Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
MAGA ape: bad.
Peaceful ape: good.
That’s basically the core message of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, though feel free to substitute any modern fanatical/fascist “movement” that distorts a noble message for personal gain in the name of righteousness. The modern (and, sadly, evergreen) allegory provides a strong central conflict between clear-cut heroes and villains, grounding the effects-heavy work and yielding the series’ best installment since 2011’s out-of-nowhere winner Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
It’s also by far the most impressive effort from director Wes Ball — he of the tepid Maze Runner trilogy, which suggested he didn’t have a film like Kingdom in him. Yet this post-apocalyptic world suits his skills far better than his previous work, despite them both essentially being Young Adult stories of perseverance against seemingly insurmountable odds.
From the get-go, stunning motion-capture effects blend fairly seamlessly with natural backdrops and complementary CGI, elevating the tale of young ape Noa (Owen Teague), whose peaceful Eagle Clan lives many generations after the days of pioneering ape leader Caesar (Andy Serkis) from the preceding trilogy. As their name suggests, his village exists in harmony with the majestic birds, each ape bonded with a raptor that they raise from a hatchling.
Without giving too much away regarding specifics, the compelling convergence of Noa’s nerves before the ape/avian Bonding Day, the presence of mysterious rogue human Mae (Freya Allan, The Witcher), and masked ape marauders leaves the Eagle Clan enslaved and Noa on a solo mission to free the survivors.
Appealing as these initial characters are, stealing the show is Peter Macon (The Orville) as Raka, a kindly orangutan who’s been passed down knowledge of Caesar’s true intentions and his history with humans, and proves instrumental on Noa’s odyssey.
Raka remains the most engaging character even when we get to the titular coastal realm of Proximus (Kevin Durand), a Trump-like zealot who’s twisted the name of Caesar much like leaders throughout human history who claim to be virtuous yet are the most lawless in the land.
Obsessed with Roman history, on which his human teacher/prisoner/pet Trevathan (William H. Macy) instructs him, Proximus is either blind to Rome’s full saga or hasn’t quite gotten to that part in class, setting up a possible fatal flaw to be exploited once Noa and Mae are captured and brought under his command. The combination of blindspots and several extremely determined prisoners leads to a thoroughly entertaining climax that, while dotted with predictable elements, produces a number of surprises and steady thrills.
The satisfying ending also potentially concludes Noa’s arc, allowing room for other ape clans and Earth’s remaining humans to be featured in the new trilogy’s subsequent chapters. But if Noa is the new Caesar and the films continue with him at the forefront, you’ll hear no complaints from this reviewer.
Grade: B-plus. Rated PG-13. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, and Regal Biltmore Grande.
(Photos: 20th Century Studios)
