Films for Breakfast

The most recent Planet of the Apes trilogy, that began with 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes and concluded with 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, is one of the best trilogies of all-time for my money – it’s so good that the very existence of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has me questioning how does one even begin to top the amazing work from Andy Serkis, Matt Reeves, and countless others? Kingdom wisely takes inspiration from both Serkis’ trilogy as well as the original films from the 60s-70s. One part of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is undeniably an extension of the previous trilogy as it is clearly the same world and designs and follows-up on some of the themes introduced in those films. Another part of the film feels more akin to the original films that began with Planet of the Apes in 1968, as this feels largely like a full-scale adventure movie that is no-longer an origin story but a full-stop Planet of the Apes film.

Thankfully, Wes Ball creates something here that not only feels like a best of both worlds approach for the franchise when taking from the best of its’ 50+ year legacy, but also wisely does a ton of things that feel original and singular in its own right. The film begins several generations in the future after Caesar’s reign, where apes are now the dominant species and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows without the ability to speak. As a tyrannical ape named Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) builds an empire under the false title of Caesar and twists his teachings, a young ape named Noa (Owen Teague) undertakes a risky and uncharted journey that both opens his eyes to the truth of the past as well as make decisions that will change the course of history for apes and the remaining humans alike.

It almost goes without saying at this point, but the visual effects in Kingdom are absolutely outstanding. What Wētā Workshop accomplished back in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes still continues to blow my mind to this day every time I rewatch it, and to see how far they’ve come with this film is truly mind boggling. The motion capture here is obviously fantastic and it paves way for the performances to be as memorable and expressive as they are, namely from Owen Teague, Kevin Durand, and Peter Macon who all truly shine. But even on top of the incredible mo-cap, we are now in an era of these films where it truly is a Planet of Apes – they have almost fully taken over, and it requires the visual effects to create a post-apocalyptic world where they have reigned and built their homes over the last several generations. Everything in this world feels incredibly tangible and immersive, and the way the action/adventure bleeds into the visuals is truly awe-inspiring. See it on the largest screen you can to fully appreciate the impressive work on display!

One of the things I was most curious about when it came to the existence of this film was not how the film would practically or literally tell another story, as the last trilogy sets up a world where Apes have taken over in a mostly realistic way; mirroring the world we see depicted in the original films. Instead, I was more interested in how the film would narratively and thematically tackle the legacy of Caesar and create a new story worth telling that feels like a worthy addition to the franchise – even the original film and its sequels have radical themes of oppression, tolerance, justice, leadership, the price of war and atomic weapons, etc. Kingdom definitely feels like it’s interested in exploring some familiar themes of oppression and what it means to be a leader, but through the lens of a section of apes who are far removed from what Andy Serkis’ Caesar did. The film creates a fascinating world where the truth of his leadership and teachings have been not only suppressed but twisted for the personal gain of the incredible and formidable villain of Proximus Caesar, and the characters that we follow have to grapple with that lasting legacy and how it is the foundation of everything that they know.

What I really loved about the film is that Wes Ball takes the time to re-introduce the audience to the world of this franchise, and sets the tone of what it looks like now that generations have past. Instead of trying to immediately capitalize off the original characters and tell a story immediately following War, the film lets us into the life of Noa and his family and lets us grow to care and understand him as a character. On top of that, I really appreciate that Noa is not presented as a Caesar 2.0 or a flawless protagonist. He makes risky choices and feels like he is simply a good ape thrown into a tricky situation where he has to balance his own personal needs for the greater good, and I found that to be so refreshing and exciting. This franchise is at its best when it operates in morally grey territory, and all of the characters here feel like complex and layered. The character of Mae, played wonderfully by Freya Allan, is a perfect example of the film being more interested in tackling morally grey characters, as Mae feels like she’s being set-up for one idea and Ball surprises with giving her many layers and complex emotions. Her relationship with Noa is, inherently, the core of the film and sparks a lot of its most interesting ideas about co-existence, oppression, and tolerance.

By the end of the film, I found myself both incredibly entertained and relieved as a life-long fan of the franchise. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes operates as a worthy and seamless follow-up to the last trilogy, as well as an enticing starter for a whole new era of Apes films. For my money, this film has as equally solid groundwork as Rise of the Planet of the Apes did back in 2011, and can easily deliver an incredible follow-up with the world and characters that Wes Ball has established here. As is stands as a singular film, I found it to be a riveting and highly entertaining adventure film with equally compelling protagonists and antagonists. I both can’t wait to see where the franchise goes from here, but also feel wholly satisfied with what we’ve received.

4/5