← Back to Directory
War for the Planet of the Apes
Movie

War for the Planet of the Apes

2017 • Action, Adventure, Drama

Woke Score
5
out of 10

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.

Overall Series Review

The film presents a stark allegorical conflict between the emerging ape civilization and the remnants of humanity. The narrative frames the apes as a righteous, oppressed people fighting for survival and freedom against a tyrannical force. The main human antagonist, Colonel McCullough, is defined by his ruthless nationalism, eugenics, and hyper-masculine drive for control, becoming a symbol of human civilization's worst failings. His actions, including enslavement and mass imprisonment, are heavily coded as reflecting historical oppression. The plot extensively utilizes a power dynamic where the dominant species (humans) is shown to be irredeemably self-destructive, justifying the rise of the new order (apes). Female characters, both ape and human, are largely relegated to non-speaking or supportive roles, serving primarily as catalysts for the male hero's emotional journey or as caretakers for the young. The story's ultimate focus is a moral reckoning for the male protagonist, Caesar, as he battles his inner rage and rediscovers his capacity for mercy, placing the thematic emphasis on universal virtues over political or sexual identity.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics9/10

The core conflict frames the apes as an oppressed group facing systemic subjugation and violence from a dominant power structure. The main villain, Colonel McCullough, a white male leader, is depicted as a eugenicist, fascist-coded figure enforcing forced labor and mass incarceration against the sentient apes. The narrative explicitly relies on a power hierarchy to lecture on themes of oppression and persecution.

Oikophobia8/10

The film's primary message is the fundamental corruption and self-destructive nature of human civilization, which validates its ultimate demise and replacement by the ape society. The human villain's cruelty and eugenic practices represent the total moral failure of mankind. The narrative shows that the main 'war' is humanity destroying itself, reinforcing the idea that the civilization is rotten from the inside.

Feminism2/10

The story features minimal female roles, with the death of the protagonist's wife serving as a device to fuel the male hero's revenge quest. The surviving female ape characters primarily fulfill nurturing and caretaking roles for the young. The gender dynamic adheres to traditionally masculine themes of war and leadership, eschewing the use of 'Girl Boss' or 'Mary Sue' tropes.

LGBTQ+1/10

The narrative contains no identifiable elements, themes, or characters related to alternative sexualities or gender ideology. The familial focus centers on a traditional male-female pairing and a paternal structure of protection.

Anti-Theism3/10

The main moral struggle of the protagonist involves finding mercy and compassion in the face of brutal vengeance, following an arc likened to a Moses-like figure. The primary antagonist's evil is rooted in a secular, hyper-rationalistic ideology of self-preservation and eugenics, not a critique or villainization of traditional religion.