Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a 2024 science fiction action film directed by Wes Ball (Maze Runner film trilogy) from a screenplay by Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Patrick Aison, and produced by Joe Hartwick Jr., Jaffa, Silver, and Jason Reed. It is intended to be the sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) and the fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise. The film stars Owen Teague (It, It Chapter Two) in the lead role alongside Freya Allan (The Witcher), Peter Macon (The Orville), Eka Darville (The Defenders, Her Smell), and Kevin Durand (The Butterfly Effect, X-Men Origins: Wolverine).
Development on a new Planet of the Apes film began in April 2019, following Disney's acquisition of Fox, with Ball attached as writer and director that December. Much of the script was written during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with casting commencing in June 2022, following the script's completion. Teague was cast in the lead role that August, with the film's title and additional casting revealed in the following months. Principal photography began in October 2022 in Sydney and wrapped in February 2023.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes made its debut in theaters May 10th, courtesy of 20th Century Studios.
In anticipation of the release of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes I went back and re-watched the trilogy of the reboot films including 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). I did this in the span of two days and it was absolutely glorious. This franchise is incredibly popular for good reason, and I was counting the days until I could finally see Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. I made sure I was at the theater opening day and my expectations were through the roof. So, did it live up to my crazy high expectations? Keep reading to find out!
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was absolutely awesome and it definitely lived up to my expectations. I couldn’t wait to see where they took the story after War for the Planet of the Apes, and I really liked the decisions that were made with the screenplay. The final act in that film hit so damn hard, so it was important that this film found a way to match that emotion. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes actually opens where the previous film leaves off which makes for as smooth of a transition as you could hope for. I actually finished my re-watch right before heading to the theater and it felt seamless so I highly recommend a similar approach.
Plus instead of taking place right after the events of the previous film or maybe even a few years later, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes place generations later allowing for unlimited possibilities in terms of where they wanted to take things. In many ways this film feels like a resurgence for the franchise, and it made sense to try and take things in a different direction considering Caesar was the primary focus of the first 3 films. It definitely caught me off guard when Caesar died, but I loved how his legacy and everything he stood for lived on in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. I couldn’t have asked for a better follow-up to one of my favorite films in the franchise, and as icing on the cake it perfectly sets thing up for more movies and I am here for it.
I loved how the story of Caesar was such a centerpiece for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and it was just so satisfying watching these new characters talk about how much he meant to the ape population. He was the true definition of a leader that made every decision with the best interests of his kind in mind. Caesar has been my favorite character throughout the franchise, but I really loved Maurice and the relationship the two shared. I was sad that these two characters would not be involved with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, but the introduction of Noa as the new generation version of Caesar and Raka in more of the Maurice role eased my concerns very early on. The film has more of a coming-of-age feel to it as Noa is forced into adulthood after a tragic chain of events leaves him terrified and alone. He embarks on a journey to find his family and learns a great deal about how strong he is along the way. Although Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes does feel like the build-up to more films in the franchise it is never boring and had me on the edge of my seat right until the very end. This is another sequel that earns its rightful place in the franchise.
I am truly in awe of the fact that the Planet of the Apes films include some of the best character development in recent memory considering the main characters are apes. Each film picks up where the previous film left off making it that much more important for viewers to have a pretty good grasp of what took place in the first three films. In my opinion the overall story is fairly straightforward but the events unfold in such a way that makes everything feel that much bigger.
The Planet of the Apes franchise is known for offering a great cast of voice actors and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes continues the trend. Now admittedly this cast includes many lesser known voice actors, trust me when I saw they are up for the challenge. I thought Owen Teague (Bloodline, Montana Story) was awesome as Noa as he embodied a character struggling to live in his fathers shadow. Peter Macon (The Orville) was fantastic as Raka, easily one of my favorite characters and by far the most likable.
Kevin Durand (Abigail), not to be confused with NBA superstar Kevin Durant, really set the tone as Proximus Caesar, the films primary antagonist. The two primary non-CGI roles are played by Freya Allan as Mae, and William H. Macy as Trevathan. Allan was giving me an Alicia Vikander in Tomb Raider vibe if you get my drift, and she was beautiful even as a woman who likely hadn’t showered in years. Macy is always incredible and he once again brought his powerful presence to an important role here. I won’t touch on everyone but I felt like the entire supporting cast of voice actors deserve a ton of credit.
In many ways this franchise is driven by special effects and CGI, which should be obvious considering what the movie is about, but Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes really takes it to another level from a technical standpoint. This movie looks incredible, and just like with the other films in the franchise I found myself in awe of how good the visuals were. But what continues to impress me most is the focus on the other technical elements like cinematography, score, and the ability to tie everything together perfectly. In my opinion the impact of the score became bigger and bigger with each film and that trend continues with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. This franchise has a powerful emotional element and having a score that can really maximize how the story impacts viewers is invaluable. Director Wes Ball, a graphic artist turned director best known for the Maze Runner franchise, really impressed me here. He has a great eye for top-tier visuals and knows how to ensure all of the important elements of filmmaking come together to make for a great viewing experience.
THE VERDICT
Yet another stellar entry in the massively successful dystopian war drama franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a powerful coming-of-age story featuring intense action sequences and unmatched visuals as it sets the stage for a new trilogy. Heading to the theater with high expectations can be a dangerous thing, but when a movie is able to meet those expectations all is right in the world. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the culmination of a film series that just gets it, and is a reminder that the theater is still undoubtedly the best way to see movies.
TED TAKES RATING - 8.7/10
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.