Review - Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Directed by: Wes Ball
Written by: Josh Friedman
Starring: Owen Teague, Kevin Durand, Freya Allan
Running Time: 145 Minutes
Rating: 2.5/5
Long gone are the days of human civilization; lush greenery covers the once looking skyscrapers of lost cities and nature has reclaimed the land from the urban sprawl. It is fitting that Wes Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes almost feels like a sequence out of time - inherently different but distinctly familiar. A new chapter and a new era that doesn't necessarily feel like a direct sequel nor a reboot, Kingdom enters a new dawn for the franchise; a visual feast for long-standing fans and a decent foray into the next horizons for the series.
Even in its title, Kingdom, almost feels like a step back in time. The environment is vibrant and lush, vegetation uncontrolled, sprawling and beautiful. Exotic animals roam the valleys, zebras rest at the creekside and eagles soar high above the clouds. There are no cars, airplanes or signs of human technology. Torches, slings and horseback are the tools of the land. Kingdom echoes back to the simplest form of narrative storytelling, one that is unequivocally primal and sincere. There are no frills here. A coming of age story that is built around vengeance, idealism and justice.
Wes Ball enters the franchise with Tabula Rasa, a blank slate, to explore a different side of the conflict of the Apes. Humans are a rare breed in this world, they are primitive and almost feral, archaic in ideals and stature. Grizzlies and some non-verbal, humanity has fallen back into prehistoric times - the apes, once their counterparts, now predators. Centering this story generations after the initial Rise of the Planet of the Apes; Caesar, Andy Serkis’ brave protagonist ape has now passed. His legacy passed down as ancient history; a time long gone.
In this world, a young chimpanzee, Noa, is coming of age, fulfilling a rite of passage within his community, the Eagle Clan. On the day before his mission, Noa’s village is ferociously attacked, his father killed and his family and friends whisked away by a rebel clan, led by Proximus Caesar, an ape that has skewed the ideals and morals of Caesar before him. Left for dead and alone, Noa ventures out across the valley to find his family and bring them to safety. On his journey he meets orangutan Raka, a proclaimed keeper of Caesar’s legacy. Dedicated to the world before; the teachings of Caesar and the artefacts of mankind, Raka teaches Noa of the legacy of what had passed. Together, they encounter a human, Mae, who joins them on their journey to Proximus’ village.
Kingdom feels like a retread of familiar ideas; a coming-of-age story that is retooled and revisioned as one in the world of the Apes. A tyrant who feels at most a usurper of a throne, a mysterious guide in Mae and the tension of the relationship between man and ape - it feels thematically similar to previous iterations of the Apes saga. Friedman’s screenplay does take some creative liberties with his focus on Noa’s journey of truth and the film leaves the door open for some interesting explorations in what would be the inevitable sequels to come. Even with the beautiful and stunning visual and special effects - the environment feels alive and the apes speak and move with such realism and uncanny distinction, Kingdom does feel like a long expository prologue for a future trilogy. With some fascinating set pieces and stunt sequences (the amount of characters that get dragged across water and ground is insane!) the film does find its highlight in some of its spectacle, even if it feels familiar.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a worthy successor to its previous sequels and a formidable entry in this storied franchise. While its glacial pace and familiar territory may turn off some returning audiences and fans, Kingdom does provide enough satisfaction in its visuals and storytelling to welcome a new era in the Apes saga.
