‘Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Review: 56-Year-Old Franchise Reborn With New Angle That Energizes Classic Primate Tale

After 2017’s masterful War of the Planet of the Apes, which completed the trilogy that started with 2011’s Rise and 2014’s Dawn and told the epic story of wise leader Caesar and the apes who created this whole new world, I really thought there was nowhere else to go with this franchise that had itself started so brilliantly in 1968 with the original starring Charlton Heston as an astronaut who lands in this futuristic world dominated by intelligent apes. Many other iterations would come, even a side foray by Tim Burton, but it was that most recent trilogy (the first directed by Rupert Wyatt, the final two by Matt Reeves) that really popped. But being box office successes, 20th Century’s new owner Disney knew there was more to be mined, and they were right.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was put in the hands of director Wes Ball (the Maze Runner trilogy) and screenwriter Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds), and they have wisely not tried to carry on where War left off, but rather move hundreds of years into the future (although the exact time is not specified) to a world where these chimps are now dominant over a forgotten human race that is no longer a factor, reduced to people scavenging for food and unable to speak. The landscape, thanks to brilliant production design from Daniel T. Dorrance, is a remnant of the world humans once dominated: decaying buildings have been overtaken by emerging trees, glass is a thing of the past, and the climate once again is raising its ugly head, reordering the place so to speak.

This is where we meet naive but energetic young Noa (Owen Teague), who is trying to prove his worth in the world as all apes in the Eagle Clan must do as a right of passage. We see him climb a tall, rotted-out building to reach the Eagles nest on top and retrieve an egg. It is a thrilling sequence and sets the stage for his coming-of-age adventure on a planet where he knows virtually nothing of its human history, but others do including a wise old orangutan named Raka (Peter Macon), who cites the impact and spiritual reputation of the legendary Caesar as he tries to pass on those lessons learned. Caesar (played in the last trilogy by Andy Serkis, who serves as a consultant to the actors in this one) may be long gone physically, but he remains a god-like creature to many as his ethereal presence lives on all these centuries later.

Noa also encounters an actual human, Nova aka Mae (Freya Allan), who runs from danger at every turn and appears primeval, but there is more to her that meets the eye and she will become a key partner in all Noa is about to uncover as he must confront the villain of the piece, Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), a strong-willed self-appointed leader of a large army. He also quite fancies re-creating the kind of technology that humans had aced in their time, and is in fact obsessed with entering the nearby vault at the center of his universe in a quest for knowledge and power. He has captured another human, Trevathan (William H. Macy), who serves as a guide to everything human, an indispensable piece of the puzzle for Proximus.

No more spoilers, but Ball really ratchets up the adventure aspects of the story as opposed to its sci-fi elements, and it all races to a conclusion that is clearly just a beginning. The actors here, most doing performance-capture with CGI leading the way, are really showing the advancements in this art. Props to movement coach Alain Gauthier in this regard as all of them are instantly believable, a triumph of acting craft merged with technology. Teague (It) is particularly fine, as is Macon. Durand is imposing in all the most chilling ways. Allan is terrific as the key human component. Props also to Gyula Pados’ excellent camera work, and John Paesano’s stirring score, with its nods to the 1968 film’s composer Jerry Goldsmith as well as Michael Giacchino’s previous work.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes proves, without a doubt, that there is still life on this Planet with plenty room to grow. I am psyched for the next one. Producers are Ball, Joe Hartwick Jr., Jason Reed and past trilogy screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.

Title: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
Release Date: May 10, 2024
Director: Wes Ball
Screenwriter: Josh Friedman
Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, William H. Macy
Rating: PG-13
Running time: 2 hr 25 min