War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
Caesar leads his tribe in a desperate struggle for survival against a human military force in a post-apocalyptic world.
The story
In 2028, two years after the Battle of San Francisco, an American battalion known as "Alpha-Omega" aided by apes derogatorily called "donkeys", searches for Caesar's ape colony. A platoon assaults an ape outpost, but the apes repel the attack and kill all but four humans and a donkey gorilla named Red. Caesar releases the human captives as a peacekeeping gesture, but Red escapes after attacking Winter, an albino gorilla in Caesar's tribe. Caesar's young son Blue Eyes and Rocket return from a scouting expedition to report they have found an oasis that could serve as a safer home. That night, the Colonel of Alpha-Omega leads a team to raid the colony.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2028, the Alpha-Omega battalion searches for Caesar's colony. After a skirmish where the apes repel a human assault, Caesar's tribe seeks a new home at a discovered oasis. During the journey, Caesar's group encounters various allies and enemies, including the mute girl Nova and the rogue ape Bad Ape. They eventually reach a mountain facility where the Colonel's forces are stationed. The Colonel reveals that the Simian Flu has mutated, causing humans to devolve into animals. Caesar is captured and tortured by the Colonel, while Nova secretly feeds him. During a massive military assault on the facility, Caesar infiltrates the Colonel's quarters. He finds the Colonel has been infected by the virus and allows him to die by his own hand. Caesar then triggers an explosion that causes an avalanche, burying both armies. The surviving apes and Nova reach the oasis, where Caesar peacefully passes away, leaving his legacy for his son Cornelius.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 140
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Matt Reeves
- Writers
- Mark Bomback · writer; Matt Reeves · writer
- Cast and characters
- Andy Serkis · Caesar; Woody Harrelson · Colonel J. Wesley McCullough; Steve Zahn · Bad Ape; Karin Konoval · Maurice; Judy Greer · Cornelia; Terry Notary · Rocket; Michael Adamthwaite · Luca; Amiah Miller · Nova
- Genres
- science fiction; action
- Themes
- war; survival; leadership; sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- grimmest; serious
- Setting
- A post-apocalyptic world in 2028, specifically in the mountains and a desert-like oasis.
- Premise and plot tags
- post-apocalyptic; war; survival
- Franchise connections
- Planet of the Apes
- Reception
- A critical and commercial success, the film received high praise for its performances, direction, and visual effects.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 82 · scale: 100 · review count: 50
- Awards and nominations
- Best Visual Effects · Academy Awards · 90th · nomination; Best Special Visual Effects · British Academy Film Awards · 71st · nomination
- Production trivia
- The apes are nicknamed 'donkeys' as a reference to Donkey Kong and their role as pack mules.; The film was influenced by several war and biblical epics.; The film was originally titled War of the Planet of the Apes.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…