“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” - Film Review
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes finds itself in an odd spot in the greater scheme of the Apes cinematic universe (if we’re calling it that). Behind this film are the 2010s reboot trilogy and the original Planet of the Apes movie from 1968. For those who may have forgotten, the reboot trilogy centered on Caesar (Andy Serkis), a genetically enhanced ape who led an uprising of apes. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes us three hundred years beyond Caesar, but still 1,600 years (give or take) before the events of the original film. So what exactly are the apes up to as we await the eventual return of Icarus?
When Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes begins, there’s a feeling of serenity. Noa (Owen Teague) is part of the eagle clan of apes who live near what used to be known as Los Angeles. It’s clear there’s still a divide between apes and humans, who the apes refer to as “echoes” because they’ve lost the ability to speak. Noa ventures out one night to collect an eagle egg for a bonding ceremony and comes across a gang of vicious, masked apes who are capturing chimpanzees for their own nefarious purposes. Noa’s clan is attacked by these apes, so he ventures into unexplored territory to bring his family home. But he’s not alone in this quest. Noa’s every move is being followed by a human (Freya Allan) whose intentions are unknown.
courtesy of 20th century
These prequels, reboots, or whatever they may be, face the challenge of viewers already knowing how the story ends. It’s up to the current filmmakers to make sense of how Earth became the unrecognizable planet the Icarus astronauts eventually return to in the original. Because of that, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes often feels excessive, in the sense that the audience is experiencing a story with no doubt about its conclusion. Does that ruin the journey? Some may say yes, but others will find Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes to be a classic summer blockbuster. It’s loud, action-filled, and has a heart and a lesson it wants to share with the audience. Earth fails and suffers when we fight amongst ourselves. There’s no one creature that has a greater claim over this planet than another. In the film, though, some of the apes and humans would disagree.
It has been thirteen years since the first of the reboot trilogy was released, and the development in motion capture technology is monumental. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes borrows technology from James Cameron’s latest Avatar installment that allowed a great increase in location shooting. The result is incredible. It’s easy to forget that this isn’t a bizarre nature documentary. A few climactic moments take place in and around water that looks as realistic as can be. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a technological marvel.
courtesy of 20th century
Like most of the other films in theaters at the moment, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has a runtime that exceeds two hours. For the most part, the story is engaging enough, the action thrilling enough, that those minutes fly by. Exhaustion only kicks in as the film approaches its end, when too many things come far too easily to Noa and his motley crew. He’s up against Proxima Caesar (Kevin Durand), a behemoth of an ape who twists Caesar’s teachings to become a dictator a la Mad Max: Fury Road’s Immortan Joe. Proxima Caesar is intimidatingly ferocious, and the twinkle in his eye can turn from charming to evil on the turn of a dime. One would think it would take a little time and effort for Noa to overthrow Proxima Caesar, but he’s able to neatly solve the problem within a day.
The Planet of the Apes universe remains compelling because of the shock that first movie delivered. How could apes possibly overtake humanity? As these prequels slowly lurch their way throughout time, that future is becoming clearer and clearer. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a behemoth blockbuster that’s perfect for summertime, even if it succumbs to some of the familiar shortcomings of the genre.
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