Less of a Sequel, More of an Adventurous Spin-Off
DIRECTED BY WES BALL/2024
When the curtain shut on Caesar’s reign in 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, there was a distinct sense of finality to the prequel series. Considering that I never even expected a prequel to Planet of the Apes in general, I certainly was not prepared to find myself in a theater seven years later to watch the dystopian world come to life once again. By the time the credits rolled on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, I was left wondering if this film deserves its place among such an underrated series.
Centuries after Caesar fought to free his apes, the world he left behind has been irreversibly altered. The infectious disease depicted in War for the Planet of the Apes has degraded the human population to voiceless animals forced to survive the new natural order. Apes, however, have progressed rapidly. Long gone are silent, caged creatures of the past. These apes speak nearly fluent English and have even developed their own cultures. Our new protagonist, Noa (Owen Teague), is a young ape bent on proving his worth to his own tribe, the Eagle Clan. Accompanied by his companions, Soona (Lydia Peckman) and Anaya (Travis Jeffrey), the three swing through towering trees to steal eagle eggs as a part of an ancient coming-of-age tradition. Noa’s worries about assimilating into his village quickly become trivial as the clan finds themselves under siege from foreign apes claiming to be followers of Caesar.
Finding himself alone in the wake of destruction, Noa abandons his home in a quest to reclaim his family. Along the way, he discovers a true follower of Caesar, the orangutan Raka (Peter Macon), and reluctantly befriends one of the last surviving humans, a girl they name Nova (Freya Allen). What follows is fairly typical of an average adventure film: an over-the-top villain, weary alliances between should-be-enemies, and plenty of thrilling action scenes.
It is impossible to ignore the looming presence that is the absence of Caesar, and by extension Andy Serkis. Truly, Serkis’ past performance as the great ape was the gear that kept the franchise churning. To the credit of director Wes Ball, he manages to respect the impact of this towering character on the world without overdoing it. Caesar and his legacy haunt the narrative, and ultimately guides it from the shadows until the final act. Whether it be Rokka’s attempts to teach Noa the history of Caesar’s time, or the twisted interpretation of his principles by the new kingdom of apes led by Proximus Caesar, it is evident that the centuries have not erased his monumental impact. This subtle exploration of the dilution of history over time is an interesting theme, but one that Ball only grazes upon before switching to the next action sequence.
With Serkis gone from the cast, newcomer Owen Teague is left to lead his first blockbuster. Even completely disguised as an ape, Teague commands the screen and puts in a respectable performance as Noa. It is a shame that he is completely unrecognizable, as this certainly can be marked as a turning point in a growing career. Outside of Teague, the surrounding cast is rather forgettable and each fail to stand out as individual personalities. Even when gifted with the ability of language, the supporting cast of the original trilogy convey more emotion and depth than the apes in Kingdom. The reveal of Proximus Caesar only results in an incredibly one-dimensional villain that is instantly dismissible. When placed against such compelling past antagonists such as Koba in Dawn and the Colonel in War, Proximus is an utter disappointment. Rokka is one of the few exceptions, as he adds a sense of levity and is the source for a majority of the more humorous moments. The chemistry between the human, Nova, and Noa has the potential for complexity but ultimately falls flat until the final scene.
Overall, the visual effects definitely have not dulled over the years. From minute facial expressions to subtle motions, it is clear that the same level of care has been applied to these films. It is not flawless by any means, but at least the quality has not disintegrated. The motion capture is just as breathtaking and inspiring as it was 2011 in Rise.
At the end of the day, while this film is enjoyable and offers an intriguing enough story for general film audiences, it does not feel necessary. Rather than being an addition to the previous trilogy, Kingdom feels more like a spin-off that explores a new cast of characters and an exploration in world-building. The events of the original 1968 film feel futuristic enough that this film fails to even act as a bridge between the prequels and their predecessor. Though not such as disastrous stain upon this franchise as Burton’s reboot, Kingdom may be a warning to stop before ruining a good thing.