Koba’s dream has come to pass.
Inter-species war has begun between apes, led by Caesar (Andy Serkis) and humans, led by a maniacal soldier called the Colonel (Woody Harrelson).
Can Caesar keep his own counsel, or will the Colonel’s violence lead him down the path Koba paved?
Echoing the openings of the previous entries, we see the repercussions of what has gone before.
One has to give these movies credit - they are not afraid of not pulling punches.
War is in full swing, and no one is safe: Harrelson’s Colonel is introduced killing Caesar’s wife and son.
The fallout from Koba - literal and psychological - continues to ripple outward.
Koba haunts this movie, in ways both literal (Caesar is haunted by visions of his slain foe; the apes who follow the Colonel out of a sense of vengeance) and metaphorically.
Koba was such a strong villain, such a perfect complement to Caesar, that this movie struggles to get out of his shadow.
The movie is ultimately lesser because it is so dependent on its predecessor for thematic and dramatic effect.
Not that this is a bad thing:
The Colonel is the embodiment of Koba’s fears of humans.
Aside from David Owyelo’s callous executive in Rise, he is the first real human villain the reboot series has had.
Previous human antagonists were motivated for understandable reasons.
The Colonel is a species-ist (and ableist) fascist who is so extreme that, halfway through the movie, it is revealed he has gone rogue and is about to go to war with his own kind.
A homage to Apocalypse Now’s deranged Kurtz, he is the human equivalent of Koba.
He is ultimately less important as a foe than as a catalyst for our hero. His actions force Caesar to reconsider his entire approach.
In contrast to Koba’s mindless rampage, Caesar’s focus is on protecting his people, while the civil war between the humans plays as background action.
Ironically, this final battle causes an avalanche. This set-piece is Caesar’s final act of violence - wiping the slate and leads to his own death.
The movie becomes a full-on Moses analogue:
Caesar dies as his people finally reach their new home.
His death represents the severing of a chain of escalation that started with a chimp in a lab.
The loop is finally closed.
A solid trilogy closer, War for the Planet of the Apes is not as emotionally resonant as the middle chapter, but it carries the story forward, and leaves the slate clear for whatever comes next…
Related
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
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