Where Rupert Wyatt’s 2011 prequel, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” simply brought a new twist to a five-decade-old franchise, once more entrenching it afresh with replenishing enforcement of a strong, timeless storyline. Andy Serkis pioneered performance capture technology that gave vigor to the Ape protagonist, Caesar, who carried this story into two sequels directed by Matt Reeves in 2014: “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” and in 2017, “War for the Planet of the Apes.” This trilogy became a benchmark for thought-provoking, entertaining, and sensitive big-budget Hollywood films. The newest film from Wes Ball, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” does so with its head held high in this tradition.
A New Saga Chapter
Set across generations from the events of “War,” the film opens with an acquaintance with young chimpanzees Noa, Anaya, and Soona of the Eagle Clan in “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”. The film opens with Noa venturing into dangerous terrain to find an eagle’s egg, the ritualistic search that signifies his coming of age. Off the back of this, a chain reaction will occur, culminating in his village being destroyed by Proximus Caesar, played by Kevin Durand—the villainous ape twisting Caesar’s teachings for his own good.
Rich Storytelling and Themes
Fairness, loyalty, communal solidarity—part of the franchise’s ethos, and Wes Ball’s sequel clings tightly to them. Ball, with the screenwriter Josh Friedman, has made a film at once thrilling and lucidly conceived. No scene seems thrown away or ill-considered, and no concept wasted in this clear, satisfying narrative. It is a film that explores deeper themes, such as inter-species peace, abandonment of pacifism, and learning from our past, within the framework of a science fiction adventure.
Stunning Visuals and Performances
Visually, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is stunning—actually, dueling CGI that’s as good as “Avatar: The Way of Water.” It’s motion capture performance—in particular, Owen Teague and Kevin Durand—sculpting the apes into life with an amount of nuance and detailing seldom seen. Cinematographer Gyula Pados does a good job developing high-scale action with heart-pounding sequences that are logically constructed.
Challenges and Triumphs
While the movie retains completely the “first-in-a-planned-trilogy” feel and occasionally suffers because of problems in its pacing, Ball’s careful direction means every shot feels germane to the telling of the story. The movie respects legacy Caesar as it goes on to forge its independent storyline with its independent characters. Noa’s journey, though uncomplicated—it makes him an easy protagonist to finally root for. Quite the opposite case was Proximus Caesar, who arrived late but very ominously raises tension.
Final Thoughts
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” stands well in an already successful franchise. It lacks at times, like its predecessors, in a scale where it pulls on the emotional tugging part but makes up for it through its rich storytelling, thematic depth, and, not to mention, visuals that stun. This just reassures that continuation of the legend left by Caesar through Noa is very much acknowledged and deserves another journey.
Conclusion
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is an introspective, distinctly shot sequel, continuing this franchise’s ideals gracelessly. While it does maintain its own problems with rhythm, rich storytelling, deep themes, and remarkable performance make for a worthy addition to the saga. While this new chapter will certainly delight fans of the series, to viewers unfamiliar with those sagas, it is going to be a very promising introduction into a world governed by values of fairness, loyalty, and communal solidarity.
I love every small bit of it🤩🤩