“”If there’s one predominant narrative that’s surrounded the latest collective of Planet of the Apes movies, it’s that 0f the technologically miraculous transformation of Andy Serkis into a living, breathing, and–eventually–talking ape. Not only has the meticulous aesthetic of the Planet of the Apes trilogy’s simian star Caesar been lauded, but the seamless translation of Serkis’ emotive performance into Caesar’s facial and body language. So effective has Serkis’ performance been in these movies that, as some fans may recall, there was even talk of an Oscar push for the mo-cap actor in accordance with his role in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the first entry in the standing trilogy. No love for Serkis and Caesar was lost come time for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, nor should there be in the immensely promising War for the Planet of the Apes, which shows off Serkis’ transformation in this new featurette.
In addition to showing off just how much of Serkis’ humanity is programmed into Caesar, the video gives us a good look at some of the other characters–human and ape alike, including fan favorite orangutan Maurice, as played by Karin Konoval, and self-ascribed leader-of-men “Colonel,” as played by Woody Harrelson–as well as the terrains they’ll traverse and the hardships they’ll face in what we can expect to be the most intense of this league of Planet of the Apes films.
Though it’s quite unlikely that, even six years after the inception of the conversation, the Academy is anywhere near “ready” to nominate a mo-cap performance for an Oscar, we in the public can get ready to marvel once more with the tremendous work that Serkis does with his dynamic character. Let us know what you think of the video!
Featured Image: 20th Century Fox
