With Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes coming out. A lot of people, myself included, wanted to know; how Disney was going to handle the Planet Of The Apes franchise. It’s not the same as Matt Reeves’ Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes. Thankfully, Disney and Wes Ball chart their own course.

This Is Not The Planet Of The Apes You’re Used To

Disney and Wes Ball take the franchise in an interesting new direction with Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes. In this new movie, Ceaser is long dead. The movie grapples with his legacy; as different parties and factions try to live in a world he helped establish. We follow Noa (Owen Teague); as he travels to rescue his clan from a tyrannical new ruler, Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand). Proximus Caesar is hell-bent on wiping out humans once and for all.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
(L-R): Raka (played by Peter Macon), Noa (played by Owen Teague) , and Freya Allan as Nova in 20th Century Studios’ KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

In a way, Wes Ball is doing the same in terms of leaving the previous films in the past. Whereas Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes were often very deep in their themes and storytelling; Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes really goes for a different approach. The movie is more entertaining, more of a traditional hero’s journey. The plot is not as concerned with waiting on lofty thematic elements. It’s got a story to tell and even though the movie is nearly two-and-a-half hours long; it still doesn’t feel like enough time (in a good way). The thematic elements are there but they’re not the driving force of this movie.

Pacing Is Key In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

There is some awkwardness in setting up this narrative; as the first act does a lot of introducing people and plot elements. It’s a bit too heavy-handed and slows down the plot. However, once everything is established the story really picks up and gets going in the second and third acts.

Even as the plot is pacing along, it never loses sight of the conflict at hand. Characters like Mae and Proximus Ceaser have justifiable motives. You really feel as if you’re in the mind of the protagonist Noa; in that you have no clear picture of who is right and wrong here.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
(L-R): Anaya (played by Travis Jeffery), Noa (played by Owen Teague), and Soona (played by Lydia Peckham) in 20th Century Studios’ KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The final action set piece is simply astonishing and really uses CGI in such an effective and detailed manner. I often forgot that most if not all of those scenes used CGI, it was that impressive.

Unfortunately, the movie does eventually end with some unresolved issues. This is pretty standard for franchise fare; but I did feel like the movie could’ve done more to resolve plot points a bit more decisively. Still, the movie has me excited for a sequel, so it’s not like it wasn’t effective.

Verdict

While not as deep thematically as the previous two movies. Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes trades this in for a more simple, entertaining, and effective hero story. Your level of enjoyment out of this may vary; but this is a far more entertaining and fun film than previous films. Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes still keeps just enough thematic elements to keep you engaged. Caeser may be dead, but the Planet of the Apes is not only surviving, but it’s thriving.

For more Reviews, make sure to check back to That Hashtag Show.

Keep Reading:

Tarot Has A Fun Premise That’s Safe For Everyone [REVIEW]