Driven from their woodland home, Caesar and his apes are still recovering from the takeover by renegade ape Koba. Caesar is desperate to avoid war with the humans, but it is a faint hope, as his enemies are about to receive military reinforcements headed by the ruthless Colonel McCullough.
While trying to hold off McCullough's soldiers, Caesar sends his son Blue Eyes on a mission to the south to try to find a safe haven for the apes, despite rumors of terrible things happening there. Meanwhile supporters of Koba's revolt are spreading dissent among Caesar's ranks ...