War for the Planet of the Apes: 'amazing' sequel stuns critics

Reviewers say chimp epic is dazzling, thrilling and morally complex

war on the planet of the apes
(Image credit: YouTube)

The latest instalment of the simian movie saga War for the Planet of the Apes is due out in a couple of weeks' time and critics are already predicting it will be one of the biggest – and darkest – blockbuster hits of the summer.

The sequel to 2014's Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and the third instalment in the Planet of the Apes reboot movie series, War sees Andy Serkis's chimp leader Caesar forced into a deadly conflict against the humans, led by Woody Harrelson's brutal Colonel.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Critics have hailed Serkis's memorable performance as Caesar and say the movie is a triumph of storytelling and spectacle.

Todd McCarthy in the Hollywood Reporter says that thanks to War, the Apes film trilogy "clicks from beginning to end". Its success, says the critic, is rooted in Andy Serkis's "indelible performance as a reluctant rebel leader", along with splendid special effects and "a shrewd racial/political thematic thread".

The "sheer beauty of the film is intense", adds McCarthy. He praises the cinematography for "intoxicatingly" capturing the world around the apes and says the story "dares to be morally complex instead of reductive for blockbuster audiences".

Pete Hammond on Deadline Hollywood urges even those who are not fans of the genre to go.

"This is a film that stands on its own and will blow you away," says Hammond, who calls War "a dazzling, thrilling and mind-reeling experience from start to finish".

Explore More