The early reactions toWar for the Planet of the Apesare in, and the common refrain seems to be “hold on to your butts.” When 20th Century Fox rebooted thePlanet of the Apesfranchise in 2011 withRise of the Planet of the Apes, starringJames Franco, audiences were understandably dubious. But directorRupert Wyatt’s take on the material was pleasantly surprising, with stunning visual effects work and a tremendous motion-capture performance byAndy Serkis. The sequel,Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, doubled down on what worked from the first movie and layered in a hefty dose of social relevance thanks to directorMatt Reeves’ decision to tackle issues of weaponization.
Reeves returned to helmWar for the Planet of the Apes, which picks up a few years after the events ofDawnand finds the war between apes and humans in its final stages. Serkis’ Caesar now leads his apes on a Moses-like expedition on a path towards revenge againstWoody Harrelson’s Colonel, and just as withDawn of the Planet of the Apes,Warsounds like it’s going to be an incredibly intense affair.
There’s an added level of anticipation here given that Reeves is also now attached to directThe BatmanstarringBen Affleckonce his duties onWar for the Planet of the Apesare complete. The first screenings ofWartook place last night, and those who caught the screening took to Twitter to heap praise—and warnings offeelings—on the film.
Check some of the reactions below and check back on Collider for our full review on June 26th.War for the Planet of the Apesopens in theaters on July 14th.
Here’s the official synopsis forWar for the Planet of the Apes:
In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.
For more of our coverage onWar for the Planet of the Apesbe sure to take a look at some of our recent write-ups provided at the following links:
