A rare breed of blockbuster

‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ is emotionally resonant story with thrilling heroics and a technological marvel

‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ (photo credit: PR)
‘War for the Planet of the Apes’
(photo credit: PR)
The recent “Planet of the Apes” series feels like a miracle. Starting with “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” in 2011, followed by “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” in 2014, and with this summer’s “War for the Planet of the Apes,” the blockbuster franchise has prioritized story, character and emotion without ever sacrificing spectacle. They are technological marvels, featuring stunning achievements in motioncapture performance. With emotionally resonant stories, thrilling heroics, and trenchant cultural observations, the “Apes” franchise is a rare breed of blockbuster, where filmmakers have been given the freedom to tell the stories they want, the way they want.
Director/co-writer Matt Reeves and writer Mark Bomback have reunited on “War for the Planet of the Apes” after collaborating on “Dawn,” and they’ve created a summer blockbuster that finds its power in restraint. The bombast here is emotional, not digital. As a war movie, it’s like smaller, more character-driven films, such as the 1956 Robert Bresson film “A Man Escaped,” or the 1938 Jean Renoir film “La Grande Illusion.” These are films that take place in the midst of a seemingly never-ending war, focusing on the individuals within war _ the relationships forged and lives lost, the trauma and torture.
Here, he’s pitted against The Colonel, played by Woody Harrelson, and if Caesar is in “A Man Escaped,” Harrelson is planted firmly in “Apocalypse Now,” down to the black face paint and ‘70s rock (the film even has some fun with the reference, with “Ape-pocalypse Now” graffiti’d on tunnel walls). He’s a Colonel Kurtz type, a man who has spent too long in battle, the violence, paranoia and grief rotting his brain.
Bomback understands the power of efficiency in screenwriting. With ape characters who only have rudimentary speech, it doesn’t need to be a wordy screenplay. He works with character archetypes _ the hero, the madman, the righthand, the slave, the soldier, the innocent _ but renders them all into rich characters in their own right, with individual histories, losses and triumphs.
In “War for the Planet of the Apes,” Reeves lets the film breathe, finding the time for moments to settle, characters to build, and proves the power to be found in the quiet. Michael Giacchino’s extraordinary score fills the space, keening sorrowfully, rumbling, soaring, beating. His excellent work stands out, but everything in “War for the Planet of the Apes,” from the performances, technology, and most importantly, characters and story, is of the highest standard. It’s a remarkable achievement, and nothing short of a miracle.