Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a 2024 American science fiction action film directed by Wes Ball and written by Josh Friedman. The sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), it's the fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise, and the tenth film overall. Originally planned as a reboot, it was released as a sequel.
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Plot
In the time following the death of Caesar, apes officially became the dominant species, while humans regressed into the shadows. 300 years have passed since Caesar's death, and the apes have split into separate clans. A young chimp named Noa goes on a quest for knowledge while coming across Proximus Caesar, an ape who disregards the past teachings of Caesar to rule other clans.
Why It's A Wonderful Film
- Amazing CGI. Even more so than the previous films. The fact that the film costs less than Dawn at $157 million compared to that film's $170 to $235 million budget yet still looks amazing proves that a bigger budget doesn't make better visuals. It takes time and effort to make amazing effects.
- The costumes on the apes are also great, with Proximus Caesar's being the standout.
- Incredible sets, such as Eagle Clan village, the ruins of Los Angeles Airport, and Proximus's kingdom at a military bunker.
- Likable characters such as Noa, Mae, Raka, and Proximus Caesar.
- The side characters are also great such as Soona, Anaya, Trevathan, and Sylva.
- After three movies in the reboot series that show the downfall of humanity and the rise of apes, this film officially embraces the source material by sticking to its source material of apes hunting humans. Although with one exception.
- The performances are great, with Kevin Durand being Proximus Caesar being the standout.
- Koro's death is a powerful way to kickstart the plot of the movie.
- Raka's death was also saddening as well.
- Amazing cinematography.
- Great pacing.
- Incredible action scenes like the apes hunting Mae and the other humans, Promximus's Caesar's clan attacking Noa's village, and the final chase scene between Noa and Sylva over the flooding base, that rivals Avatar: The Way Of Water style visual effects.
- The apes using electric batons instead of rifles in the original is a massive improvement as it retains the movie's futuristic setting but still makes it look primitive.
- Amazing direction from Wes Ball, an improvement over his Maze Runner films.
- Great dialogue.
- "Apes hunt humans. That is wrong."
- "Together, you will die."
- "No. Together... strong!"
- Proximus Caesar's speech to his followers is incredible.
- At the end of the film, we see Mae giving an access key to a human, showing that not all humans have perished in the Simian Flu and are working to reconnect with other humans. Whether they will dominate over apes again, only time will tell.
Bad Qualities
- It does feel a bit bloated thanks to its two-and-a-half-hour runtime.
- Some of the plot is recycled from Dawn and War for the Planet of the Apes.
- The main villain is a bonobo like Koba, although Proximus Caesar seeks to enslave other clans, rather than take revenge against humanity.
- The plot is kickstarted when a family member close to the protagonist dies, like Caesar's son and wife in War for the Planet Of the Apes, although Noa doesn't struggle with his darker instincts like Caesar.
- While great, the final action scene at one point looks like it reused from Avatar: The Way Of Water with a flood chasing the protagonists, which makes sense since both movies were motion captured and made by 20th Century Studios.
Reception
According to the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, critics described the film as having "Avatar-level visual effects", complemented by "standout performances and top-notch action", although "it doesn't quite meet the heights of its predecessors." On the website, 81% of 203 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Carving out a new era for The Planet of the Apes with lovable characters and rich visuals, Kingdom doesn't take the crown as best of the franchise but handily justifies its continued reign."