Cinema
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
When the curtain closed on the most recent offering in the Planet of the Apes franchise, which starred the absolutely brilliant Andy Serkis, we didn’t think we'd be monkeying around with any more post-apocalyptic armies of militant chimps any time soon.
But the resounding success of the final movie in that trilogy, War for the Planet of the Apes, which was supposed to call time on the popular franchise back in 2017, meant it was inevitable we would see a return of the CGI primates in some shape or form.
The Maze Runner director Wes Ball takes the reins in this latest edition of the series, and envisions a world set hundreds of years after the rise of Caesar in the most recent movies. Life for Caesar's descendants has moved on, and the apes of this generation have little knowledge of the bygone war to secure their liberty which saw their species rise to the top of the food chain.
The action here follows Noa, a young chimp who is next in line to rule his clan but finds his village left in ashes when the ape king Proximus Caesar declares war on weaker clans after developing deadly weapons, reverse-engineered from past human technology. With hard weaponry at his disposable and an appetite to dominate all, Proximus Caesar poses a deadly threat to the peace that has reigned for centuries.
With nowhere left to call home, Noa sets out on a life-changing journey that will see him form an unbreakable bond with a human and set in place the beginnings of the next, great adventure.
Mimicking the style and quality of the Matt Reeves movies, the special effects and epic nature of the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes cannot be faulted. From the overgrown cityscape locations to the subtle mannerisms displayed on the faces of each of the apes, this film certainly does the previous movies justice. However, it does take Ball a good hour to set the scene before we even get close to the kind of action that has made the Planet of the Apes movies a fan favourite. So it’s a bit of a slow burner, but still well worth a go if you're a fan of the franchise. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes opens an exciting new chapter and offers the promise of primal power struggles to come.
Netflix
Bodkin
If you enjoyed the comedy-crime series Only Murders in the Building, then Bodkin is sure to be right up your street. Set in rural Ireland in the odd little town of Bodkin, a trio of intrepid podcasters arrive to document a true crime story that took place a number of years ago. But when engaging with the town's oddball locals, Emmy, Gilbert and Dove discover that the mysterious cold case is somewhat lukewarm and they may be in quite a lot of danger.
COMEDY CRIME: Netflix's Bodkin is set in rural Ireland
Starring Saturday Night Live star Will Forte, this deadly new series offers dark comedy, violence and quite a lot of choice language – careful now!
