The three year was well worth it.
Saw this last night and, as a fanboy from the 70s and a fan of the new legacy, War more than met my expectations.
From the opening rejig of the Fox fanfare into something more akin to the Apes music score, to the imaginative onscreen recap of the previous two movies, you could tell that a lot of thought and prep had gone into how this story was going to be told.
We had to compromise to see the movie early - for some reason theaters were only showing it in 3D until today, but in fact the 3D conversion worked a lot better than I expected it to, and didn't detract in any way from the quality of the camerawork or the storytelling.
If you've enjoyed the previous two movies, this one takes it to a new level, and if you're a fan of the 70s series you'll enjoy more of the little nods towards those movies, in the same way that they were present in the previous movies without being too self-referencing.
There are some genuine surprises too - as with the previous trailers, you think you know what you're about to see, and by the end of the film you realise that you've seen something bigger and better.
I saw a review earlier comparing it to the Dark Knight Trilogy in terms of development and scope, but suggesting that the Apes trilogy is even more satisfying. I'd agree.
I'm still mulling over what I saw last night, and am gearing up to see it a second time tomorrow.
So, if you're planning on seeing it, go now - before some loon takes it upon himself to reveal the surprises online.
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