KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: Sequel, Spin-Off, or Both?

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (Digital)

2024 / 145 min

FROM 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Baboon😺

What was especially cool about the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise is it could be viewed two ways. First, as a reimagining of the concepts and ideas from the original series…OR…as spiritual sequels existing within the same established timeline. With the previous film, War for the Planet of the Apes, providing a plausible explanation for humankind’s decent into mute savages, the entire story arc had more-or-less come full circle.

Either way, the reboot trilogy brought Caesar’s rise as the leader of the ape uprising (and humankind’s downfall) to a logical, satisfying conclusion. All the I’s were dotted and the T’s were crossed, so there was no real need to continue the saga any further. But when has that ever stopped Hollywood?

Like the reboot trilogy, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes can be viewed two ways. First, as a continuation of the same saga, albeit generations later with all new characters (save for a somber prologue featuring Caesar’s funeral)...OR…as a spin-off taking place in the same world that works as a stand-alone film. And with its somewhat ominous, open-ended conclusion, the intention to continue this particular story is obvious.

A little birdie told him...

Contextually, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes isn't particularly necessary, but at least it doesn't feel superfluous. It also appears to be attempting to take the franchise in a slightly different direction, with apes having long since separated into individual clans, relatively isolated from each other until megalomaniac monkey Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) raids and enslaves others to establish his own kingdom. He’s also searching for Mae (Freya Allan), one of the few speaking humans left who he thinks has access to a sealed bunker stocked with ancient human weaponry.

The film’s protagonist is Noa (Owen Teague), a young chimpanzee whose Eagle Clan is raided and his father killed. When the rest of the clan - including his mother and best friends Soona & Anaya - are captured and enslaved, Noa is determined to find and free them. Along the way, he finds allies in Raka (Peter Macon), an orangutan whose own village fell to Proximus, and Mae, who has a personal agenda she’s reluctant to reveal (and why Noa doesn’t entirely trust her).

From a narrative standpoint, Kingdom isn’t as compelling as the previous three films, but it’s still very enjoyable and ends on a surprisingly inauspicious note. With the exception of the pointless & cheap Battle for the Planet of the Apes, the original films were known for their bleak conclusions. While Kingdom’s ending isn’t necessarily a downer, it does suggest things are gonna get worse.

Elsewhere, Kingdom arguably the best looking of all the reboot films, with creative production design, stunning imagery of nature (and apes) claiming the ruins of the old world, and some of the most convincing motion-capture effects I’ve seen to date. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

INSIDE THE FORBIDDEN ZONE: MAKING KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - Very interesting making-of doc with plenty of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with various cast & crew.

14 DELETED/EXTENDED SCENES - There’s also an audio commentary option.