War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
90%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
28 wins & 66 nominations total
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.
War for the Planet of the Apes” is a movie about apes who are smarter than most humans and ride horses like they’re in a medieval battle. It’s like “Game of Thrones” but with apes instead of dragons. The special effects are so good that you’ll forget you’re watching CGI and start to believe that these apes are real. The story is deep and emotional, and you’ll find yourself rooting for the apes even though they’re technically the “bad guys.” It’s a must-watch for anyone who loves action, drama, and apes who are smarter than them.
Production Company(ies)
R. P. Productions, Heritage Films, Studio Babelsberg
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, thematic elements, and some disturbing images
Year of Release
2017
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Atmos Dolby Digital Auro 11.1 IMAX 6-Track Dolby Surround 7.1
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 22m
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Language(s):English, American, Sign, L
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 14, 2017 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 24, 2017
Genre(s)
Action/Adventure
Keyword(s)
starring Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Karin Konoval, Terry Notary, Amiah Miller, directed by Matt Reeves, written by Matt Reeves, Mark Bomback, action, adventure, PG-13, box office, budget, reviewed by Jordan Hoffman, Tara Brady, K Austin Collins, Jason Bailey, Paul Byrnes, Jonathan Romney, Brian Eggert, Don Shanahan, Drew Dietsch, produced by Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, 20th Century Fox, Dolby Atmos, Scope (2.35:1), Planet of the Apes, Caesar, The Colonel, Bad Ape, Maurice, Rocket, Nova
Worldwide gross: $490,719,763
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $591,923,880
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 228
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 64,550,041
US/Canada gross: $146,880,162
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $177,172,150
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 421
US/Canada opening weekend: $56,262,929
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $67,866,375
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 140
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $150,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $180,935,411
Production budget ranking: 146
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $97,433,719
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $313,554,750
ROI to date (est.): 113%
ROI ranking: 890
Woody Harrelson – The Colonel
Steve Zahn – Bad Ape
Karin Konoval – Maurice
Terry Notary – Rocket
Amiah Miller – Nova
Matt Reeves – Director
Peter Chernin – Producer
Dylan Clark – Producer
Rick Jaffa – Producer
Amanda Silver – Producer, Writer
Mark Bomback – Writer
Director(s)
Matt Reeves
Writer(s)
Matt Reeves, Mark Bomback
Producer(s)
Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
28 wins & 66 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (363) | Top Critics (78) | Fresh (340) | Rotten (23)
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.
September 26, 2017
Jordan Hoffman
Times of Israel
TOP CRITIC
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
August 11, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
Tara Brady
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
War for the Planet of the Apes is a basic allegory that flirts, dangerously, with becoming an outright social issue drama.
August 9, 2017
K. Austin Collins
The Ringer
TOP CRITIC
Matt Reeves’s ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ is a rare work, in which the power of the ideas matches the skill of the craft.
August 6, 2017
Jason Bailey
Flavorwire
TOP CRITIC
Reeves tells a big story that’s satisfying in many ways.
July 28, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
When digital cinema captures texture as sensuously and as precisely as this, a film can be a treat not just for blockbuster adepts but for the most rarefied aesthetes too.
July 28, 2017
Jonathan Romney
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
War for the Planet of the Apes squanders its actors, FX, and formal presentation on a story that feels lazily compiled from other material, marking a bitter end for Caesar and this otherwise admirable trilogy.
March 23, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
“War for the Planet of Apes” is a full-bodied epic of glory and pain that matches and then exceeds the moving importance and heart this rebooted franchise has established in two previous knockout films.
March 8, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
Don Shanahan
Every Movie Has a Lesson
The best entry in the rebooted series and might be the best film in the entire saga. It’s a genuinely risky and powerfully adult tale told with the biggest canvas possible.
December 29, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Drew Dietsch
FANDOM
War for the Planet of the Apes follows Spider-Man: Homecoming as an example of how to allow a franchise to continue to expand and breathe rather than trying to keep it mired in by-the-numbers numbness.
August 16, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
‘War’ narrows a global conflict into a personal drama of blood revenge and blind belief that continually ratchets up the tension until one gigantic and cathartic release spills forth onto the screen.
May 3, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Michael J. Casey
Michael J. Cinema
By referencing the Vietnam War and modern-day conflicts, this franchise-boosting epic apes a number of classic movies.
April 30, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Dan Brightmore
NME…
Plot
Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. 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 their species and the future of the planet.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Andy Serkis as Caesar, a character who is a gorilla with advanced intelligence and the ability to speak.
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