PG-13 2024 ‧ Action/Sci-fi ‧ 2h 25m
I have seen every Planet of the Apes movie: the five originals, the Tim Burton, and the rebooted trilogy focused on Andy Serkis’ Caesar. So that is to say I am the target audience for this movie and I had high expectations for it, but I was also a little apprehensive because this movie hadn’t been planned when the Caesar trilogy was developed. Would this be a cash grab?
First, as it turns out Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes starts right where the last movie left off, with the death of Caesar before jumping into the future “several generations.” Although Caesar is dead, his shadow is cast over the characters in this movie. Our protagonist, Noa, is a young ape introduced to Caesar's philosophy, compassion, and the notion that apes and humans could live together. Our villain is Proximus Caesar, who has not only taken Caesar’s name but uses the power of the name to create a kingdom of apes (as referenced in the movie’s title). Falling in between the dichotomy is Mae, a human who has retained the ability to speak and reason and has a mysterious background.
The state of special effects today is amazing. I don’t think there is a single shot in the film without some level of effect needed. Almost every character is an ape able to talk and convey emotion. It is impressive to create this world on the screen and take for granted that it’s not real. It’s a far cry from the rubber ape masks that confronted Charlton Heston decades ago.
If this film was a cash grab, I guess I don’t care because the story was interesting enough to hold my attention. The special effects were solid. Although a sequel hasn’t been green-lit, the movie lays the foundation for one and, if it happens, I’ll be there opening weekend. Go apes!
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