Is ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ A ‘Chimpion’ or just bananas? | See It or Skip It

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — This week, apes are on horses and in theaters as the newest chapter of the “Planet of the Apes” franchise hits the silver screen. ABC4 Film Critic Patrick Beatty tells us if it’s worth seeing in theaters.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Where to Watch: Theaters

Directed By: 

Wes Ball

Written By: 

Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver

Starring:

Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Owen Teague, Peter Macon

Genre:

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13

All media courtesy of 20th Century Studios

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” takes place centuries after the time of Caesar and the three “Planet of the Apes” films centered around him. Noa is a young ape who is thrust into a journey of discovery and revenge when he sees his entire ape colony taken by Proximus Caesar, a learned ruler and follower of Caesar’s teachings. Noa will have to learn about the world outside of his village and come to uncomfortable truths about what the world is — but will he be able to balance that and save his family and friends?

I am a die-hard fan of the “Rise,” “Dawn,” and “War Planet of the Apes” trilogy — and like many others who heard this film was going to be made, I questioned why on earth they’d potentially put into question a perfect trilogy with a fourth installment. I’m very pleased to report that not only did they find a way to separate “Kingdom” from the other films by etching its own story in the “Apes” saga, but that it’s a compelling and thrilling movie that should be seen on the biggest screen possible.

I loved director Wes Ball’s decision to set this story centuries forward in time, making Caesar a myth and his teachings bendable to whomever decided to follow them. There are two sides of the coming there, both in Proximus and in Raka, an orangutan who — while misguided about the apes and human history together — studies and follows the fundamental principles of Caesar. He and Noa have multiple conversations about the teachings and how apes feel about humans now, and those moments were some of the most interesting of the film.

Noa is also introduced to how information is so crucial to power and control. One beautiful scene shows Noa discovering a giant telescope and peering into it with awe. I loved how this ties into his curiosity and realization during the story that he has so much still to learn about this world.

Noa and Raka meet a human they refer to as Nova, but learn she has a name (Mae) and can also speak, something they’d never seen humans do at this point. Noa and Mae are both leaders of their own kind and are trying to help their species however they can, which brings a lot of tension to the story and keeps you wondering if they can ever be friends or if it’s just a means to their own goals. I think her story was probably the weakest in the film, but I am curious of what is teased for her in future installments.

The special effects, motion capture, and set design are all expertly crafted and beautiful. They’ve not dipped in quality here and I cannot appreciate enough these creators letting the VFX artists have the time needed to really bring this world to life in a realistic and immersive way.

Overall, I would say this is as strong of a start for Noa as “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” was for Caesar. It doesn’t reach the level of “Dawn” — which I herald as the best of the franchise — but there’s a lot to enjoy here and I’m excited for what comes next.

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