THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
For over 50 years, the film franchise of Pierre Boulle’s Planet of the Apes has been able to be as relevant with others just as old due to always being able to keep up with the times and make most entries in their own way. When the rebooted saga debuted in the 2010s, I didn’t mind of it ending with War. But with Walt Disney purchasing 20th Century Studios, I knew deep down there was still more to tell and Kingdom showed exactly how impactful it was to witness the evolution of Caesar.
PLOT
The 2024 film takes place many generations after the passing of the first evolved ape. Since Caesar’s death, many apes have established separate clans while humans devolved in a feral-esque state. The story follows the chimpanzee Noa whose clan involves falconry-practicing, the Eagle Clan. He has his coming of age ceremony with his friends Anaya & Soona by collecting eagle eggs, but the plan to celebrate his maturity is ruined when a human encounter leads to his egg inadvertently cracking. When he goes to get another one at night, a group of ape raiders wielding electric weapons pass through and attack his village. He tries saving his father when going back until the gorilla Silva, leading raider drops him from a high platform and kills him. When Noa wakes up, his village is in ashes and his tribe has been abducted, making him vow to save them all. Besides his own eagle, he would be on his own until encountering the orangutan Rama who shares with him Caesar’s teachings how he coexisted with humans. Together, they notice they’re being followed by the human scavenger Noa encountered before his village was destroyed. Rather than discriminate her, Raka chooses to be friendly and names her Nova, as in reference to a human Caesar’s tribe befriended. As they continue their travels, they encounter a herd of zebras and a group of feral humans. The moment of peace would be interrupted by Silva who leads his raiders for a hunt. They try to capture Nova but Noa & Raka are able to prevent that from happening as they avoid abduction. Recuperating from the chase, Nova reveals she can speak and her name is Mae. She also shares she knows where Noa’s clan is in which she guides them to a beachfront settlement outside an old vault. By the time they reach a bridge that’ll direct them to the settlement, Silva ambushes them. Raka would save Mae from drowning, only for him to be swept by the rapids. When taken into the settlement, Noa finds Eagle Clan there and meets the settlement’s self proclaimed king, Proximus Caesar. Proximus has been enslaving many ape clans like Noa’s and is using them all to try opening the vault and access human technology for himself. When waiting for it to open one day, he learns human history of a personal human prisoner named Trevathan. He invites Noa to dinner of his intentions while also implying Mae has her own agenda. At night, Noa confronts her on what she wants from the vault, in which she replies a book that can restore human’s voices all at once. He agrees to help her with the intent to destroy the vault afterwards and prevent Proximus from getting inside first. He convinces his friends Soona & Anaya to join them and before they could enter through another door on the other side, Mae kills Trevathan who spots them and tries to warn Proximus. Inside the vault, Mae quips herself with a bag full of weapons and finds her book which is in fact a satellite deciphering key. While the three apes wait for her, they look around and discover a children’s book to confirm humans were the once-dominant species towards the apes they once encaged in zoos. When opening the vault from the inside, it is sunrise and Proximus lies in wait still wanting the human weapons. Refusing to let that happen, Mae shoots his lieutenant Lightning, sets off the explosives she set up on the dam and flees the settlement. As the apes climb to higher ground, Noa drowns Sylva and his clan defeat Proximus by summoning their eagles to send him falling off a cliff at sea. Some time later, Noa would begin rebuilding his clan’s home. Mae would bid farewell to him, but still believe the technology in the vault never belonged to the apes. Still disappointed in her betrayal, he feels unsure if both races could ever co exist peacefully. As Noa later takes Soona out to see a telescope, the film ends with Mae giving the decipher key to a human settlement quarantined in a satellite base where they use the key to reactivate satellites and successfully contact other humans worldwide.
THOUGHTS
With 7 years gone by since the previous film, I was very sure there would be more stories to tell because a dystopia like this doesn’t just end with one leader’s era concluding. Director Wes Ball knew that and due to his world building experience adapting The Maze Runner, he was able to succeed in maintaining the immersiveness that this franchise’s new era is expressing. The motion capture that brings apes to life is already more realistic than before, but the biggest set of details that puts me in awe is how the world that used to be filled with cities is now a jungle everywhere you go. The action felt the most intense from seeing a village burn, to seeing humans get hunted by apes or a bunker get flooded, that all put me on the edge of my seat. Looking back, I think this film has its own effect on me for pointing out the misuse of religion and the ongoing conflict that is racism. There are people that use religion as a weapon rather than as a tool to feel good. And the past defined by our ancestors becomes such a problem we end up going down the right or wrong path based on what they did before us. What matters the most to make us better individuals is to make your own decisions based on what you think is right and not what others would because your opinion matters more. This is the theme that was explored between both sides which made me feel conflicted yet clear on how I felt with each moment that passed. From the very opening, seeing Caesar’s funeral, it was a symbolic way to start a new era and this era started with Noa. Owen Teague doesn’t try to act like Caesar, but the ape he plays carries his spirit for the bravery he embraces to protect his loved ones and the loyalty he displays to those he respects. In his youth, he’s trying to figure out what is right & wrong and sees he doesn’t need to listen to others to do the former. He gets the advice and hears other perspectives and he narrows it from there. With every bad thing that happened to him, he could have acted with vengeance but instead it was with mercy because he knows it won’t undo what happened. But he doesn’t hesitate in expressing his disappointment. When he expressed how Proximus’ laws were wrong and his eagle Sun came to him, he truly became a mature adult from then on. And despite the loss, he pursues a better future. Of course, I don’t think he would’ve not been so open minded had it not been for an unlikely friend. With Maurice (Karin Konoval) gone as well, it was hard to imagine other apes to be wise like him but little did we think his own spirit would pass on to Raka. Due to how he grew up learning what he knew of Caesar, it made him very empathetic towards more people than he should. It wasn’t a bad thing however because it made him more selfless in a world where anyone can be selfish. His death was devastating because a part of me felt like it could’ve been avoided. Thankfully, it didn’t exactly feel in vain when Noa still got to free his clan as he vowed. While it was Raka that used Caesar’s teachings as an act of spreading peace, it made sense there was at least one who twisted them. Kevin Durand was arguably incredible as Proximus for becoming a tyrannical dictator. The difference he has from Koba is that he didn’t grow up with the trauma but knows that humans are far more unpredictable and refuses to give up superiority. And since he is willing to make needless sacrifices to let it stay that way, it further seals the deal that he doesn't deserve the power however he gained it. When having a merciless brute like Sylva, who was well played by Eka Darville, he almost felt unstoppable until walking into his own downfall. Had he not been all in the moment trying to relish a victory and just push Noa off the cliff, his reign would have lasted longer which it thankfully does not. At first, we want to think Mae is too fragile to go on without her kind, but Freya Allan slowly shows she’s way more ruthless than one would imagine. Rather than being a jester for Proximus the way William H Macy portrays Trevathan, she is determined to help her race get back to the top of the food chain and the takeaway is how she’s willing to betray those who trust her like Noa. She was out of line to have a gun on her when bidding farewell to Noa because she should know he would never harm her compared to Proximus or Sylva and I can easily point out when being given Raka’s necklace, that represents Caesar’s first home, she doesn’t deserve it because she is against what he stood for. Should we ever see her again, I do wonder if she could ever redeem herself but time will tell. This film is overall impressive, but great stuff like this still have questionable moments. From the top, why has it taken so long for Sylva to encounter the eagle clan? I mean if humans like Mae or the mute ‘echoes’ were so close, I feel like they should’ve found them sooner. And why should the eagle clan apes hold onto their eggs when they can give it to their elders for safekeeping? It is one thing to trust yourself, but the burden should be over after climbing high buildings at the brink of collapsing. And despite tradition, I think they should take multiple eggs incase one breaks on accident. That way, Noa would’ve not had to leave after first encountering Mae. Also, Sylva could’ve kept running after Noa because he was still fast enough to catch Mae. I also think Mae makes it hard to show she means well when following Noa. If she really wanted help to destroy the dam but not worry of an ape trying to get even with her, she should’ve went to Raka first. I do give credit to Raka for sending the horses away a distraction, but I feel like they should’ve went another way to the dam before getting there because it’s obvious Sylva was sure they’d go there. On top of that, why weren’t there guards at the dam? If there were, that would explain why Proximus was waiting at the front of the bunker but they should’ve just followed Mae and the chimps to snatch some weapons. Letting Trevathan die would’ve been worth it on their end if they did. Another crazy thing has to be how Proximus, Sylva & Noa were in the line of fire yet Mae was able to only hit Lightning of all apes. Grazing either one of them before shooting Lightning could’ve further proved her point of desperation. That situation was weirder than Noa being surprised of the dam being destroyed when he helped Mae set up the explosives. He may have not seen something like that before, but he should’ve booked it sooner. Ignore this, then you’ll still appreciate this movie for what it is. In conclusion, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a fantastic sci fi film for still being able to open your mind in more ways than one. If you’ve loved this franchise, especially the recent ones from the 21st century, there’s no doubt you’ll enjoy this too.
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