Swinging its way into UK cinemas today (and in the US from tomorrow) is the sci-fi action-adventure movie, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Directed by Wes Ball, the film features performances from Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy, and follows the story of a young chimpanzee named Noa.
In the movie, Noa is a chimpanzee who is coming of age, while living in a village with his family. Noa lives a peaceful existence amongst his tribe, who have built a society free from conflict.
However, Noa’s way of life suddenly changes when he crosses paths with outsiders. The first outsider is a human woman, while the second is a vicious tribe of apes looking for blood.
After making their way to Noa’s village, the apes kill Noa’s father, capture his friends, and leave him for dead. As Noa soon finds out, they work for a terrifying primate named Proximus Caesar, who has grand plans to become a powerful ape and a ruler of all he surveys.
OK, so for those keeping track, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the tenth movie in the Planet of the Apes movie collection, BUT it is the fourth entry in the rebooted series. For the purpose of story and continuity, it follows on from the events of Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017).
So, if you want to play catch-up, those are the three movies you may wish to check out before diving into this latest instalment. That said, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set a few hundred years after the events of War, so if you just fancy watching this picture you can hop on here without too many problems.
All that you really need to know is that as a general rule of thumb, the vast majority of the Planet of the Apes movies are great – especially the entries in the rebooted series. And the good thing about Kingdom is that it keeps up this same high standard, and is another fantastic film!
The first thing to note about Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is just how gorgeous it looks. This is a superb looking picture, with some excellent computer-generated imagery, luscious backgrounds, and plenty of visual creativity and craftsmanship.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes cost $160 million to make, and you can see every dollar up there on the screen. Unlike a number of recent blockbusters which cost $200 million+, and look like crap (The Flash, I’m looking at you), Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a true work of art, which utilises its production budget in exactly the right way.
All the way through the movie the apes, gorillas, chimpanzees etc, are all expertly realised. At no point do they look cheap, half-finished, or quite frankly, piss poor – they are all marvellous monkeys.
Lead character Noa, is excellent; frightening foe, Proximus Caesar is brilliant; and good-natured orangutan, Raka is astonishing. In fact, Raka is a true wonder and is easily set to become the fan-favourite of the film.
Voiced by Peter Macon, Raka steals every scene he is in. And while he doesn’t get as much screen time as some of the other characters, his contribution to the movie is more than enough.
Sticking with the actors, and while the majority of the film is populated by animals, there are a couple of human characters thrown into the mix. The best of these is Mae/Nova, who is played to absolute perfection by Freya Allan.
I have no idea where this movie series is going beyond Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, but whatever comes next I hope Allan is involved. The actress is another scene-stealer, and she provides a strong presence throughout the film.
Mae/Nova is a great character, with plenty of untapped potential. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes creates a perfect introduction for her, so fingers crossed she returns.
And speaking of introductions, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is also a good jumping on point for newbies. While this film is the fourth instalment in this series, the story being told here is essentially a new chapter, so you’ve got no excuses not to take a look.
Kingdom has links to the past, but at the same time it introduces a new story and new characters. So, if you’ve watched the three previous movies that’s fine, however, if you are new to the franchise you won’t get lost and you can always circle back to what you’ve missed.
Outside of the above, Kingdom has a great soundtrack, an even tone, and a captivating story. It’s not the strongest story in the series, but it is one which works well, and builds up to a rousing finale.
The film also includes a number of nods to the original Planet of the Apes, which are fun, but don’t detract from what is being served up this time around. If anything, they are nice little flourishes for fans to spot, which could hint at what’s to come.
If I was a betting man, I would put good money on a remake of Planet of the Apes being on the cards at some point down the line. Perhaps not for another couple of entries yet, but I have a feeling it’s on the cards.
All I can say to this is, bring it on. In fact, bring on every other damn dirty Apes film while you’re at it – I’ll take them all!
For a movie franchise which has been around since 1968, it’s amazing how the Planet of the Apes movie series keeps on delivering. Kingdom is a solid entry, which creates new foundations for the future and it’s a thoroughly entertaining way to spend two-and-a-half-hours.
Last week the summer blockbuster season got off to a great start with The Fall Guy. This week Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes keeps things moving along very nicely.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
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