When it comes to film series, the third film is often the hardest to create. Sequels build upon the first film and can focus more on fun.
In contrast, “threequels” have to provide a satisfying conclusion to an expansive trilogy. Sometimes they work, as with “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
Other times they don’t, as in “The Godfather: Part III.” However, this summer saw the release of one of the best "threequels" in years. It was “War for the Planet of the Apes.”
The movie managed the trick of being an entertaining experience on its own while also providing a good ending to the trilogy as a whole. The new “Planet of the Apes” films tell the story of a hyper-intelligent chimpanzee named Caesar. In “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” Caesar leads a group of apes to freedom.
In the sequel, he vainly tries to stop a war between humans and apes. The aptly named “War for the Planet of the Apes” depicts the later stages of this struggle. Caesar tries to make peace, but after a tragedy, he sets out to kill a mysterious colonel.
This movie reminded me, strangely, a lot of “Toy Story 3.” Both films are the third in their series and have an extended prison-break sequence. They also escalate the best qualities of the first two films.
In the case of “War for the Planet of the Apes,” this partially means the action sequences are bigger and more exciting. More importantly, the ape-driven character drama feels richer.
Director Matt Reeves and co-writer Mark Bomback worked on all fronts to make this happen. Technological advances have ensured that “War for the Planet of the Apes” has the most detailed and realistic looking computer-generated apes. But their conflicts are better because their growth as characters is consistent with the other two films.
A clear example of this is the story arc of an orangutan named Maurice. He was a valuable friend to Caesar in the first installment of the franchise. In the sequel, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” he had sympathy for humans and was shown to be good with children.
Both of these plot elements coalesce in Maurice’s story in this film. He convinces his fellow apes to let him take care of a mute little human girl named Nova. His scenes with her are some of the most touching in the franchise.
This attention to detail when it comes to character growth extends to Andy Serkis’ much-praised performance as Caesar. For two films, he conveyed his growth and maturation with barely any dialogue. He speaks more in this film, but it is his gestures and expressions that establish Caesar as a memorable character.
“War for the Planet of the Apes” is a fantastic conclusion to the saga. The larger scale and continually fascinating character evolution make it even more memorable than the first two movies. It is easily the best "threequel" of the summer.
jpastern@umail.iu.edu @jessepasternack
