Review: Kingdom of Planet of Apes successfully delivers wild animal antics even without Andy Serkis
What is the point of a new Planet of the Apes film? Why would I care about these characters? Does it even have Andy Serkis in it?
Let’s be honest, these are all worthwhile questions when it comes to deciding whether to go to see director Wes Ball’s first film in the franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
This movie will be the fourth in recent years and ninth overall, with the oldest and first hitting screens back in 1968, so it's safe to say it's a pretty historic franchise overall.
But thankfully I will say, if you enjoyed the story of Caesar in the last three films, this new outing is certainly worth your time.
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It is different, no question about it, but it has many of the building blocks that made you so attached to the previous flicks.
What is the point of it? Well, personally I'm not really a fan of long breaks between films, BUT this movie does manage to introduce new characters and quickly win you over - even though we are done with Caesar's story.
On top of that, it dives right back into the themes of the previous films in fascinating new ways. The latest film brilliantly examines the importance of legacy and how easily one person’s message can be easily manipulated in the here and now.
Seems pretty fitting to society right now, wouldn’t you think? Be it religion, politics, social norms or tradition, the film can be attributed to each topic so it's likely you’ll be able to relate to some of the story beats.
That being said, this isn’t a preachy film about the inner workings of society - these are intelligent conversational apes we're talking about here.
So, if you want to ignore some of the less obvious themes, you can still have a great time watching ape vs ape carnage, with some impressive mo-cap acting and gorgeous visuals.
The plot is certainly passable, but if we're being brutally honest, it seems more of a small journey compared the grandeur that fans were used to with central protagonist Caesar in the previous instalments.
The story does what it says on the tin; we are introduced to Noa and his clan, and after a raid on their home, in the name of a crucial legacy character, he must embark on rescuing them.
Now unfortunately, Andy Serkis doesn’t take up a role in the new film. However, he did offer words of wisdom to the cast on how to bring their own apes to life, according to Ball.
Speaking to UNILAD, Ball said that Serkis gave his input and was all for the new story and the direction the franchise is going in.
“He’s very positive, I would say, so it made us happy that because he kind of seems to me, Andy was kind of the godfather of the apes, if you know what I mean," Ball said.
“So, we wanted his approval and we got it, you know, so that made us happy.”
So the new movie has the approval of Serkis - but that being said, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes isn't perfect.
Although it has some great action moments, the middle portion of the film can prove a little bit dry as Noa, Mae and Raka search to find the clan.
The third act also seems very similar to War of the Planet of the Apes, without the boombastic action set piece after all the ape slavery.
All in all, however, the overall future of the franchise looks bright as long as the follow up films up the stakes and action.
A 4 out 5 stars film which sets high expectations for sequels.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Topics: Film and TV, Review
Gerrard Kaonga