Anyone who knows about evolution is likely already squinting at the 3978 date put forth by the first “Apes” movie, but the idea that apes evolved into speaking, clothes-wearing hominids by, say, 2020 is simply absurd. At least in the 2011 continuity of “Apes” films, there was an evolutionary catalyst in the form of an intelligence-enhancing gas. There are no such gases in “Battle for the Planet of the Apes.” We’re simply meant to accept that Apes will become talking apes within a few decades.
In addition to the wild evilutionary conceits, “Battle” is incredibly cheap. It had the lowest budget of an “Apes” film yet — only $1.7 million — and it looked like it. The bulk of the film takes place in grassy outdoor areas, giving audiences the impression that it was shot, guerilla-style, in a public park. The messaging is also ridiculous. Caesar realizes, through a labyrinthine set of circumstances, that apes are just as violent and mean as their human counterparts. He declares that humans and apes should be equals and that war should hereby come to an end. He also, however, agrees to keep weapons in a storeroom just in case. One might think that if Caesar were truly devoted to pacifism, he’d destroy all the weapons and allow humans to evolve alongside the apes.
But we already know that humans will become subservient animals. Indeed, seeing humans serving apes in the 1968 original was that film’s nightmarish appeal. It was a “through the looking glass” drama that transposed apes and humans. “Battle” undoes all that.
It’s no wonder “Battle” has a low Rotten Tomatoes score. It’s not very good.