When it comes to franchises that have never had a weak movie in it the modern re-boot of Planet Of The Apes has surely led the way. While many were sceptical of a reboot just 10 years after Tim Burton’s take on the classic story had hit cinemas they were soon eating their words as the new films found a way to be both touching and epic while still making a strong comment about humanity.
Now some seven years after its predecessor we have the fourth instalment of this franchise hitting cinemas in the form of the Wes Ball (The Maze Runner) directed Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes.
Set 300 years after the death of the mighty Caesar this film follows the journey of a young ape named Noa (Owen Teague – It) who is part of the nature loving Eagle Clan. The Clan are peaceful and are known for training their eagles and generally trying to keep away from the feral humans (known as Echoes) that still live in certain areas.
Noa’s biggest worry in life is trying to seek recognition from his father Koro (Neil Sandilands – News Of The World) who seems to think that Noa is not ready to take on bigger responsibilities within the tribe.
On the eve of Noa’s coming-of-age ceremony though the clan is attacked by a raiding party led by General Sylva (Eka Darville – Jessica Jones) and what members of the clan who aren’t killed are taken captive.
Eager to try and find his family and friends Noa begins out on a journey and soon encounters a young human named Mae (Freya Allan – The Witcher) and a wise orangutan called Raka (Peter Macon – Shameless) who teachers Noa the ancient teachings of Caesar and educates him on the human race.
There is something strangely captivating about Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes. Only moments into this film you soon forget that you are watching CGI apes and instead it feels like they have come to life right in front of you. Any fears that people might have about not being able to relate or connect to the main characters of this film are immediately eliminated by the sheer brilliance of the look of the movie itself.
Perhaps even more importantly though is the way that these creatures are given characterisation by the work of screenwriter Josh Friedman (Avatar: The Way Of The Water) because it is the naturalistic dialogue and mannerisms of the Apes that so quickly endear them to the audience. The impact that Friedman’s work has on this film is clear when you realise that he has been able to capture the same ‘feelings’ here that he did with the Avatar franchise.
The other movie that springs to the mind when watching Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes is The Lord Of The Rings. Here again we have another movie where a character sets out on a journey – not only a journey with a mission but also one where the trip leads to a journey of self-discovery. It is easy to see from some of the more touching moments of this film that Noa equally learns as much about himself on this journey as he does about the world around him.
Likewise the audience is also taken on a journey where the audience is left pondering what exactly are humans useful on Earth and whether or not our relationship with nature has been destroyed for ever… few Hollywood blockbuster screenplays will have you thinking as much as this one does.
What the script does capture brilliantly well though is the bond that forms between Noa, Raka and Mae and you only realise how these characters have grown on you when their lives are placed in danger and you find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat and gripping the arm of your chair for dear life.
However, there is one weakness to this film – while the journey and the lessons provided on it are powerful parts of the film, it feels like there should have been made about what life was like in Kingdom that Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand – X-Men Origins: Wolverine) was trying to set up. This needed far more explanation as did the character of Trevathan (William H. Macy – Fargo) who was given way too little screen time. In a way it felt like the film should have ended when Noa and Mae arrive at the Kingdom and that events that occurred there needed to be a film of their own… still this certainly isn’t going to be a film where you leave the cinema disappointed either.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes keeps the brilliance of this franchise going. The inclusion of brand new characters brings about a whole new freshness and they are so likable we can only hope that we get to see more of their adventures come to the big screen soon. The way these CGI apes come to life so naturally is proof of modern day Hollywood magic. The best way to sum up this film – is that it is an action film for people who like something to think about after the credits have rolled.
3.5/5 Stars
