“War for the Planet of the Apes” is the latest chapter in the epic reimagining of the Planet of the Apes series. The world of the apes is brought to life through the most vivid motion-capture animation ever created. The primates are so realistic that it gets pretty creepy at times. The film does an amazing job of blurring the line between what is real and what was added through digital effects, creating a completely cohesive atmosphere that we believe is 100% real. The film is unquestionably one of the top two contenders for the Best Visual Effects Oscar this year. The real question is whether the Academy will favor its incredibly realistic computer generated characters or “Blade Runner 2049’s” vividly bleak dystopian setting. Unlike most of the critics, I didn’t love the story as much as the first prequel from 2011. I’m a sucker for origin stories and felt that there wasn’t enough interaction with characters that can talk to keep the story moving along. I appreciate that Caesar is set apart by his ability to speak but it takes way too long to move the plot along. The most standout piece of this puzzle is Andy Serkis’ performance as Caesar and I hope that he will someday be acknowledged by the Academy for his incredible embodiment of characters through motion capture. I feel that he could justifiably be a contender for Best Actor, but we will likely have to wait for an honorary award. Woody Harrelson makes a perfect nemesis and continues to be on a roll of impressive roles. “War for the Planet of the Apes” is a fitting conclusion to this chapter in the series, delivering a poignant ending and an open-ended option to expand the universe to future films. I am still amazed at its ability to make us love a creepily realistic ape more than the humans that he encounters.
[Pictured; Andy Serkis' facial expressions are reason enough to watch this film series]
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