KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Review
"Ball has done an impressive job continuing the story while taking it in a direction that should prove popular."
To think that seven years after Matt Reeves’ War for the Planet of the Apes, we’re getting a new trilogy that ties into the previous one, while also starting a new timeline and story with new characters, for some, it might just be too much. For others, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be a welcome return.
But before watching it, I saw a doc by Roger Ross Williams last year called Stamped from the Beginning, and its thesis on how racism evolved in this country featured a clip from the original 1968 Planet of the Apes, which got me thinking that maybe the original movie contained both subliminal and overtly racist commentary on what was going on in the country with the Black Panther party and such. While the “Planet of the Apes” franchise has turned into full-on sci-fi and fantasy, it’s hard to get past that thought, so I had to set that aside before seeing what director Wes Ball (The Maze Runner) was going to do with the concept.
The film’s prologue makes it clear this franchise has moved past Andy Serkis’ Caesar, as we watch his funeral and then advance forward “generations,” as we’re introduced to young Noa (Owen Teague), as he and two ape friends are climbing a mountain face to acquire eagle eggs. They’re part of an ape clan that raises and trains eagles to use them in their day-to-day living, but their community is soon raided by apes on horseback in masks, killing Noa’s father and capturing his people.
That’s the set-up for a fairly simple idea that follows Noa’s journey trying to get his people from those who took them, meeting the orangutan Raka (Peter Macon), and the female human Mae (Freya Allen), who has her own ulterior motives for going with these two apes. Eventually, they encounter the kingdom of the title, run by the ruthless Promixus (Kevin Durand, who was also great in the recent Abigail). Promixus has usurped Caesar’s teachings for his own motives, as he tries to break into a seemingly impregnable vault, since the contents within could help keep the apes in power.
From the moment you’re dropped into this world, your jaw will drop just from how gorgeous a film Ball has created, while taking aspects of previous iterations of the franchise, and at the same time introducing new characters and a look at the world from a different perspective, where it’s not mainly about the humans. It’s clear that Ball is trying to build on what was done with the previous trilogy, but taking things in a direction on par with the original 1968 movies and its sequels, which is partially what sets Kingdom apart. As someone who wasn’t particularly crazy about Ball’s The Maze Runner trilogy, this is a good movie to show that Ball has achieved another level as a filmmaker.
Another reason Kingdom works well in this regard is that there is such a big focus on character and making you generally interested in Noa and those around him, as he discovers more of this world he’s been isolated from as part of his insular clan. Combine that with some genuinely impressive and effective set pieces, and you have the making of a big screen epic that warrants a trip out to the movie theater, which is something that’s so important right now.
Ball may not have the likes of Andy Serkis or even Terry Notary – two of the foremost experts on performance capture – on board for his movie, but his entire cast does a fantastic job, beginning with Owen Teague, who I mainly know from his role in the recent The Stand remake. It’s pretty daring that William H. Macy is the only recognizable actor as the human Trevathan, who is helping Promixus achieve his goals, but Freya Allen also does a terrific job working with the other actors to make her interactions with the apes quite fluid, so that you’re rarely thinking about the technical aspects of these performances.
Even so, Kingdom is a masterclass in production design and visual effects work, not just for creating the various apes and making them seem very real, but also, seamlessly integrating practical sets with CG-created environments, leading to an absolute stunner of a film.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a bit long, but when you do get to the end, you are genuinely curious where things might go from there, because it sets up so many possibilities. Those are two sure signs of a strong franchise installment, but Ball has done an impressive job continuing the story while taking it in a direction that should prove popular.
Rating: 8/10
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes hits theaters nationwide on Friday, May 10, with previews on Thursday night.