Movie Review: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Following somewhat tepid entries to the series with 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, director Wes Ball assumes the reigns of the franchise from Matt Reeves and succeeds in resuscitating the dormant franchise with a new vigor and excitement that makes the new entry to the series – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – an incredibly rewarding trip to the cinema.

Taking place several generations after the events of the last film, apes have emerged as the dominant species and a tribe of tree-dwelling, peaceful Apes are introduced when a less-than-peaceful group invades their camp. This leads Noa (Owen Teague) to undergo a journey to find his lost family and perhaps find his purpose in life. Over the course of Noa’s “hero’s journey,” if you will, he begins traveling with a human woman named Mae (Freya Allan), and ultimately comes across a settlement of apes determined to rid the planet of humans by any means necessary.

What is most remarkable is how entertaining the story is. Ball shows a knack for moving the film along at an elegant pace that never succumbs to the two-and-a-half hour run time the movie sports. Josh Friedman’s script keeps the action constantly moving from scene to scene with never a down moment to lament the film’s length.

Teague’s performance as Noa is the crux of the emotional weight of the film and other players like Allan, Kevin Durand (as Proximus Caesar), and even William H. Macy, feed off that performance and deliver superlative depictions themselves.

The film is breathtaking with its breathtaking depictions of a once decimated world now alive with plant life and reclaimed by nature. Gyula Pados’ cinematography allows this to speak louder than any dialogue might be able to, giving the film an elegant elegiac quality that heightens the underlying message of the overall production.

Throughout the history of the various incarnations of the “Planet of the Apes” films, there have been more missteps than successes (such as Tim Burton’s ill-fated 2001 remake), but the latest addition to the canon, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, has succeeded in injecting the franchise with a new purpose and zest that portends perhaps even better entries to come in the future.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

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