Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

At some point, the criminally underrated re-booted ‘Planet Of The Apes’ franchise will get its due.

Oh, I realize the series has received generous reviews, and the box office take, beginning with 2011’s ‘Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes’, continuing with 2014’s ‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’ and culminating with 2017’s ‘War Of the Planet Of The Apes’, has been decent.  But – and remember, this is just one guy’s opinion – how masterfully these films weaved quality storytelling, genuine emotion, exceptional action and groundbreaking visuals into one solid package DESPITE the fact that the whole thing was based on what started as late sixties sci-fi camp?

Well, suffice to say….I’ll be a monkey’s uncle, but these movies just haven’t been given proper bouquets.  And the fact that the winning streak continues in ‘Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ without the likes of director Matt Reeves or star Andy Serkis?  It’s incredible.  This is a motion picture that not only deserves to be enjoyed on the biggest screen possible, but fully appreciated.  ‘Cause gems like this don’t come along every day.

‘Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ begins with a ceremonial funeral for Caesar, leader of the apes, who succumbed to injuries sustained during the final battle in ‘War’.  Fast forward three hundred years later (or, as the text reads, “many generations”), and Caesar’s legacy looms large, but it’s unfortunately been twisted.  Despite Caesar’s desire to have a world in which apes and humans can co-exist, apes are now the dominant species and a handful of them, particularly the power hungry lot, claim to respect the teachings of Caesar, yet bury his provisions for selfish gain.

Enter Noa (Owen Teague), a member of The Eagle Clan, a peaceful village of apes who bond with eagles at birth and help nurture them.  His father (Neil Sandilands) is one of the clan’s elders, thus expectations for him to a strong leader is high.  When he risks a dangerous climb to obtain an eagle’s egg, only to have it accidentally broken, Noa ventures out in to the night to retrieve another egg prior to a grand ceremony.  While he’s gone, a vicious rival clan attacks and destroys the village, all in search of a mysterious human (Freya Allan).  When Noa returns, he discovers his home has been burnt to the ground, most of his family and friends have been abducted to be used as slaves, and his father slain.

Setting off on a quest to find his clan, Noa forms a shaky alliance with the aforementioned human, Mae (although the apes initially call her Nova, a clever throwback on more than a few levels).  Together, they make their way towards a showdown with Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), an ape leader and self-proclaimed king who oversees a large group of apes inside a rusted ship near the sea.  There, a human-made vault is enticing Proximus, who believes if he can get it open, he will uncover a wealth of information and resources that will make him all the more powerful, and he believes Mae holds the key in unlocking it.

I still can’t get over how effectiveness of the CGI in this series.  Combined with some incredible performances, every creature is absolutely life like, and against the backdrop of an overly imaginative apocalyptic wasteland, you can’t take your eyes off ‘Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’.  Director Wes Ball (‘The Maze Runner’) certainly had the bar set high in taking over the chair here, but by darn, this guy cleared it.