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

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.

After the apes suffer terrible losses, Caesar confronts the Colonel, with each determined to take control of the destiny of their species and the future of the planet.

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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".