Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes movie review: An intriguing start-up for the rebooted franchise

Film Kingdom of the Planet of the ApesCast Owen Teague Freya Allan Peter Macon William H Macy Kevin Durand Dichen LachmanDirector Wes BallRating 35Runtime 145 minThis fourth instalment in the newly rebooted franchise has a brand new cast of characters with a timeline that has moved several decades ahead The modern world is in ruins reclaimed by nature and the intelligent talking apes are now the dominant species living in clans and tribes scattered across the new worldThe theme though remains the same lsquoApe Together Strongrsquo Itrsquos been carried through several sequels and this one too has an obligatory reference to the prophetic words signed off by Andy Serkisrsquo Caesar in 2011rsquos hit prequel lsquoRise of the Planet of the ApesrsquoThis current instalment that continues the trend of putting primates front and centre brings renewed life to the franchise with its perfect craft intelligent subplots and entertaining action The film has emotional depth and moral complexity too but the path it treads feels familiar and repetitiveThe story begins with the comingofage ritesofpassage task of chimpanzee Noa of the Eagle Clan Owen Teague who along with his friends Soona Lydia Peckham and Anaya Travis Jeffery are out in the mountains searching for eagle eggs to bond with and nurture as their own But just before the ceremony his clan is attacked by rival apes and taken to a new location for enslavement Noa who narrowly misses out on being taken sets out on a journey to rescue them and along the way encounters a wise Orangutan Raka Peter Macon and a strangely intelligent scavenging human Mia Freya Allan and the three join hands to stay safe from the predators en routeThe narrative takes giant leaps ahead in time with a new setting and characters Josh Friedmanrsquos script has some new ideas fuelling its storyline but it largely feels like a revisit to the same old lsquoApes Versus Humansrsquo conundrum The worldbuilding though is exemplary and there are a few themes here that keep the interest going At 145 min this is the longest instalment and even though there is a fair amount of balance in the action beats and the plotting the narrative does feel as though some of the ideas and themes had to be cropped for the story to move forward The theme that finds greatest fluency here though is the idea that Caesarrsquos teachings have now been twisted way beyond recognition over time to suit the new world order Itrsquos a fairly clever reference to current politicians twisting and misusing oldworld values as institutionalised by our forefathersThe narrative strength lies not in the story beats but in the character development and creation Every simian individual who inhabits this postapocalyptic world looks distinctive and wellrealised through impeccable motion capture performances The highondetail textured visual effects and exquisite design is the best wersquove experienced so far While the film is not exactly action heavy the visual effects still look a cut above those of other CGI heavy film experiences The focus here is on character and plot and the action merely appears when therersquos some major conflictWes Ballrsquos direction never allows the plotting to get dull and even the lowkey moments feel necessary When action kicks in gradually itrsquos beautiful to watch The action choreography is masterful and the camerawork simply breathtaking We see flashes of beauty in the postapocalyptic ruins and the images thereof are quite haunting The attention to detail in creating the ape characters is amazing The visual effects bring to life the Ape dominant world with stunning realism Some of the deeper themes may not be fully explored but they hint at complex dynamics that might find fruit in future installmentsKevin Durandrsquos Proximus Caesar is imposing but we never get to know much about him Quite a few key characters are introduced and dispatched without any development to speak of We also donrsquot experience much tension or edge as the narrative plays out The final act also doesnrsquot rise up to the occasion Itrsquos the technical specs that fascinate here The seamless impeccable imagery and the exacting finishing craft are an unparalleled experience to behold Wes Ball might not have been able to sharpen the tension here but he manages to compensate with stunning visual effects and emotional heft The setting characters and themes are resplendent and the tech aspects are terrificThis film may not garner an adrenaline gush but it definitely is as entertaining and immersive as its predecessors

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes movie review: An intriguing start-up for the rebooted franchise

Film: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Peter Macon, William H. Macy, Kevin Durand, Dichen Lachman
Director: Wes Ball
Rating: 3/5
Runtime: 145 min

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Home / Entertainment / Hollywood News / Article / Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes movie review: An intriguing start-up for the rebooted franchise

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes movie review: An intriguing start-up for the rebooted franchise

Film: Kingdom of the Planet of the ApesCast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Peter Macon, William H. Macy, Kevin Durand, Dichen LachmanDirector: Wes BallRating: 3/5Runtime: 145 min

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast

Film: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Peter Macon, William H. Macy, Kevin Durand, Dichen Lachman
Director: Wes Ball
Rating: 3/5
Runtime: 145 min