Then 2001 saw Tim Burton release his own version of the original events. It ended up being quite a box office flop and probably Burton's biggest miss of his career.
It was not until ten years later that we saw us going back to the world run by monkeys. But unlike Burton's version, it was going to be a prequel trilogy before the events of Planet Of The Apes. 2011 saw Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes be quite successful with myself, fans and critics.
Three years later saw Cloverfield director Matt Reeves take the helm with Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes. This second installment was the one that had everyone taking this trilogy seriously, and it was becoming one of the best trilogies of recent times.
The hype for the final part was pretty big, as that is thanks to how great Dawn was. I was also interested to see how much they were going to link with 1960's classic.
I did not think I would be so moved by this by the end of it. It starts with potential of showing grand scope of where we are heading. Then as the film moves along, you can see everything coming to a head. Then the final act is a great mix of tense action and emotional character drama. By the end of it, I got close to being tearful, which really surprised me.
Like Dawn, the majority of the screen-time is given to the apes. I also loved the lack of exposition. The film hardly ever needs to stop to explain what is going on. It just gets busy telling a story.
The performances are great. Andy Serkis delivers once again with such a strong leading performance. He seriously deserves some recognition in the major awards next year. Even an Honoary Oscar would do for his achievements in motion-capture work. From Gollum, to King Kong and now Caesar. The amount of work he has given to this technology is unprecedented. He realistically won't get one. But something needs to happen for him to get something.
Woody Harrelson was so badass in this. His entrance is haunting and terrifying, and his overall involvement was highly memorable.
The introduction of Steve Zahn's character could have been a disaster. However, he added something different and refreshing to the tone of the film. It did not quite work all the time. But on the whole, it was a nice change.
Other performances I have to praise Karin Konoval, Amiah Miller, Terry Notary and Ty Olsson.
The visual effects are phenomenal. The design of the apes are flawless. The team that pulled this off most certainly should get an Oscar nomination at the very least.
The editing is on point, and Michael Giacchino's is so strong and influential throughout this film. These two aspects play a vital in many scenes when it involves the apes doing their sign language. It keeps the pace of the film going, and just adds to the overall enjoyment.
One thing I was interested in seeing, is how they would link this to the events that we have already seen. I had great fun spotting all the clues and hints that link to the characters and events of the original. What I liked the most was the execution of them. It never felt shoe-horned or a wink to the crowd. It was more like a tip of the hat to the one that has inspired many sequels, prequels and re-boots.
The only negative that I wanted to mention is the duration. It does get slow just before the final act, and cutting it to about 2 hours might have been better.
But huge credit has to go to director Matt Reeves and his team. While each film has been released as a major tent-pole summer blockbuster. The structure of it is unconventional to most summer films of recent years. It was like watching those summer films of yesteryear that gave us a highly entertaining, well though-out and strongly written story, whilst also having some gripping action.
I am so glad that like many big films, I avoided any trailers. I knew nothing about where they were going with this, and doing this had added my enjoyment to so many films.
I really liked this. I never thought I would be so moved once it ended.
It goes down routes that I was not expecting in the film that has 'War' in the title. While their is action, there is great emotional drama and character studies.
It is not often that the third part of a trilogy is as strong as its predecessors. Thankfully, this was the culmination that we have wanted, and it is safe to say that this is one of the best trilogies I have seen for some time. I say that because most franchises go far beyond a trilogy now. But even against other trilogies, this is definitely up there.
This trilogy is like what all great three-parters need to be. For each installment to not only feel like a standalone, but also be part of a bigger story.
I look forward to seeing these three in one viewing.
Rating: 8/10
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