Twentieth Century Fox began their resurgence as a respectable studio with one of the best films of 2011, the Rupert Wyatt-directed Rise of the Planet of the Apes. While other studios were remaking everything in their library, Fox decided to make a lateral move by launching a new trilogy that would eventually bridge directly into Planet of the Apes (1968).
Rise of the Planet of the Apes followed Will Rodman (James Franco), a scientist in San Francisco experimenting with a drug that he hopes will cure his father’s (John Lithgow) Alzheimer’s disease. After his work is deemed a failure, Will becomes the guardian of Caesar (Andy Serkis), an infant chimp who was exposed in-utero to Will’s drug. Caesar displays unusual intelligence, and Will decides to continue his experiments secretly. But as Caesar’s intellect and abilities grow, he comes to represent a threat to man’s dominion over Earth.
This leads into Matt Reeves’ Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), which takes place ten years after simian flu wiped out much of the world’s homosapiens, genetically enhanced chimpanzee Caesar and his ever-growing band of followers have established a thriving colony just outside San Francisco in Muir Woods. Meanwhile, a small band of human survivors emerges, which forces Caesar — as leader — to grapple with the dual challenge of protecting his people and re-establishing a relationship with the remaining human population — the latter being Caesar’s secret wish.
Now, with the final battle looming in War for the Planet of the Apes, in theaters July 14th, Fox has released a refresher video that recaps the first two films and staged the epic conclusion that’s being touted as one of the best films of the year.
“In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, 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.”