War for the Planet of the Apes (SPOILERS)

I did not start this war...but I will finish it...

The Planet of the Apes franchise is one of the most beloved Sci-Fi franchises of all time, and recently, a prequel trilogy was formed. This trilogy has brought a lot of the things that were great about the originals and, in some ways, proves superior. The films follow the story of Caesar, who is a compelling protagonist to follow and carried by an amazing performance from Andy Serkis. War for The Planet of the Apes concludes Caesar's story. For the most part, it is a relatively satisfying conclusion. However, that's pretty much all I could say, since I found this to be a step-down from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. It's still a great film, but sadly disappointing considering the critical rave that it received. As per custom, it's time to look at what the movie got right and what it got wrong:

UPS

1. Andy Serkis as Caesar. For all this movie's faults, this may be Serkis' best performance in all three films. Everything that Serkis did great in the first two films is brought to the next level here, from his emotion, to his interactions with the rest of the cast, to bringing the completion of his arc full circle. Though it didn't work out entirely in his favor (more on that later,) Serkis really gave his A-game and I wouldn't be surprised if he managed an Oscar-nomination, which so many people have high hopes that he will. 
2. The rest of the cast, old and new, were great. Maurice continues to excel as Caesar's advisor and best friend; Nova provides some heartwarming scenes that show a relationship we have never seen before; Bad Ape is a real hoot, providing the funniest moments in the movie without ever coming across as a nuisance; Red has just as much of an arc as Caesar, one that provides a redemption that felt earned even though it cost him his life; and the Colonel is a great villain. He may be a step-down from Koba, but Woody Harrelson's performance and his tragic backstory really make him standout. Speaking of Koba...
3. His cameo scenes were great. Not only was it great to see the trilogy's best villain again, but the scenes also delved into the psyche of Caesar, showing his burden of guilt and fearing that he'll become a monster like Koba. All in all, his presence in the movie was welcomed. 
4. The themes of family, revenge, and forgiveness. They really carry throughout the whole movie, mostly through Caesar's interactions with his family, his friends, and his enemies. The scene where he allows the Colonel to kill himself when he succumbs to the Simian Flu shows how far he's grown from the suicidal revenge seeker he was at the beginning of the film. These themes make the film deeper and all the more stronger.
5. The music is just amazing. Listen to it here.  

DOWNS

1. Caesar's death didn't come off as well as it should have. After all that he went through, it just didn't feel right to have him die. In fact, it felt cruel. To make things even worse, the movie makes it seem like he's fine and has him stick it around to the very end, right as his people have finally made it to their newfound sanctuary, and he dies by a single arrow from the soldier he spared. Talk about a nasty kick in the balls. All in all, though the ending ends on a mostly optimistic note considering Caesar's people are finally safe and his son can grow up in a peaceful environment, it seems a little too bleak to have that child go through the hardship of losing his mother, his brother, and his father all at the same time just when it seemed like things were looking up for once. Although Caesar left a profound impact for the time that he was around, I just wish he could stick around to see his son grow. I could only imagine that more could be done with him.

OVERALL

War for the Planets of the Apes was a satisfying conclusion to a spectacular trilogy, but it was not as good as it could have been. I wanted to see more of Caesar even though we did get a complete story out of him throughout these movies. It's a great movie, but not the best. 

Well that's it for this blog, guys. Tune in for more coming soon :)