Director: Wes Ball
Writers: Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Stars: Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Dichen Lachman
Synopsis: Many years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he’s been taught about the past and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
When 20th Century Fox announced a reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise, it was met with little fanfare. And with James Franco attached, expectations were even lower. However, Rupert Wyatt’s original was a pleasant surprise. Stylish, evocative, and thrilling, Rise of the Planet of the Apes became the unlikeliest franchise success. Then, when Matt Reeves signed onto the following sequels, the bar on what the Planet of the Apes world could be was raised. Dark and ominous, Reeves’s smart and emotionally resonant follow-ups were different from Wyatt’s because, simply, the world had changed, the way it can when you go to war with a bunch of dirty but beautiful apes.
After rewatching the trilogy before my screening of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, I was struck by one of the great characters in film history, Caesar (Andy Serkis). His gravitas and influence could still be felt in the stand-alone sequel. That’s because the story picks up 300 years and a half later, following Noa (You Hurt My Feeling’s Owen Teague), a likely descendant of Caesar. This is not only because Noa has extraordinary empathy and wisdom beyond his years, along with hints, nods, and some Easter eggs; but, frankly, he looks just like him. I was struck by Teague’s turn, similar to Serkis, which can evoke such impassioned performance and depth considering the high bar the original motion capture master perfected.
Josh Friedman wrote the script, and Noa became a hero of the story when it was thrust upon him. After running across a human they call Nova (Gunpowder Milkshake’s Freya Allen), Noa breaks an egg he was supposed to care for from an eagle’s nest (they are known as the Eagle clan, after all) and sneaks out at night to locate another one. However, he runs across a group of coastal clans, full of bloodthirsty apes who use human technology, the ape version of a stun gun attached to spears, to attack the Eagles Clan in the name of the order of Caesar. After Noa’s family, best friends, and community are put into slavery under Proximus Caesar (Abigail’s Kevin Durand), he goes on a journey to locate them, learning about the ape’s history and beginning to question the past and where he came from.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now under the direction of Wes Bell, perhaps best known for helming the Maze Runner trilogy. This is his first film outside of that franchise, but it was a solid choice because of his history with special effects-driven action films and his ability to build worlds within an established story. The theme of race is still very prevalent, with Noa and his Eagle clan representing Caesar’s almost pacifist stance in working with those trying to eradicate them. At the same time, another group uses violence to accomplish their goals. In this case, Proximus wants to harness human technology to enslave others, including any straggling humans left to fend for themselves.
That’s an interesting concept. Bell and Friedman toy with something called the allegory of oppression as humans regress to animal-like states. There is an amusing scene where humans, slimed with grime and dirt and wearing simple loin cloths, flock to the river where zebras gather. The visuals make their intentions obvious. If you’ve ever seen a nature video where a lion chases down a gazelle, and Proximus’ thugs roam the terrain, you know what will happen next. Teague’s Noa has preconceived notions about humans, whom he calls “echoes,” mirroring the racist thoughts of the ones in power over the oppressed. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes flips that script a bit, asking the viewer to consider those with a history of influence as now on the wrong end of power dynamics.
The VFX special effects are breathtaking. I saw the film in IMAX, and I recommend seeing it on the biggest screen possible because of the size and scale of the world Bell is building upon. Motion capture technology has only improved with age. And while no one will ever be able to move you as Serkis did with that single tear before his demise in War for the Planet of the Apes, you would be hard-pressed to find a more talented young actor than Teague. He can superbly use body language and physicality to communicate his character to the audience.
While I did find Friedman’s script exciting, even poignant, and with the right amount of comic relief, the story and payoff rely on the character of Mae (Freya Allan) fostering a connection with Noa. This was never as well established and completed as I’m sure Friedman and Bell intended, and I’m sure it has been lost in its VFX-soaked and indulgent film experience. The story leads to a big payoff at the end, and while I do appreciate the outright duplicity of Mae’s character, the story acts as if they earned that face-off when they hadn’t.
If anything, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the first and necessary step to a reboot of a reboot and one that is never slow and always entertaining. Bell’s film is a setup for bigger showdowns, conflicts, and impending battles that will surely set up the franchise for future success.
