This review was made possible by an advance screening of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes releases in theaters on May 10, 2024.
Seven years later, we’re finally back in the world of Planet of the Apes, but this time in the hands of Wes Ball, who has taken the reign from Matt Reeves, who helped create one of the best trilogies to exist in the past decade. Instead of once again rebooting the franchise, Wes Ball has decided to continue the story that Reeves created, creating a story from Caesar’s legacy that was cemented in War for the Planet of the Apes.
To decide to continue the story of a film series that is so well loved and critically acclaimed is a brave decision, but the question we have to ask ourselves is: does Wes Ball honour the legacy of its previous films or does he taint it? I’ll be able to answer that question in this review.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes place roughly 300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, in a world where Ape civilisations have emerged and humans have regressed into a feral, primal state. We now follow a young Chimpanzee called Noa (Owen Teague), who goes on the hunt for Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) after his father is killed and his home is destroyed. On his journey, he comes across a woman called Mae/Nova (Freya Allen), who has her own goal; together, they’ll work to take down Proximus Caesar.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has been advertised as a “standalone sequel,” meaning anyone can watch this film without watching the three films that came before it. I have to, unfortunately, disagree with that, as the film opens up with a scene that makes it feel like if you haven’t watched the previous films, you’re missing out on some amazing storytelling. That’s not to say that this film doesn’t make sense without watching the original trilogy, but it does add more to the worldbuilding and storytelling when you know of Caesar and his journey.
The Themes Central To ‘Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’
A major theme in this film is belief, and it’s a theme that Wes Ball handles well and relates to our world. At the end of War for the Planet of the Apes, Maurice tells a dying Caesar that he will make sure that his son and other apes will know of what he did for them. It’s a theme, and it’s clear from this film that Maurice kept his word. There are apes such as Raka (Peter Macon) who follow carefully and religiously, and there are apes such as Proximus Caesar who use his name in vain and twist his teachings to justify the pain and horror that he brings towards the apes.
It calls back to our real world, as religious books have been edited for centuries. While 100 people may follow one religion, they’re all bound to have different beliefs on what’s right and wrong; it’s hard to distinguish which belief is right, which is what Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes touches on really well.
While Wes Ball interjects these themes into the story effortlessly and does provide us with a great story, he fails to hit the nail on the head with its pacing, which leads some scenes to drag out for too long, leaving you to feel the runtime of the film and making you want to check what the time is when certain scenes last too long. Moments like this are never good as you begin to lose interest in what’s going on, but thankfully, the film saves itself after each time it suffers from its pacing. Aside from the pacing issues, the characters are written beautifully and with care, and Wes Ball still manages to get all his points across.
The highlight of this film for me is its villain, and that was an integral part that I needed them to get right with this film as the villains for the previous two, Koba and The Colonel, were both menacing, ruthless, and just pure evil incarnates, doing whatever is necessary to get what they want. Thankfully, Wes Ball nails it with Proximus Caesar, and Kevin Durand gives an amazing performance that just sends chills down your spine.
Koba still takes the lead as my favourite antagonist from this reboot series, but I truly believe that Proximus Caesar could’ve been better if he had been given more screen time. You feel his presence early on with his men slaughtering other apes, which all adds to his chilling introduction, but it feels like it takes too long in what is already a long film with pacing issues for him to make his first on-screen appearance.
Beyond Phenomenal Visuals
The visuals in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes are beyond phenomenal, reaching heights that they’ve not managed to reach before. This film series has always been known for its visuals and how realistic the apes look, though unfortunately, they didn’t win back in 2018 for War for the Planet of the Apes. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is looking like a strong contender to take home the award for best visual effects at next year’s Academy Awards.
John Paesano, known for collaborating with Wes Ball on the Maze Runner trilogy and also scoring some video games such as Spider-Man 2 and the iconic Daredevil theme, doesn’t disappoint with the score for this film; he brings new sounds to this grand world while also honouring the franchise by mixing music from War for the Planet of the Apes and the original 1968 Planet of the Apes film.
Freya Allen plays one of the few humans in this film and gives an amazing performance. There’s a portion of the film where she doesn’t talk, and she proves in those scenes that actions speak louder than words. Her character has a captivating story that crosses paths with Noa’s story in such an interesting way that it could change the entire future of the Planet of the Apes movies. I had already loved Freya Allen from her performances in The Witcher, but her performance as Mae/Nova has solidified her as someone that I should keep an eye on and someone that I hope to see again soon on the screen.
‘Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ – Final Thoughts
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes tells a very emotional story that connects our characters and also connects them with the past that we all know and love so well, honouring Caesar’s legacy and continuing it in a respectful way that doesn’t ruin the previous films. The film might feel slightly long, with the pacing not being at its best during certain scenes, but it only ever allows you to take in the beautiful environments and the award-worthy visual effects that make the film as stunning as it is.
Wes Ball expands the world and lays the groundwork for the next two films in this trilogy, and if it’s heading in the direction that I expect it to, we might have one of the best sci-fi franchises within our grasp. It’s safe to say that Wes Ball has honoured the legacy that the original films and Matt Reeves have cemented and will seemingly continue to do so.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes is now in theaters. Check out a trailer below:
The Review
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' continues the legacy of Caesar and sets the groundwork for the future of the series, possibly returning to its roots. It has outstanding visuals and performances that are showstoppers. If not for the bad pacing and Proximus Caesar's runtime, this would be the best film since the reboot.
