Released: 10th May 2024 (UK and US)
Length: 145 Minutes
Certificate: 12A
Director: Wes Ball
Starring: Owen Teague, Freya Allen, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon and William H. Macy
Throughout the 2010s, the rebooted Planet of the Apes series stood as one of the best modern trilogies in recent memory. Six years later the series has returned without Andy Serkis in the lead. Can it push on with a different focus and tone? Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes knows exactly where to take things; the result is another solid production.
Many decades after War for the Planet of the Apes, the descendants of Caesar now have full dominion over planet Earth with humans reduced to feral animals. We follow one tribe of apes who live in harmony with nature and a penchant for taming the wild eagles. As the film opens we see the young Noa (Owen Teague) and his friends Anaya (Travis Jeffery) and Soona (Lydia Peckham) finding their own feathered companions. When a hostile faction attacks his home and kidnaps his family, Noa sets out to save them, learning about both his forefathers and the struggle between ape and man along the way. He also stumbles across a human named Mae (Freya Allen) who seems far more articulate than the rest of her kind. The film can be split into two distinctive halves. The first is a period of serene discovery as we journey through the overgrown ruins. The second pits Noa against the might of Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), who has twisted the former leader’s words into a controlling dictatorship. Both are very well produced with the film picking up where the last one ended without resorting to flashbacks or exposition. Kingdom focuses squarely on being a new start and in doing so, gets us invested in the new cast members.
What makes Kingdom so interesting is how the dynamic is now completely reversed; the apes are now the most detailed and developed characters, speaking in both sign language and English. Carrying on the legacy of their forefather could have resulted in some awkward writing, but the fourth film strikes a firm balance between dialogue and facial expressions. There are no odd lines or jarring moments to be found as the actors have the right material to get the emotions across. Noa is a young explorer who aims to rescue his people, but often struggles with the weight of his mission. Early on he meets a wise ape named Raka (Peter Macon) who does a brilliant job of filling in the gaps and delivering a wealth of knowledge. On the opposite end, Proximus is a worthy villain; he lords over the captured apes but also tries to sway the protagonist to his side. This is well in tune with the wider setting and apes becoming the dominant species. It’s ironic that the human characters now feel somewhat hollow and underused now that the roles have shifted. The previous three films all featured some strong performances which only puts more pressure on Freya Allen. Mae represents the more conniving side of humanity, but Freya’s acting seems quite restrained throughout; it lacks the impact needed for a main performer. William H. Macy is in the movie for a very short period and only hints at the wider treatment of humans in this new world; he shows up in the second half as someone for Mae to interact with, but is quickly tossed aside as we head into the final act. Still, the film would work incredibly well without any human characters and that deserves high praise.
KOTPOTA is another great looking production with the core elements being displayed on the apes. Few IPs can match the excellent motion capture work done by the series and we’re once again treated to a superb level of detail. Every feeling on the ape’s faces is conveyed to the highest standards. We’re also taken through a stunning landscape with older human structures reclaimed by nature; this is contrasted against the coastline where Proximus has crowned himself, an unforgiving settlement that hides many secrets. There is a major focus on climbing with some vertigo-inducing shots that add to the tension. John Paesano takes over for the score which also follows on from the first three films beautifully. It swells as Noa grows into a capable leader.
Kingdom once again proves that this blockbuster sci-fi franchise can still deliver a thought-provoking and often powerful story. It succeeds at picking up where its predecessors left off and pivots towards the apes as central characters. Some of the cast go by underdeveloped, but this is one release that looks beyond basic spectacle and starts to build a new connecting bridge.
Rating: 4/5 Stars (Great)