Posted in: Movies, Review | Tagged: 20th century studios, disney, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Owen Teague, wes ball

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Is The Real Summer Start {Review}

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes lives up to the quality and standards set by the previous films in the franchise.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the real kick-off for summer 2024, the type of action and adventure that the season always promises. This one delivers on all fronts: emotional, full of amazing CGI in an age where that kind of thing has become more and more common, and jaw-dropping action. A worthy successor to the beloved previous trilogy, this one forges its own path to set us on a course that will hopefully become a new trilogy. Fantastic.

Planet Of The Apes For A New Generation

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes kicks off where the last trilogy left off. The world now belongs to the Apes, and Noa (Owen Teague) lives in harmony with his clan. That harmony is disrupted when an army of apes under the rule of Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) raids their lands and kidnaps everyone. Noa survives the attack and heads out on a quest to find his clan. Along the way, he encounters a philosophical orangutang named Raka (Peter Macon) and a female human named Mae (Freya Allan). Everyone ends up at Proximus's camp, where he has enslaved a number of Ape clans trying to open a human bunker that contains weapons and technology. It is up to Noa to stop him.

The story in this film is top-notch, and one of the concerns heading into this release is that it would be hard for director Wes Ball and screenwriter Josh Friedman to reach the heights of the Ceasar trilogy that came before them. Not only did they live up to those standards, but they exceeded them in some points. Noa is a fantastic character, a bit more hard-headed than Ceasar was, but set on a just as wonderful journey. Ball and cinematographer Gyula Pados brings this world to life in a beautiful way. Smart move to move the focus from the destruction of Earth, instead keeping the focus on the Apes' world and inviting us into it.

This is next level as far as visuals go as well. For a franchise that has been elevating visuals and what can be put on screen for decades, this one sets itself apart. All of the ape characters move and feel so life-like, and even something as simple as how the wind moves through their hair is incredible. Sometimes, we take for granted how amazing the jobs of these digital artists have become. They are true artists and should be celebrated way more than they are.

There are not many humans in this cast, but Allan makes the most of her screen time in the second half of the film and delivers a nuanced performance. She does not trust the apes at all but sees something in Noa that she just cannot shake, and it makes for some really emotional back-and-forth, especially at the end of the film. That was a heartbreaking scene between them, but one that felt right for the film and necessary.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is hopefully a harbinger of this franchise continuing. Where it leaves things could be a bookend, but after spending time with these new characters, you would be a fool not to want to see more. At this point, this franchise has to take its rightful place as one of the most beloved and quality franchises in film history. If this is the quality of blockbuster film we are going to get this summer, and we are in for a special one. See it on the biggest screen possible.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

---

Review by Jeremy Konrad

---

9/10

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes lives up to the quality and standards set by the previous entires in the franchise, and is the proper kick-off to the summer movie season.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!