Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the latest film in the current Apes franchise. It's essentially a soft reboot. While still in the same continuity as the Caesar Trilogy, it's set years after the previous film with a new protagonist in a very changed world where the apes reign supreme. Of all the films coming out this year, I was most excited for this one. I'm not a diehard Planet of the Apes fan. I've seen the original classic, the Tim Burton version, and this more recent continuity of films. Of this current timeline, I think Rise of the Planet of the Apes is okay, but I love Dawn of the Apes. That film is what made me a fan of the franchise. War for the Apes is also great. So, when I first saw the trailer for this film, I got excited. For the most part, this movie is good, but I have some concerns.
As usual, the effects and cinematography are gorgeous, which should come as no surprise if you've seen the last two installments. I do like our new cast of characters, particularly our new protagonist, Noah. Caesar is a tough act to follow, but I think Noah does an adequate job filling those shoes. The main villain Proxima is also good, and I wish we got a bit more of him. The premise of this movie is exactly what I wished for this franchise to go after War for the Apes. It's about the apes' dominion over the Earth and setting up new societies of their own in humanity's absence, and all the trials and tribulation that come with that. However, this is when we get to my concerns.
While the human characters in this film aren't bad, I felt their stories weren't as interesting as our lead ape characters. Plus, the revelation at the very end has me a bit concerned about the franchise going forward. It feels like we're starting to retread old ground from the last couple films.
This new batch of Apes movies should be all about the apes and their struggles with being the new dominant species on the planet. It should be like Game of Thrones with apes. Most of this movie was about that, but now it seems we're moving in another direction that we've already seen played out.
I think it all has to do with this stupid mindset Hollywood has where the audience won't be invested unless human characters in some significant role. This is a mindset that had also held the Transformers franchise down. The Monsterverse also suffers from this, though to a lesser degree. You don't need characters to be human to get invested in them. You just need them to act human and be interesting characters. These Apes movies have proven this time and again, as the apes have always been the most interesting characters.
I hope I'm wrong about this. Unlike those other franchises I mentioned, these Apes movies have always done a good job at subverting my expectations and are good at balancing the human drama, whilst keeping the main focus on the apes.
Overall, this film is a solid continuation that honors what came before. I don't think it's as good as Dawn or War for the Apes, but it is good and worth watching if you're a fan of this franchise. I'd say it's worth seeing on the big screen too.
As usual, the effects and cinematography are gorgeous, which should come as no surprise if you've seen the last two installments. I do like our new cast of characters, particularly our new protagonist, Noah. Caesar is a tough act to follow, but I think Noah does an adequate job filling those shoes. The main villain Proxima is also good, and I wish we got a bit more of him. The premise of this movie is exactly what I wished for this franchise to go after War for the Apes. It's about the apes' dominion over the Earth and setting up new societies of their own in humanity's absence, and all the trials and tribulation that come with that. However, this is when we get to my concerns.
While the human characters in this film aren't bad, I felt their stories weren't as interesting as our lead ape characters. Plus, the revelation at the very end has me a bit concerned about the franchise going forward. It feels like we're starting to retread old ground from the last couple films.
This new batch of Apes movies should be all about the apes and their struggles with being the new dominant species on the planet. It should be like Game of Thrones with apes. Most of this movie was about that, but now it seems we're moving in another direction that we've already seen played out.
I think it all has to do with this stupid mindset Hollywood has where the audience won't be invested unless human characters in some significant role. This is a mindset that had also held the Transformers franchise down. The Monsterverse also suffers from this, though to a lesser degree. You don't need characters to be human to get invested in them. You just need them to act human and be interesting characters. These Apes movies have proven this time and again, as the apes have always been the most interesting characters.
I hope I'm wrong about this. Unlike those other franchises I mentioned, these Apes movies have always done a good job at subverting my expectations and are good at balancing the human drama, whilst keeping the main focus on the apes.
Overall, this film is a solid continuation that honors what came before. I don't think it's as good as Dawn or War for the Apes, but it is good and worth watching if you're a fan of this franchise. I'd say it's worth seeing on the big screen too.
