Written Review by John Delia, Sr.
Brilliantly engineered and somewhat original, the film Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes slams into the weekend with a robust adventure that mesmerizes and captivates. Near total CGI, the movie makes you a believer that there are real apes acting in the roles and that the Earth has become a jungle. The storyline gets a bit drawn out in the two and a half hours, but you’ll get your money’s worth from all the action and adventure drama that Apes fans have come to enjoy.
It’s been several generations of apes since we last saw their revolution from humans and the death of Caesar, their leader. The land has become overgrown into an almost unrecognizable living area for the simians and life is still riddled with fear. Yearly teen apes from the Eagle tribe are sent out to gather eagle eggs for their ritual of coming of age. On this one occasion Noa and two of his friends are taking place in the process when they see a human. It’s a rare sighting, but one that will lead to a mortal conflict between tribes of apes.
When the Eagle village gets attacked by a neighboring tribe led by Proximus, it leads to a battle that will determine the future of the Eagle tribe. Director Wes Ball, known for his exciting and mysterious trilogy The Maze Runner, helms this chapter of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and does an excellent job of depicting a very realistic civilization. Using IMAX cinematography, creative camerawork and a massive amount of Computer Graphics to tell the story, it’s easy to be drawn into the dark plot. It all takes place beyond the apocalypse that changed the world in early Apes Films and plops a new beginning as a follow up. However, the huge twist in the finale leaves a lot to be desired.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense sequences of sci-fi violence/action. Be cautious when deciding to take immature children to see the film. For action junkies, it’s a no-brainer, just go to see it. For the timid and the drama romance types, it’s not your cup of tea. 4 out of 5 Stars.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy
Directed by: Wes Ball
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-fi
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence/action
Running Time: 2 hrs. 25 min.
Opening Date: May 10, 2024
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Released in: IMAX, Dolby Cinema, Digital