Movie: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Peter Macon, William H. Macy, Kevin Durand, Dichen Lachman
Director: Wes Ball
Rating: 3/5
Duration: 145 minutes
This fourth installment of the newly rebooted franchise has a new cast of characters with a timeline that has been moved forward several decades. The modern world is in ruins, reclaimed by nature, and the intelligent talking apes are now the dominant species, living in clans and tribes scattered throughout the new world.
However, the theme remains the same: ‘Ape. Strong together.’ It has had several sequels and this one also has an obligatory reference to the prophetic words signed by Andy Serkis’ Caesar in the hit 2011 prequel.The origin of the planet of the apes.’
Continuing the trend of putting primates front and center, this current installment brings renewed life to the franchise with its perfect art, clever subplots, and entertaining action. The film has emotional depth and moral complexity as well, but the path it takes feels familiar and repetitive.
The story begins with the coming-of-age task and initiation rites of the chimpanzee Noa del eagle clan (Owen Teague) who along with his friends Soona (Lydia Peckham) and Anaya (Travis Jeffery) are in the mountains in search of eagle eggs to bond with and raise as their own. But just before the ceremony, his clan is attacked by rival apes and taken to a new location to be enslaved. Narrowly escaping, Noa sets out on a journey to rescue them and, along the way, encounters a wise orangutan, Raka (Peter Macon), and a strangely intelligent human scavenger, Mia (Freya Allan), and the three team up to Stay safe from predators along the way.
The narrative advances by leaps and bounds in time with a new setting and characters. Josh Friedman’s script has some new ideas that fuel its plot, but it largely feels like a revisit of the same old ‘Apes Versus Humans’ conundrum. However, the world building is exemplary and there are some themes here that keep things interesting. At 145 minutes, this is the longest installment and although there is quite a balance in the action beats and plot, the narrative feels as if some of the ideas and themes had to be trimmed in order for the story to move forward. However, the theme that finds the most fluidity here is the idea that Caesar’s teachings have now been twisted beyond recognition, over time, to fit the new world order. It’s a pretty clever reference to today’s politicians who misrepresent and abuse the old world values institutionalized by our ancestors.
The narrative force does not lie in the rhythms of the story but in the development and creation of the characters. Each simian individual inhabiting this post-apocalyptic world looks distinctive and well-realized through impeccable motion capture performances. The highly detailed textured visuals and exquisite design are the best we have experienced so far. While the film doesn’t have much action, the visual effects still look a cut above other CGI cinematic experiences. Here the focus is on character and plot and the action simply appears when there is some important conflict.
Wes Ball’s direction never allows the plot to become boring and even the low-key moments feel necessary. When the action starts gradually, it is beautiful to watch. The action choreography is masterful and the camera work is simply impressive. We see glimpses of beauty in the post-apocalyptic ruins and the images of them are quite disturbing. The attention to detail in creating the ape characters is amazing. The visual effects bring the ape-dominant world to life with striking realism. Some of the deeper themes may not be fully explored, but they hint at complex dynamics that could bear fruit in future installments.
Kevin Durand’s Proximus Caesar is imposing, but we never learn much about him. Quite a few key characters are introduced and dispatched without any development to speak of. We also don’t experience much tension or advantage as the narrative unfolds. The final act is also not up to the task. What fascinates here are the technical specifications. The perfect, flawless images and exacting finishing are an incomparable experience to behold. Wes Ball may not have been able to sharpen the tension here, but he manages to compensate with impressive visuals and emotional weight. The setting, characters and themes are brilliant and the technological aspects are fantastic. This movie may not deliver an adrenaline rush, but it’s definitely as entertaining and immersive as its predecessors.