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****
Dir: Matt Reeves (12A, 120 mins)
The apes return after their Rise and Dawn with a full-on war against humankind which may bring us full circle to Charlton Heston’s original 1969 film, as the apes threaten to overrun the planet. Following the rather good Dawn, Andy Serkis’ mo-capped Caesar defeated a challenge to his leadership, now he faces down Woody Harrelson’s vengeful Colonel who intends to wipe his intelligent ape kin off the face of the Earth. After enduring heavy losses with his simian brethren, Caesar has a moral quandary to face, does he become as murderous as his human aggressors or find the middle ground. Caesar takes a human girl under his wing, much to the surprise of his followers whilst the humans slaughter at will. As with the preceding movies and the original take on Pierre Boulle’s novel, this has plenty to say about the nature of humanity, whilst also delivering on epic battles. Larger in scale than its predecessors, this still manages to balance CGI with story in a satisfying way and with returning director Matt Reeves at the helm, the storytelling is assured. Classy monkey business.
Opens July 12