5 reasons "War For The Planet Of The Apes" would be epic

Writer: Casey Chong

A scene from "War For The Planet Of The Apes".

The rebooted "Planet Of The Apes" franchise is widely regarded as one of the most successful remakes ever made, with "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes" (2011) and "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes" (2014) both receiving critical acclaim as well as having made a lot of money at the worldwide box office.

Fast forward to 2017, "War For The Planet Of The Apes" is set to conquer the box office this July and we have a feeling that it's going to be a blast you can't afford to miss.

As we are anticipating the impending arrival, here are the 5 reasons why "War For The Planet Of The Apes" could end up as one of the best summer movies of 2017.

Matt Reeves return as the director for the second time in "War For The Planet Of The Apes".

In 2014, Matt Reeves had done a great job upstaging Rupert Wyatt's "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes" with a better-than-expected sequel via "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes". Now, in "War For The Planet Of The Apes", it's nice to see him remaining in charge of the director's seat. What makes Reeves among the best Hollywood directors of today is the way he handles a big-budget blockbuster. He understands the fundamental elements of making a great movie is story and characters that make us care and become emotionally invested. Also, as seen in "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes", Reeves has a knack for blending Hollywood blockbuster tropes with a political and social allegory that reflects today's society: ranging from an anti-gun theme to racial differences (in this case, apes and humans). You can expect Reeves to continue to get topical within the large-scale Hollywood gloss in "War For The Planet Of The Apes".

Caesar's (voiced by Andy Serkis) story is coming to an end in "War For The Planet Of The Apes".

One of the most enduring success factors in the first two "Planet Of The Apes" rebooted series is the vivid portrayal of Caesar both voiced and motion-captured by Andy Serkis. But like most great characters, everything is bound to come full circle. Caesar's tumultuous journey from an intelligent human-like ape who learns the hard ways of human cruelty in "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes", to a more mature being who takes charge of his close-knit ape community in "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes", his story has been remarkably told thus far. Now, with "War For The Planet Of The Apes" coming to an end with Caesar's fate of waging war against humanity in the name of survival, this third instalment is going to be the most emotional showstopper in the trilogy.

Woody Harrelson plays the ruthless Colonel in "War For The Planet Of The Apes".

A sci-fi action blockbuster that carries the significant title of "War For The Planet Of The Apes" would be nothing without a worthy antagonist. Thankfully, it seems that the filmmakers found the right one in the form of Woody Harrelson as the ruthless Colonel who leads his army to eliminate the apes. As seen in the trailers thus far, it's nice to see Harrelson obviously modelling his role from the late Marlon Brando's Colonel Kurtz character in Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" (1979). If he invests in his crazed character well enough, this is going one of the most intense character moments when he pits against the rebellious Caesar and the rest of the apes.

Before and after - How Andy Serkis' performance as Caesar in "War For The Planet Of The Apes" transformed into a lifelike CGI ape, thanks to Weta Digital's incredible motion-capture technology.

Another reason that contributed to the first two successes in this rebooted series is the immersive effects-laden showcase evidently seen in "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes" and "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes". This is, of course, largely attributed to the New Zealand-based visual effects company, Weta Digital. The company's groundbreaking motion-capture technology has helped to make the CGI apes so lifelike yet expressive enough like no other. With special-effects technology constantly evolving from time to time, "War For The Planet Of The Apes" is bound to be another technological marvel best experienced on the big screen.

A scene from "War For The Planet Of The Apes".

Although "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes" and "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes" had their fair share of flaws, both movies are no doubt two great additions to the overall franchise. Now, for the third time in a row, "War For The Planet Of The Apes" is once again heralded as a critic darling. At least judging from the majority of early reviews that have been gathered so far following the US press screening for critics.

"War For The Planet Of The Apes" opens in cinemas nationwide on 13 July 2017.