War for the Planet of the Apes

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War for the Planet of the Apes

PG-13

Released Jul 14, 2017

2h 22m

Sci-Fi

Action

Adventure

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Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

363 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). 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 of their species and the future of the planet.

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Critics Consensus

War for the Planet of the Apes combines breathtaking special effects and a powerful, poignant narrative to conclude this rebooted trilogy on a powerful -- and truly blockbuster -- note.

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Jordan Hoffman

Times of Israel

These are movies about gorillas who ride horses that feel, at first blush, like kiddie fare. And yet, once you take the step to suspend your disbelief, this is one of the sharpest franchises about the human condition.

Sep 26, 2017

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

These are characters. They are also animals, and when they are slain, there's a ghastly novelty to it, one that has long ago worn off the spectacle of dying humans

Rated: 4/5

Aug 11, 2017

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K. Austin Collins

The Ringer

War for the Planet of the Apes is a basic allegory that flirts, dangerously, with becoming an outright social issue drama.

Aug 9, 2017

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Brendan Cassidy

InSession Film

Matt Reeves’ epic conclusion to the “Caesar trilogy” may not be the “best” blockbuster of the year, but it may be the most thematically daring.

Jul 2, 2024

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Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

A great finale to the journey of Caesar, setting up what’s been a pretty flawless series of movies...

May 12, 2024

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Brian T. Carney

Washington Blade

A visually inventive and thought-provoking continuation of the latest franchise reboot...

Dec 15, 2022

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Brayden G

Decent movie to end Caesar’s life but Dawn of the planet of the apes is my favorite of the modern movies

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/25

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Theodor U

The artistic and technical fidelity in this film is astonishing and a monument to the blood sweat and tears that went into its production. The acting is also superb and only aided by the special effects team. Never has emotion so convincinly been expressed than in the faces of these apes. The story is a powerful yet flawed retelling of the Christian myth, where self sacrfice, revenge and retribution is in center frame. The post apocalyptic take alters the stakes somewhat, granting more humanity to the antagonists of the story than say Lord of the Rings does. This more grounded setting becomes problematic however, as the viewer has to suspend disbelief quite a lot to gain purchase on the story's authenticity. Since there is no actual dark lord and no actual magic or evil power, the story beats that mimic that of The Return of the King become almost laughable, which seriously hurt the movie. In summary, the movie is a technical and artistic marvel but is not the strongest telling of the Christian myrh, but still worth a watch!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/25

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Daniel H

The best out of the trilogy, very fun, a great end to franchise.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/25

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Magnus A

Excellent film. Brilliant special effects. Caesar is now a fully developed character, we see his inner life, brilliant job by Andy Serkis. Same with the main baddie, Woody Harrelson is excellent, menacing, reasonable, insane. Bad Ape is a tour de force. I suppose this is about the otherness of the other or something like that. Refusing to recognise equals. Fear of alien people. Brilliantly constructed, some very nice cinematography, compelling story and all that. An expensive movie, not as lucrative as the previous two in the series - by some margin the best of the Apes films in the set.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/25

Full Review

Daniel N

All 3 of the movies in this trilogy are amazing. Great direction, great writing, great casting and they all have the same feel about them. You can clearly tell they were made with love by someone who is passionate about what they do. They do a great job of telling the story of the apes rise and the humans demise. Still awesome to watch in 2025. Highly recommend.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/31/25

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Audience Member

Cinematic masterpiece in my opinion, beautifully crafted. It is clear many many people worked very hard to make this movie. The story is incredible and moving. I could say much more but it would only waste your time, just go watch this movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/09/25

Full Review

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Matt Reeves

Director

Andy Serkis

Caesar

Woody Harrelson

The Colonel

Steve Zahn

Bad Ape

Karin Konoval

Maurice

Terry Notary

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War for the Planet of the Apes Trivia With Fans: Exclusive Interview

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War for the Planet of the Apes: Trailer 4

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War for the Planet of the Apes: 'Meeting Bad Ape' Trailer

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War for the Planet of the Apes: 'Meeting Nova' Trailer

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War for the Planet of the Apes: 'Compassion' Trailer

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War for the Planet of the Apes: Trailer 3

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War for the Planet of the Apes: Trailer 2

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War for the Planet of the Apes: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). 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 of their species and the future of the planet.

Director: Matt Reeves
Producer: Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Screenwriter: Matt Reeves, Mark Bomback
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox, Bluegrass Films, Chernin Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Sequences of Sci-Fi Violence|Action|Some Disturbing Images|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 14, 2017, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $146.8M
Runtime: 2h 22m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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