It’s so funny, watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes again, and seeing the virus spread that took out the humans in the closing credits. I remember sitting in the theatre watching this in 2014, and giving a young Keanu “woah” in reaction, where now, in a world post-COVID-pandemic, I could only give a cold matter-of-factly, “yep, that’s how it happens” 😂 And I also remember being so excited with a mate of mine, to see War for the Planet of the Apes, as both of us had in mind that a third great film could confirm a near-perfect trilogy… We got our wish 😍 Neither of us were asking for, or expecting, a fourth instalment though. The same buddy asked me what I thought about this upcoming movie when the first Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ trailer seemingly came out of nowhere. And I said, “it may not be something we’re particularly looking forward to, but this remake franchise has nary put a foot wrong, so let’s give ‘em a shot!”
Generations after the commencement of the planet of the apes, Noa is a young chimpanzee of a rural clan that believe in a kinship between apes and eagles, forming a ritual mark of maturity. After events leave his home getting decimated, Noa strikes up an unlikely co-operation with a human named Mae (Freya Allen), and an Orangutan named Raka, and discovers a kingdom on the coastline that bears more secrets and wonders than Noa ever did dream. The movie is written by Josh Friedman, and directed by Wes Ball.
Mm, okay. Is “slog” too harsh of an interpretation? I just see so many problems with the narrative’s attitude in so many scenes of this movie, that I don’t know where to begin. Look, whilst Rise’, Dawn’ and War’ all held original stories guided by Planet of the Apes as their north star, now that Ceasar is dead, this sequel can literally go in any direction it wants – that creates opportunity, as does any freedom, but also a scary gaze into an abyss if no exciting direction is immediately clear. After watching this movie, it’s the first time I’ve really considered that this franchise has a choice between what it wants to build on from the new trilogy, and what holes it wants to mend on a path towards Planet of the Apes. I probably did myself a disservice by not rewatching Planet of the Apes again ahead of this movie; I’d forgotten that the apes did have guns in the original, but they also had an archaic caste system, and is that really where this franchise wants to head? A baby character called Cornelius existed in the previous trilogy, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes also gave us a cheeky glimpse into a twentieth-century space mission named Icarus, that we can interpret as Charlton Heston’s venture if we want, so there’s evidence that we could chart a new direction and timeline. I just think it’s a shame to have spent three movies with Ceasar, who was adamantly against guns, among other things, and plan to watch a regression of the ape’s society in this fantasy world now that he’s gone. These movies have already changed the extinction of man away from a nuclear holocaust to virus, or so I thought, or are we heading towards a nuclear reaction to the ape societies here as well? Because I’m not convinced by the action of this movie that I want to see that either. On the whole, I’d call this Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes the “’cept-some” movie, based on what has come before – the apes were going to know their past, ‘cept some don’t. The apes also hated guns, ‘cept some don’t. The humans couldn’t talk, ‘cept some now can. All this is while this movie is very stringent with any grounding principals on why things are happening. The movie also wants to constantly reference Ceasar and what has come before, without ever really being about that at all. When gorilla-commander Sylva attacks Noa’s village, supposedly in the name of Ceasar, it leads us to believe we’re doing what Watchmen (2019) did with Rorschach, and how the future generations have weaponised Ceasar’s teachings for their own goal – an angle I wasn’t too enthusiastic about seeing again, but at least it provided a mystery as to how that came to be. But it turns out, that this attitude has nothing to do with our original Ceasar, for there is a new Ceasar – a bad Ceasar – a Proximus Ceasar, out for a war chest.
This movie is loaded with emotionality and none of it lands. When Mae kills Trevathan (William H. Macy), what am I supposed to be feeling exactly? Shock? Danger for Mae that the helpful apes now might see her as a threat? If so, this barely registers. Then there’s the Emperor telling Noa that he showed such great promise for an ape, and why? Because he climbed high once, and still almost fell? That’s all I’ve seen him do. Then, there’s the multiple soliloquys that Noa has in front of the sun eagle, stating he’s not ready to be his father’s son… I’m empty inside. I actually think, at one point, the sun eagle “Jim’s” the camera, as if he’s also thinking, “seriously? You’re over complicating matters here, young ape – there are more immediate quagmires at play.” There really should’ve been some consideration to a moment of pause where Noa – if I quickly translate the humans of this world into something equivalent from our world – just discovered that “possums” can talk, that they used to rule the world, and there’s an Emperor in a far off land telling us that we need to kill all the “possums” before they take over this world again. Like, what? Can you imagine how you’d react if you heard that for the first time? I’d need a minute. But imagining is all we can do, for this movie doesn’t provide us with so much as a beat to show how Noa is processing his worldview getting turned upside down.
One way I’d try to fix this movie, is I think I’d frame Raka the orangutan, to be more like a hippy guidance counsellor, rather than a devout Jehovah’s Witness. It could’ve contrasted Proximus Ceasar also, who was also so sure of the past as well, and using it to strengthen his claim on the world. Say, Raka heard the tale of Ceasar from another ape passing through years ago, and wasn’t so sure of it himself; but he found the mural that he shows Noa, that pretty much confirms the stories about Ceasar are true. I get that this may seem like a minor change, but it helps Noa’s clan look less like dodos, as the only ones in the movie who haven’t heard the good word, and it shapes the world to show how the word of Ceasar has hit the future generations in many forms – some have heard rumors, and found their own reasons to believe, and some view it as fact for motivation. It’s just one of so many changes that I would make, scene to scene, to turn this movie more relatable and engaging to me.
And another thought I had; why isn’t Mae older? Her attitude and education in this movie, given her age, only make her feel more one-dimensional to me. As Mae goes to enter the bunker at the end of the movie, I thought finally we might gain some context as to how and why there are still smart humans in the world. But no, we get a quick glimpse at some young, sexy, clean, scientists and we are left to assume the rest for ourselves – the Colonel in War for the Planet of the Apes must’ve been wrong about how disastrous the virus mutation would be? Or there’s a series of government bunkers that have found an antidote, or always kept isolated, where they’ve bred like rabbits and educated themselves in science? 🤷♀️ Mae’s actress, Freya Allen, is only 22 years of age, so yep, barely out of the womb! Hollywood cries out about how there aren’t nearly enough roles for older women, and here’s a role I definitely think might’ve been more believable if the human badass was a few decades older. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes utilised Keri Russell effectively, and not having any young skin on the screen didn’t denigrate that movie. Also, why is Mae even in, or around Noa’s camp, if her mission was always to go to the locked facility and retrieve the large red disc? Was I asleep for portions of this movie, because I really don’t understand it. I may’ve mocked the movie’s rationale in my previous review as well (not as hard as this), but at least the visuals here are excellent. The motion-capture apes are blended so well into realistic looking sets and appropriate CGI, and whilst it may not be flawless, considering the vast ‘scapes of apes, it’s still to be complimented; perhaps my first praise of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes for the day 😄
So yes, I found the choices in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes almost unpalatable – like cranberry juice without any sugar. It is meandering around for purpose, constantly referencing what has come before without really having anything to do with it. And it really needed a shake, like an etch-a-sketch, to reinterpret its story. I kind’ve think the movie’s marketing team didn’t even know what the focal point for this movie was, considering they depict the movie’s journey on the poster when that probably isn’t even a third of the runtime – and I don’t blame them for being lost. Perhaps a sequel will rejig and clarify some of this movie’s content that I find ineffective, but I mean, I don’t need it. This might be where I mentally opt out of this franchise before things get even crazier. I am a massive fan of Ceasar, and what the three previous movies have done, but if this new sequel franchise can’t give me any characters that I want to latch onto, then I’m really out to sea! Or lost in space, as might be more appropriate here (😄 never pardon the pun). I suppose I’ll end this little seminar with a PSA, just stating how Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is an excellent movie, perhaps one of the best of the century so far, I’d venture; so go rewatch that, and be thankful we have wonderful introspective movies like that.
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