Seven years after the end of the modern trilogy, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is both a worthy follow-up and a fresh start for the franchise.
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Planet of the Apes is one of the longest-running movie franchises in Hollywood out there. Beginning with the 1968 original, each entry has explored social themes and has mixed them with great practical ape makeup and, eventually, groundbreaking CGI motion capture technology.
Another achievement in the franchise is the modern Caesar trilogy that ran from the early to mid-2010s. In a time where most movie reboots were uninspired and forgettable, Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), led by Andy Serkis’ Caesar, managed to be a breakthrough hit and brought us two even more critically acclaimed sequels.
So, with a long-running franchise such as this and the standards set by the last Apes trilogy, could Disney manage to make an Apes film worthy of its predecessors? Thankfully, the answer is yes, with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes being another solid entry.
WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY
Set generations after Caesar’s time, a young ape named Noa lives in a world where apes are the definitive rulers of the planet while humans are in hiding. With the event’s the the Caesar trilogy now becoming legend, it’s a new world out there. In this environment, Noa goes through a journey to save his clan from the ruthless Proximus Caeser, an ape who has twisted the teaching of our previous protagonist. Along the way, Noa encounters allies such as the human Mae and the orangutan Raka.
Director Wes Ball successfully balances the story’s heart with ever-stellar visual effects. There are some shots in the film where the apes look and feel so real. Spectacle and story work hand in hand here and don’t overpower each other. At the same time, the film’s art design is stellar – showcasing a post-apocalyptic world that has been taken over by overgrowth and the apes.
At its best, Kingdom succeeds when it tries new things while honoring the past. A big strength of the film is how it explores the legacy of Caesar and how a liberator and his teachings can become a religion generations after his death. It’s this type of world-building that makes the Planet of the Apes series so fascinating as throughout each entry, we’ve seen filmmakers explore human themes through these apes.
A NEW ERA
Another strength of this film is its new characters. Owen Teague’s Noa is a young ape who goes on a coming-of-age story. Much like the audiences who may not have seen the previous films, Noa slowly learns more about the history between apes and man. A big character teased during the marketing is Proximus Caeser, and it’s safe to say that he manages to be one of the best villains in the series. Charismatic but ruthless, he sees himself as the next Caeser and is a fitting representation of cunning leaders throughout history who have used belief for their own personal agenda.
That’s not to say that Kingdom is without any flaws. The second half of the film can feel, at times, a retread of 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, especially with our protagonist’s efforts to free his people from the villain’s base. At the same time, certain characters lack enough screentime for them to truly shine in the film and could have been utilized more.
Yet, despite these weaknesses, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes still overcomes its biggest challenge: following up the beloved Caesar trilogy. It is a new beginning for the Apes, filled with marvelous visual effects, interesting new characters, and themes that have managed to make these films resonate with audiences everywhere. Ultimately, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes marries the old with the new for a kind of blockbuster that films should aspire to be – entertaining and full of heart.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now showing in cinemas nationwide.
Photos courtesy of 20th Century Studios
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