Directed by Wes Ball, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes place 300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes; ape civilizations have emerged from the oasis to which Caesar (Andy Serkis) led his fellow apes, while humans have regressed into a feral, primitive state. When the ape king Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), armed with weapons forged from lost human technologies, perverts Caesar’s teachings to enslave other clans, the chimpanzee hunter Noa (Owen Teague) embarks on a harrowing journey alongside a human girl named Mae (Freya Allen) to determine the future for apes and humans alike.
The Planet of the Apes Trilogy led by Andy Serkis was a phenomenal reimagining that won everyone’s hearts with not only its stunning effects through motion capture but also its strong and unique story told by passionate artists. The trilogy is considered to be one of the best and most underrated modern trilogies ever made, one that improved upon the original source material in major ways. So when news broke that a new Planet of the Apes trilogy was in the works that would continue the story, many people including myself were skeptical about it, especially since many people felt the trilogy was perfect as is, as well as the fact this new trilogy was going to be helmed by Wes Ball, who’s only previous work was the divisive Maze Runner Trilogy. But then everyone began to change their mind when they saw the first trailers for this first installment of the new trilogy as everything about the film looked and felt like what came before, resulting in a surprising amount of hype.
Did this film live up to the hype it created and does it live up to the expectations it had set up? The answer to both questions is yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is yet another outstanding and honestly near-perfect entry that honors the legacy of what came before while also taking a bold new direction for the franchise, told with awesome new characters, incredible visuals, and beautifully crafted storytelling that exceeds all expectations. I truly loved this film from start to end as I feel it serves as both a brilliant continuation of the Planet of the Apes story and an epic beginning of a new chapter destined for greatness.
First and foremost I have to talk about the visuals and effects of this film because they are absolutely flawless in every way possible. The previous trilogy set a major standard in terms of general effects as well as detailed CGI and this film not only upholds that standard but also majorly improves upon it, especially when it comes to the ape characters and the vast epic landscapes of a wild-looking Earth that is far from the days of modern human civilization. There is so much beauty and a vibrant array of colors, all showcased in amazing effects (both practical and CGI) and even far more amazing cinematography that makes this film stand out visually amongst most this year, next to Dune Part Two.
All the apes look very real and are given so much incredible life and emotion by the cast in motion capture following the footsteps of Andy Serkis in perfect ways, with the only difference being that these apes talk a lot more now in comparison to the previous entries.
We have an all-new cast of characters that I found myself immediately falling in love with every time they were on screen, thanks largely to the writing and the performances by their respective cast members.
Owen Teague plays the new protagonist of this trilogy, Noa, with absolute perfection. Honestly, he already reaches the heights of Andy Serkis for me in terms of performance with just how much powerful emotion he gives to this character as he goes on a daring quest to save his clan and simultaneously learn about the world that he and his family had been somewhat closed off from for generations. He gives the character such nuance and heart in his performance that he already makes for such a lovable lead that you feel attached to and want to see succeed in his quest despite the odds.
The same can also definitely be said about his two friends Soona (Lydia Peckham) and Anaya (Travis Jeffery) who are also lovable in their own ways and are given such great performances and personalities by their respective cast members.
Another extremely lovable performance and character was Peter Macon as Raka, a wise and virtuous orangutan who has deep knowledge of the past and becomes an ally of Noa. What made Raka stand out for me was not only his immense wisdom but also the brilliant amount of levity and humor he brings to this film, even with the simplest of moments. With how dark and mature this film can become he definitely brings the most amount of warm presence, similar to Maurice in the previous trilogy. I am honestly shocked that Peter Macon is not in more films because of how incredible his TV performances have been, along with his performance in this, you’d think he’d be cast in a lot more than three films. He is underrated for sure.
One performance that really surprised me in this film in unexpected ways was Freya Allen as the mysterious human Mae who joins Noa on his journey while having an agenda of her own. Initially, she has a very quiet and subtle performance when she is first introduced but then she quickly ends up proving herself to be an absolute force on screen when her true self comes to light.
I am probably one of the few to have really enjoyed Freya Allen’s work in The Witcher series and I love the fact that she ends up bringing to this film the immense talent she had in that show, making for easily one of the most compelling human characters in the franchise so far. Mae’s existence proves not only to be vital to the story of this first installment but is also shown to be vital to the course of the story going forward with the revelations of her personal agenda.
But by far the best performance that truly stole this film and gives us possibly the best villain of the franchise is Kevin Durand’s performance as Proximus Caesar, an ambitious bonobo monarch who leads a coastal clan of apes, a literal war cult that worships Caesar, in search of human technologies. Kevin Durand is an actor I’ve always considered to be hugely underrated with his range of work over the years and I can honestly say this may quite possibly be his best performance to date, giving immense presence with his voice and motion capture performance.
Proximus is a sadistic and terrifying cult leader who scarily mirrors real-life cult leaders and serves as a compelling villain for this film’s story. Caesar is treated as almost a Christ-like figure amongst this particular clan of apes, and Proximus has taken on the name Caesar in order to ensure that apes continue to evolve and preserve dominance over humanity by any means necessary. He is a dangerous tyrant who has taken and twisted the influence and the evolution of what Caesar had left behind, resulting in immense bloodshed for both humans and other apes who resist him.
Seeing Proximus twist and use Caesar’s words, which were meant for good, for his own gain, and having apes blindly follow him like a zealous figure, is disturbing to witness and truly makes him a villain you love to hate, which wouldn’t be possible without Durand’s immensely dedicated performance. I honestly may prefer him way more to Koba from the previous trilogy but that will depend a bit on where the character potentially goes next in the next installments.
With this film being the first installment of a new trilogy the fates of certain characters in this film are purposefully left open-ended for potential return in the next installments, which is honestly great because there were several characters in this film I very much loved and would like to see more of going forward.
The narrative is primarily a beautifully crafted coming-of-age story that is framed around the idea of legacy and what happens to it when it’s lost to time or subverted by the wicked. Together director Wes Ball and writer Josh Friedman were able to effortlessly tell a thorough and emotional story that simultaneously ties back to the previous trilogy and sets up a new one.
The film does take a slow-burn approach in the beginning and takes its time to reintroduce viewers to the new setting and new characters, but I found myself invested in everything right from the start due to how engaging it all felt. I know some people feel the pacing at the beginning of the film feels too slow but I loved it because it takes time for you to get emotionally attached to the new characters and it gives us some awesome world-building that expands upon the franchise in fresh and interesting directions.
There are also some significant themes this film plays with that in a way mirror our real-world history both past and present. One of these themes is the exploration of how a religion can influence leaders through time in both a positive, neutral, and negative light, shown through the perspective of the different ape clans featured in this film. There is also a really interesting theme regarding the morality of the dominion of apes vs humans that plays throughout this film and is likely to be a major recurring theme for the new trilogy.
Humanity has proven itself in the past to be capable of being cruel, dangerous and so full of themselves as the original dominant species that it led to their downfall, but then at the same time certain apes are beginning to show signs of similar traits and are seeking to evolve to have full control of the world in order not to revert back to what they used to be. It’s a fascinating concept that was only lightly touched upon in some of the 70s films but gets explored here in greater detail, making the audience ponder if coexistence between the two is even possible or if they are destined to be in constant conflict for the world, given the consequences both sides could create if one of them fully controlled the world.
There are so many bold and fascinating directions this new trilogy could take especially with what gets established at the end of the film and I am honestly really excited for whatever comes next.
The action of this film is truly epic beyond words, very much capturing the emotional thrills and intensity of the previous trilogy while also having its own unique style that has you constantly at the edge of your seat. It’s a grand example of just how much more improved Wes Ball has become as a director since working on the Maze Runner Trilogy, as he shows immense passion with this film both narratively and technically.
Another element of this film I have to praise is the amazing score by composer John Paesano (Daredevil, Invincible) who brings not only his own style of incredible music to this film but also delivers an epic blend of Michael Giacchino and Jerry Goldsmith’s work from previous Planet of the Apes films. There were several musical pieces in this film paired with certain scenes that very much reminded me of the 1968 original but in a modern aesthetic. It’s one thing to make it visually and narratively like the original film but it’s another to make it audibly similar as well, which hugely impressed me.
Even in the absence of Matt Reeves, it’s honestly safe to say that the Planet of the Apes franchise is still going strong and is in surprisingly good hands with Wes Ball. This film is a phenomenal first installment in what I hope will be another epic trilogy that could either match the greatness of the previous trilogy or better yet even exceed it. I’m going to give Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes an A+ = 100.
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