For a series that’s lasted more than five decades, Planet of the Apes has proven to have remarkable staying power. Following the conclusion of Matt Reeves’ impeccable War for the Planet of the Apes though, many thought it was the perfect conclusion to one of the greatest trilogies of our time. But that wasn’t to be.
Fast forward a few years, and the apes are back – with Wes Ball (The Maze Runner) taking over directorial duties. This film, set hundreds of years after the events of its predecessor doesn’t quite reach the heights of Matt Reeves’ two films, but comes as close as you could possibly want it to. Ball maintains the sympathetic approach that had been established by Reeves and director Rupert Wyatt (in 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes), despite the film’s lighter and less melancholy tone. Essentially, this is the most mainstream of the modern ape films to date – and that’s no bad thing.
Kingdom follows the journey of Noa, a chimpanzee portrayed by Owen Teague. Noa embarks on a mission to rescue his clan from Proximus Caesar, an aspiring ape king (Kevin Durand). Unlike the previous films’ darker tones, this instalment leans more towards a road movie and adventure story. Noa’s quest, accompanied by the orangutan Raka (Peter Macon as a highlight of the film) and a human named Nova (Freya Allan), offers a fresh and engaging narrative.
Peppered with beautifully filmed set pieces (a fiery attack on Noa’s clan is particularly exquisite) , this 145 minute movie is fantastically paced, with nicely integrated moments of poignancy that hark back to the previous three films in some way or other.
As our main protagonist, Noa is more simple than Caesar – who is mentioned numerous times throughout. His journey to rescue his clan is much more straightforward, but he remains engaging and likeable. Owen Teague effectively conveys Noa’s curiosity and skepticism about humans (or “echos” as they’re named here) and the actual human he travels with. Freya Allan brings a nice sense of depth to what could have been a very one dimensional character, while Peter Macon shines as the warm and kind Raka. The marketing has put Kevin Durand’s king, Proximus Caesar front and centre, and rightly so – he really is exceptional, though does show up later in the film than I would have liked.
Noa’s limited knowledge of the past is a compelling thread that is tugged on by Raka, and enhanced further by Daniel T. Dorrance’s production design that showcases modern structures reclaimed by nature, very much evident as Noa makes his way across the landscapes. The third act, revealing Proximus’ true objective, is exciting and sets up future sequels with intriguing unanswered questions. There’s also a lovely homage to The Lost World: Jurassic Park about halfway through the film, which I particularly enjoyed.
Overall, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a worthy continuation of a franchise that’s now 10 films in. The visual effects are some of the best ever put to film and at no point do you feel short changed by the CGI – it is incredible and follows nicely on from Rise, Dawn and War. The cinematography too really is astounding, with deep earthy tones of nature-reclaimed cities, juxtaposed with gorgeous sunsets.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes may not be as emotionally tying as its two predecessors, but it doesn’t need to be. By advancing the timeline to such an extent, Wes Ball explores a very different world to the one of the previous trilogy and this was a smart move. Yes, references to Caesar are abound, but the characters are new, interesting, and I for one am excited at the prospect of another apes trilogy if the quality remains at this level. The ending is certainly setup for one, watch this space.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
