‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ REVIEW: A new apes odyssey
‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ REVIEW: A new apes odyssey
“What a wonderful day!”
- Proximus Caesar
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes us on a new journey of ape civilizations that arose from Caesar’s leadership generations ago, now set 300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes. Directed by Wes Ball, who previously helmed The Maze Runner trilogy, the film follows Noa (Owen Teague), a young chimpanzee hunter, who embarks on a quest with Mae (Freya Allan), a feral young woman, to shape the future for apes and humans.
With new allies and heroes to root for, comes a new adversary: an ape king named Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), an evolved Bonobo tyrant who corrupts Caesar’s teachings to turn other ape clans into slaves.
Noa (Owen Teague) in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes / Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the start of a brand new era for the rebooted Planet of the Apes series. The underrated trilogy kicked off on a high note, showing the apes’ dominion under Caesar’s leadership and humanity’s downfall. It concluded with a penultimate battle between the apes and a militant group of humans.
Seven years after the trilogy ended, the franchise is left with a daunting task to push the franchise forward. With the absence of Andy Serkis as Caesar and director Matt Reeves, who previously directed the last two films in the trilogy, where does the franchise go next? The gap between the development and release of this film provides a much-needed breather, preventing franchise fatigue.
While we have seen glimpses of the new world established in the previous films, we never truly explored the vast world of the ape-ruled Earth. 300 years is a long time. The film allows us to see how much has changed, replicating the feeling of how long it has been since we last stepped foot into this world cinematically back in 2017. We have apes who continue to live separately and away from the chaos, apes who abuse their power, and apes who still remember what Caesar fought for.
Mae (Freya Allan) in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes / Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
The film successfully introduces new characters —both ape and human — who we can get behind, which is the first step in making the audience care enough to see a cinematic adventure. Stunning visuals and convincing motion-capture performances breathe life into this new world, bringing its fantastical ideas to reality. On the other hand, there’s so much more to explore that can tie back to the past. There is huge potential for an open-world game based on the film series.
The film also ties back to the original Planet of the Apes, particularly the human hunt scene that is also accompanied by music reminiscent of the original score. Although the rebooted series has no direct ties to the original series, this nod to the 1968 classic is a nice touch.
Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes / Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes pays tribute to the films that came before while looking ahead into the potential of what the franchise can become. If you have seen The Maze Runner, particularly the first one, you can feel the survival-action sequences in this film that add a level of danger and uncertainty for the audience.
As the first film in a new trilogy, it has to set the stage and refresh the audience. The first act might feel rocky in giving a first impression. Dialogue-heavy moments rely excessively on exposition, which may hinder the story’s progression. However, the film soon picks itself up with lighthearted moments sprinkled throughout the film’s idle moments. Specifically, Noa’s interactions with an evolved orangutan named Raka (Peter Macon), who is a guardian of ape history and Caesar’s teachings.
The film’s third act and eventual ending may be divisive, as this film needs to have a strong ending to plant the seeds of what’s to come. While the narrative choices may be questionable, there is still a lot of time for these minor mishaps to be corrected or smoothened out in the future.
Noa and Mae captured in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes / Taken from the film’s IMDB page
The Apes franchise may feel different without Reeves and Serkis’ involvement, and fans of the franchise might be taken aback. However, its bold new direction for the franchise allows it to thrive by introducing new characters and exploring new settings. It’s safe to say that Kingdom pulled off a significant climb that paves the way for future installments.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is currently showing in Philippine cinemas.
