as the leader of the apes, Caesar.

8/10

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

It has almost been 50 years since the release of Planet Of The Apes, where Charlton Heston played an astronaut who landed on a planet ruled by apes and where humans were enslaved by them. 33 years later, Tim Burton remade it with Mark Walhberg as the astronaut, unfortunately, it wasn't well received. Now, a decade later, director Rupert Wyatt has reimagined the story and changed the setting to Earth, rather than a distant planet. However, is the quality of the film the same as the 1968 original or just as bad as the 2001 remake?

When the film opens, scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) is working on finding a cure for Alzheimer's and has created a drug known as ALZ 112. He has tested this drug on chimpanzees and their intelligence has improved significantly, causing Will to test it out on his father, Charles (John Lithgow), who has Alzheimer's. A chimp escapes and runs amok in the laboratory, leading it to be shot dead. Will then discovers it was a female and she left behind a baby who he takes home and names Caesar (Andy Serkis). As Caesar grows older, he becomes more and more intelligent. Unfortunately, after a misunderstanding between Charles and his neighbour, Caesar escapes the house and begins violently attacking the neighbour out of protection for Charles. This leads to Caesar being set away to live in a sanctuary for apes and this is where the titular rise begins. 

Because I've not seen either the 1968 original nor the 2001 remake, I had no idea what to expect when I watched Rise, fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised. Writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver have successfully created an action-packed story that never fails to engage the audience. The relationship between Caesar and Will is effective because we can see how close they've become over the years. When Caesar is sent away, we feel Will's pain. Franco is best known for his comedic roles alongside his friend, Seth Rogan, however, in Rise, he proves he can handle dramatic roles just as well as the comedic ones. 

I think that the writers made a good choice focusing on the apes, as in the original, it focused on an astronaut who discovered a planet lead by apes. In the 1968 film, we see the apes from the astronaut's point of view and he perceives them as evil. However, here, the perspective shifts and, while the apes do eventually lead a revolution, we don't think of them as evil. They're only fighting for what's right and fight back after being treated badly, both at the laboratory and the sanctuary. We know Caesar isn't bad, he just cares for his fellow apes and doesn't want to be treated like a pet or lab experiment anymore. We understand his actions because of what he and the other apes have been through.

Because special effects didn't exist in the time of filming the 1968 Planet Of The Apes, the apes were portrayed by humans, using make-up and costumes. This is why the impact on viewers nowadays will be less impressive as they look silly. Although he had access to computer-generated imagery, Burton followed the same route and used make-up and costumes to create his apes which proved to be the only improvement the film made on the original. Burton's partner at the time, Helena Bonham Carter looked unrecognisable as one of the apes. However, with Rise, apes were created with the actors wearing motion-capture costumes and creating the apes digitally using CGI. Because of this, Rise received a nomination for Best Achievement In Visual Effects. Because the performances of the apes are so realistic, I wouldn't blame people for thinking that they used real apes rather than actors. This is the same technique they used in films such as Lord Of The Rings and King Kong. The go-to actor for motion capture is Serkis who, like his performances as Gollum and Kong in the aforementioned films, puts 110% into his performance and makes Caesar feel like a real ape, rather than an obvious actor in make-up and costume.

After shooting the actors playing humans interacting with others wearing the motion capture suits, a clean plate was shot with actors for extra reference. Actor-stuntman Terry Notary guided the actors on realistic ape movement, while Weta Digital studied the chimps in the Wellington Zoo for reference. The digital apes also received detailed models with skeletons, muscles and nerve tissue layers for accurate animation. Cast models of apes' heads and limbs helped the texture department replicate skin details such as wrinkles and pores. Given the difference between human and chimpanzee facial muscles, the animators tweaked the performance through a new facial muscle system adding dynamics, ballistics, and secondary motion. As the silent performance required expressive eyes, a new eye model was made to depict both greater accuracy in muscle movement in and around the eyes, and also tears, pupil dilation, and light refraction. While Serkis was the primary performer for Caesar, as the effects team considered that at times "overcame the character" other motion capture team actors were also used, especially Devyn Dalton, whose height matched that of a chimpanzee. Along with that, they used Notary to play Caesar in stunt-filled scenes such as the Golden Gate Bridge scene. Overall, the visual effects is where Rise succeeds the most.

For those, like me, who haven't seen the original Planet Of The Apes, you may be surprised at where the narrative goes, especially towards its finale which takes place on the Golden Gate Bridge. This is a thrilling sequence as it's incredibly tense. Because of the ALZ 112 drug, which improves ape's intelligence, a disease is spreading which leads to the sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which was released three years later.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes proved to be more successful than that of the 2001 remake, which didn't receive much positive reception from critics and fans of the original. At the box office, it made over $481 million and critics said it 'breathed new life into a long-running franchise'. This is because it was led by Rupert Wyatt's stylish direction, some impressive special effects, and a mesmerizing performance by Andy Serkis.

7/10