Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Review: Wes Ball Starts a Hopeful New Chapter But Caesar Is Missed

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Review: It had been a while since we witnessed Ceaser’s death in the Planet of the Apes franchise. While it looked like it will be a while before we return to Ape ruled planet, Wes Ball decided to not only return to the Ape world but also branch out into a whole new territory with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Set 300 years after Ceaser’s (Andy Serkis) death, the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes puts the spotlight on Noa, a young chimpanzee hunter played Owen Teague, and his human friend, Mae / Nova (played by Freya Allan).

The film kicks off with fans of the franchise meeting Noa and his friends, hunting for Eagle eggs. There is no human in sight. However, as they return to their village, they sense that threat lingers in the dark forest. Noa appeared to have spotted a girl in the woods. While he wrapped his head around the new discovery, he comes across a rogue clan of apes who have twisted Caesar’s teachings under the leadership of Proximus Caesar. They burn down Noa’s village and kill his father. They also capture the survivors of his clan, including Noa’s mother and friends.

Raging with revenge, Noa embarks on a journey to hunt down Proximus Caesar and rescue his clan. On his journey, he crosses paths with Raka (Peter Macon), who lost his clan to Proximus Caesar. They head to avenge their loses when they cross paths with Mae. Proximus Caesar’s clan is out to wipe her and the humans as well. However, Nao saves her and makes her a part of their journey. However, her motive to join him is more than just protection for her life.

As the film proceeds, we learn there’s more to Mae than what meets the eye. Although Noa finds his clan and sets off on a journey to save his and the other clans captured by Proximus Caesar, a bigger plan is at play.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes pushes the Planet of the Apes universe into a new direction. However, I wish director Wes Ball had picked a story-heavy route. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes establishes itself as a standalone film which doesn’t depend heavily on the past of the franchise — Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017). This strategy will not only help bring back the OG fans of the franchise but also lure those who have not seen the past films.

However, given the rich storylines seen in the past films, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes falls short on offering an interesting, out-of-the-box story. The first half of the film takes longer than usual to establish its roots. The slow pace does affect the attention span. However, in the second half, the film picks up pace and it is during the climax that the film’s agenda is established. It is also the time that viewers realise that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is more than just a sequel to the threequel featuring Andy Serkis.

The slow pace is compensated by great visuals. Cinematographer Gyula Pados, known for his work in Predators (2010), Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and its 2019 sequel, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), has beautifully shot the film. One of the scenes that stood out for me appears in the first half of the film, when Noa, Mae and Raka face the rogue clan. Seemingly a difficult shot, the scene truly gets you involved in the film. The music by John Paesano helps elevate scenes in many places.

As for the actors, Owen Teague shines as Noa. The actor imbibes the characteristics of apes and nails the performance. So much so that he outshines Freya Allan as well. She is weak owing to the lack of depth in her character. While the film attempts to build a mystery around her character, it doesn’t land properly.

Bottomline: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes makes a great attempt to detach from its past and establish a new story but it doesn’t fully land.