I loved Rise and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. War caps what I consider one of the best film trilogies ever made.

It’s two years after the events of Dawn and Caesar, along with his remaining people are holed up in the woods. Caught in a never-ending tide of battle, the human’s keep coming in and attacking. After winning a fight (if you can call it that) Caesar sends four prisoners of war back to their leader, The Colonel, with a message: leave us alone and no one has to die. The apes are exhausted and scared, they just want to live on their own in peace. This faction of humans has a different idea.

Caesar has been deeply traumatized by the events of Dawn. The battle with his brother, Koba, took a massive toll on his mind. Koba could not let his hatred go and the results were devastating. When the Colonel sneaks into the apes home and kills Caesar’s wife and eldest son, he finds himself fighting the same demons that consumed Koba. Caesar swears revenge and puts his life, along with the lives of his people, right in the path of all out war.

Complex, engaging, emotional, and riveting. All of it can be found in War for the Planet of the Apes. Brilliant, mature storytelling bolstered by cutting-edge visual effects make this series one of my absolute favorites.

The growth of Caesar as a character through each film is a fantastic journey to follow. From an ape to a leader, one who leads by positive example for the betterment of his people, is really inspiring. The VFX are second to none, from frame one I never saw the apes (who are in 98% of the screentime) as anything but sentient beings on camera. Just look at the eyes of these amazing creations shows a production team far ahead of many of their peers.

Caesar is just the tip of the fantastic characters as everyone around him is a fantastic and believable character. I love Maurice. He’s the right-hand man, confidant, advisor, and friend that everyone should have. The Colonel is far more than a trite villain, he has valid reasons for doing what he does. Everything he does is horrible making him a fantastic antagonist to root against. His backstory adds so much to make him more than a cardboard cut out with a gun, something many movies get nowhere close to.

I found War to be a harrowing story from start to finish. I rolled through every emotion possible and by the end, I was completely blown away. I think this series that started in 2011 hasn’t gotten its fair share of attention. More people need to watch this and you absolutely need to start with Rise to get the full experience. While War (and the other two films) can stand as their own confined stories, you’ll be missing out on a lot of the meaning and purpose of this story. Please check these movies out, I really think they are some of the best works Hollywood has put out in the past twenty years.

I’ve become a huge fan of Matt Reeves because of this (directed War and Dawn, as well as co-wrote War) and knowing that he’s working on the next Batman film has me completely stoked.