KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES -- Blockbuster Filmmaking With Character

Review by Jonathan Berk

The Planet of the Apes franchise has always straddled the line between sheer entertainment and profound allegory. Audiences can watch it for the simple joy of a compelling science fiction narrative or dig deeper into the layers of meaning embedded in the story. Matt Reeves's entries elevated the franchise led by Andy Serkis's performance as Caesar, making film nerds debate why motion capture performances aren't recognized at the Oscars. With Wes Ball taking over where War for the Planet of the Apes left off, many were concerned that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes would be another sad studio attempt at a cash grab. Fortunately for fans and moviegoers, it is a worthy entry in the series. 

Many generations have passed since Caesar died to save the apes. His teachings live on in some tribes but not in others. The Eagle Clan has built its own system of rules and lives in solitude. Noa (Owen Teague) is the son of the tribe's Chief Koro (Neil Sandilands) and is tasked with obtaining an eagle egg that he will raise in the tribe's tradition. However, his whole world is about to expand as a new tyrannical ape leader seeks to build his empire. 

Going into this fourth entry of the franchise, one thing that was concerning was if the CG's quality would take a dip, but it really didn't. This film has some absolutely gorgeous frames, and the characters are often photorealistic. That doesn't hold up in some scenes when there are a lot of apes, and the quality dims a lot. Still, anyone who thought this film would be less than will be surprised it is not. 

That rings true with both the story and the characters. While there is plenty of spectacle, Ball's film provides a wealth of moments to sit with the characters. When we meet Noa, he is troubled and struggling with so many parts of his life. He is working on a rite of passage, figuring out where he fits in with his clan, and then suddenly and drastically changing his way of life. The characterization is done so well, as is the world-building.

There is exposition given in long stretches of dialogue, but it makes sense in the story being told. The Eagle clan has no knowledge of the past, but the two factions that Noa meets reveal similar information used for different purposes. This idea of knowledge being power — and how it is wielded by those who possess it — feels very pertinent. Noa becomes an audience surrogate who has no information on Caesar, and it makes sense that characters fill him in through these aforementioned stretches of dialogue. 

Raka (Peter Macon) shines as a voice of reason and is a fantastic addition to the film. He is a strong character who instantly clicks into his role. Noa and Raka convey so much of the emotional weight in the movie that it's easy to forget these are CG characters. This concept has been the magic of this franchise, and we are fortunate this film can deliver it again. 

As noted, the film doesn't just have CG apes sitting around campfires talking. The opening sequence has Noa, Anaya, and Soona climbing to retrieve eagle eggs. There is an immediate sense of tension, and the stakes of the moment become clear. Pretty much every action scene in the film has a thematic weight to it that draws the audience in. These moments in the film work because the time was taken to invest in and develop the characters. It does seem to be the magic trick of this franchise: making human audiences root for the apes more often than the humans. 

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is peak blockbuster filmmaking. It has tons of spectacle but with characters that the audience will be invested in. The power of the sci-fi genre is on full display here, and Wes Ball proves he is a filmmaker to be taken seriously. This is a film that rewards seeing it with a crowd. ​

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is in theaters on May 10. 

Rating: 4/5​