War For The Planet Of The Apes Review: 10 Ups & 1 Down

Some six years after the Planet of the Apes franchise was rebooted with 2011's unexpectedly great Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the Andy Serkis-led trilogy is brought to a close with one of the best blockbusters in recent memory, War for the Planet of the Apes.

Critics are tripping over themselves to praise just about every aspect of the movie, and rightly so, because when this new series began six years ago, could anyone have expected it to reach such inscrutable heights?

Though its thoroughly bleak tone may not be to all tastes, it's hard to argue with the film's stunning technical showcase or Serkis' once again jaw-dropping work in the lead role. Movie lovers have finally been gifted another of those rare beasts: a second sequel that really, really works...

Downs...

1. It Needlessly Leaves The Door Open For More Movies

No spoilers here on how the story ends or what becomes of Caesar, but know that there is a pronounced feeling of satisfaction coming away from the film's conclusion, that a trilogy has been duly rounded out.

But of course, nothing is ever truly closed off for good when it comes to $150 million blockbusters, and it's easy to see the direction in which Fox could nudge any potential sequels.

With this movie's expected box office dynamite, Fox likely won't be leaving the series alone anytime soon, even if these three films are themselves one of the biggest tentpole successes of the last decade, and should probably be left as such.

No, a needless follow-up can't really take anything away from the brilliance of this trilogy, but wouldn't a little restraint in Hollywood be nice for once?

Thankfully that's it for criticisms, and it's scarcely one at that. This is a stupendous movie, and here's everything that makes it a masterpiece...