Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Apes strong together... With Caesar's passing came the necessary long exposure. The new hero Noah, the new heroine Nova, and of course family and friends. Funny sequences about the foul odors of human females alternate with themes of artificial evolution. Knowledge and technology vs symbiosis with nature is beautifully sketched out and could use more elaboration, but there's no time. Wes Ball is building the fertile ground for a new trilogy and succeeds in presenting an interesting world that I want to know more about. A world that nature has taken back from humans and where the Legend of Caesar takes on a life of its own and is subjected to new interpretations. The apes, as a product of our failure, slowly tread our path, but have the ruins of our triumphs in their sights, which they want for themselves. I wonder where they'll take it. I'm sorry the smart people haven't disappeared. I'm waiting for the astronauts to arrive and visit New York. But this is missing the point. (05/13/2024)

Old school = wandering through the collapse and ruins of civilisation with a fine atmosphere and rather likeable characters, but they barely manage to fill up the film’s 144 minutes, which is objectively twice as much time as the plot needed. Visually, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a very nice film that will please people who love the Rise of the Planet of the Apes with its intimate setting and emphasis on minimalistic action. But Noa isn’t Caesar and, unlike Reeves, Ball isn’t enough of a baller to give Kingdom that special apocalyptic touch that Dawn of the Planet of the Apes had. Overall, however, this is a respectable contribution to the canon. It’s just a shame that the ending rather promises a variation on the original trilogy with a somewhat less charismatic protagonist. (05/09/2024)

Yes, it's true that the last third doesn't live up to the two previous ones, although it really tries to, but otherwise it's basically a repeat of the 13 year old surprise from Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which I wasn't expecting much from either. This time, we've finally reached the stage where the apes are playing the lead and humans have taken second fiddle (although it may be different again in the sequel), and it's great. The visual effects work their magic again, the characters are 100% believable, the story is interesting and exploring an alien but familiar world definitely has its charm (05/16/2024)

Wanderingly slow story, which always likes to stop just for so long to introduce a new culture, show a few of its customs, and then unleash the archetypal battle that is never black and white. The trick side is just as stunning as is customary in the realm of tricksters. Thanks to this so delicately guided humanistic lines leave even more of an impact, especially since in the background the promises of future events play out casually. A clever blockbuster of that mood which I will never stop seeking. (06/14/2024)

To be honest, I have to say that I got exactly what I expected. And while I wasn't looking for a miracle, I definitely intended to enjoy a smart, good-looking sci-fi adventure at the cinema, and that's what Wes Ball delivered. This is the first installment of a new planned trilogy, so a lot of time is spent on world building (which has changed quite a bit from the last film) and introducing the main characters. And just the first scene with them is enough to blow you away, because Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes looks gorgeous, and Ball also makes great use of the attractive setting of the ruined cities that nature is taking back. But that's just the beginning. What's most interesting about Ball's new release is the ape society itself, hinting at the ways and directions in which the new civilization and each ape community is evolving. Noah is also quite a likable hero, different from Caesar and to some extent a bit more ordinary and with simpler motivations, but he serves well as a guide in the journey through a world we actually have to rediscover, as does his human partner Freya Allan, with whom it's unclear for a long time how they will work with her. The only problem is that because of the long exposition and introduction of the world, there is not much time for the plot itself, which is a bit rushed in the last third. The ambiguous villain could have done more interesting things with a better script, and the moral issues facing some of the heroes deserve more space, but again, I understand that you can't cram everything into two and a half hours. What Ball has crammed in is amply sufficient for a satisfying sci-fi adventure that can easily stand alongside the previous installments. And I hope he gets a chance to continue telling his story (05/09/2024)