War for the Planet of the Apes
Released into theatres one month ago, War for the Planet of the Apes is part 3 of the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise, this time featuring Woody Harrelson. It has lots of sci-fi action and dramatic tension between the species, but the star of this series continues to be the realistic animation of the apes, lead by Andy Serkis and his motion capture performance. Andy’s role as Caesar is the heart of the films, dealing with a new found intelligence, family, and the danger of mankind. The apes are smart, do things normally reserved only for humans, and in this instalment that includes going on a quest for revenge, this time up against Harrelson’s character. Planet of the Apes was initially a French novel in 1963 by Pierre Boulle before being made into a film in 1968 starring Charlton Heston, which spawned sequels and reboots in 1968-1973, 2001, and 2011-present. Filmed in Vancouver and Tofino, British Columbia, it shows off a snow covered woodland and blends the natural beauty with some of the best special effects being made. Unique to this franchise is the intelligence of the apes which creates a surprisingly mature discussion of species relations, making us ask ourselves if we can coexist? It made me think, what would the animals of our planet say to us if they could talk?
2017, PG, 2h 20m
Distributor – Fox
Budget – $150 million
Cast & Crew
It stars Andy Serkis (another motion capture performance following Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015) and Woody Harrelson, who has a busy release schedule in 2017 including Wilson (comedy), Lost in London (comedy), Shock and Awe (drama with Milla Jovovich), The Glass Castle (drama with Naomi Watts), and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (drama with Peter Dinklage). Matt Reeves co-wrote and directed, he last directed part 2 of the franchise and will next be working on The Batman with Ben Affleck. Mark Bomback co-wrote after last writing Insurgent (2015 part 2 of the Divergent franchise) and is now writing an action film Protection. Composer Michael Giacchino has also made music for fellow sci-fi actions films such as Spider-Man: Homecoming, Rogue One, Doctor Strange, and will next be composing Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.