Director: Matt Reeves

Starring: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Karin Konoval

Runtime: 140 minutes

6/10

War for the Planet of the Apes is the third and final film in the trilogy that has been thrilling, innovative and technically brilliant since 2011.

The success of the franchise just shows that good storytelling is always the key to good movies and the Apes films have proved this.

This final entry carries the story to it’s inevitable conclusion, and it’s quite the journey.

The quest for Caesar to confront The Colonel, avenge his family and free his people is dark and brutal and, at times, harrowing to watch.

The first act seems so inspired by epic Vietnam movies of the 80’s and 90’s, that underground tunnel graffiti “Ape-Pocalypse Now” is shown to us, just in case we missed the references.

The second act is much slower, and strewn with Biblical images and symbolism that will no doubt be the cause of speculation for many reviewers over the next few weeks, it’s so overt though, i’ll let you do your own research into it.

The film’s conclusion is satisfying enough and should keep the fans happy. but it’s such a bleak and desperate journey that by the time I got there I was glad it was all over.

For the politically minded among you, it’s hard not to raise an eyebrow over The Colonel’s wall building exploits and a defaced American flag, burning during the films climax may also leave our film fans across the pond with an ironic after taste.

The effects, as ever, were quite astonishing and as always stole the show, after a while you do tend to forget the monkey’s are computer generated.

Of course Andy Serkis as main ape Caesar is outstanding and Woody Harrelson is chilling as bad human The Colonel.

Fans of the series should get a lot out of this , I just wish there had been a little more light relief in there, those poor monkey’s locked in work camps under terrible conditions will probably turn many a younger viewer into animal rights activists the minute the credits roll.