It’s back! The latest installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot series is about to be released in local cinemas in just a few weeks. Following the success of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014, 2017 will be the year for the War for the Planet of the Apes. Here we can see two legendary leaders — Caesar (performed in motion capture by Andy Serkis) and the Colonel (Woody Harrelson) — face each other off to protect their own species from extinction.

Reaching fever-pitch in anticipation, as reflected in global websites such as Rotten Tomatoes (surprisingly!), the movie has so far scored a 98% high in the want-to-see meter and has been marked a 96% on the critics’ corner. Reviews state that the movie combines breathtaking special effects and a powerful, poignant narrative that concludes the trilogy.  Meanwhile, local site Click The City , shows that the film has a full 5-star Users’ Rating on the portal.

The third and final chapter in the trilogy pushes the blockbuster series into new realms of legend-building as it explores the values that forge a civilization.  It all comes to life, driven by the most complex and intense performance of the majestic Caesar, and groundbreaking visual effects from Weta Digital.  Also returning to the series is Karin Konoval as Caesar’s trusted advisor named Maurice, Terry Notary as Caesar’s right-hand man Rocket, as well as Judy Greer as Caesar’s wife Cornelia, and Toby Kebbell as Koba.

Watch the fourth official trailer here:

Unforgettable new characters include two-time Oscar® nominee Woody Harrelson as the Colonel, the brash human soldier who believes only an apocalyptic war can salvage the last vestiges of humankind; Steve Zahn as Bad Ape, a lonely chimp who brings heart and humor to the apes in their darkest hour; Amiah Miller as Nova, the human child who becomes an unexpected link between the apes and humanity; Aleks Paunovic as Winter, the stunning but anxious white gorilla; Michael Adamthwaite as Caesar’s gorilla lieutenant, Luca, who forges a bond with Nova; and Ty Olsson as Rex, a turncoat gorilla who works for the Colonel as his “donkey.”

Featuring more apes than ever (including a dozen key characters) as the tide turns against homo sapiens, the film also brings action into the rugged, frozen mountains and a world of snow for the very first time– all captured in spectacular 65mm under the masterful eye of cinematographer Michael Seresin.

For director Matt Reeves, who returns to the franchise to take the next step after Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the large-scale ambition of the third film was clear:  To follow the increasingly upright and capable – but also haunted and questioning — apes not only into the spectacle of total warfare but into stirring psychological territory as Caesar fights to hold onto his own most humane instincts.

More than ever, Reeves realized, the trajectory of Caesar’s group mirrors the archetypal myths of humanity:  “As this story starts, there is no more peace with humans, which thrusts Caesar into a deeply emotional, universal kind of conflict. Caesar has always been unique in that he is part ape, part human, yet neither one fully.  The hope has been that he might be able to bridge the two societies, but now it is clear that this will not come to pass.  What’s so exciting is that in exploring Caesar’s internal dilemmas at this profound moment it becomes a chance to look at a battle we all know:  the war between our intelligence, our empathy and our instinctiveness, and how that forms what defines our humanity.  At the same time as this is a very dark journey, it is also a story with so much spirit in it.”

War for the Planet of the Apes charges towards local cinemas on July 12, 2017, from 20^th Century Fox and Warner Bros.