Whether you’re a huge fan of the Planet of the Apes franchise or a casual moviegoer, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a good, safe choice to watch in the cinema. It ticks all the boxes of a good, escapist American blockbuster film while continuing the excitement and the intelligence of the beloved cinematic tale.
Caesar is gone but his influence is present and highly felt. Director Wes Ball launched Kingdom’s story three centuries after the events of the predecessor film War of the Planet of the Apes. Apes still rule the world, humans regressed into a primitive state and their history is borderline mythical. Young chimpanzee Noa (Owen Teague) is living in a peaceful community. That is until some warlike apes invaded and buried his village and abducted some members of his community, including his family. He sets on a journey to look for his family but it’s more than just an action-filled adventure.
Noa meets two characters who will change his life: The wise Orangutan Raka (Peter Macon) and the human Mae (initially named Nova, a nod to the character of the same name in War; played by Freya Allan). Raka taught him the words and wisdom of Caesar’s teachings, which, he argued, were misinterpreted and used by colonizers to their advantage. Mae showed Noa that apes and humans can work together to achieve freedom from oppressors.
So are apes and humans friends now? This is what Kingdom is trying to tell its audience in its quarter of its running time. Ball dragged the pacing of worldbuilding a sequel of a familiar movie franchise. It could have been shorter, sharper, and more focused on showing the connection between Noa and Mae while preserving the familiar values of the Apes franchise: co-existence, selfishness, greed, and battle of power.
But when the film landed on half of its running time, particularly when Noa and Mae finally met the antagonist Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), Kingdom became a gripping action-adventure story that pushed its audience to the edge of their seats as the story meticulously unfolds the interests of each character.
The strength of the Apes franchise is how it effectively fits its timeless warning about the downfall of humanity in contemporary times. With the world currently monitoring ruthless leaders colonizing another country and committing genocide, Kingdom confidently nails its message: Liberation can only be achieved through bold, revolutionary actions.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now showing in cinemas
