KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Generations have passed since the Apes took control of the earth. Caesar has long since died, but his name lives on. In the minds of philosophers, and on the tongues of mercenaries and would-be rulers.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the beginning of the second trilogy in this rumoured ennealogy (yes, I had to google that word) of films, setting up the story of Noa (Owen Teague), a young chimpanzee hunter whose clan are attacked and captured by Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), a bonobo ruler, using Caesars name to rule and conquer. 

The political undertones of that - using an almost biblical figures name in vain, and to your own ends - not subtle, but rather well done.

Noa is joined on his journey by Mae (Freya Allan), a human - or Echo as the apes refer to them - who exhibits significantly more intelligence than the apes give her credit for, almost the antithesis off the premise of the original trilogy.

Being the opening of a trilogy, a middle trilogy at that, but also the fourth film in the series, was never going to be an easy task for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. 

It has to do an awful lot of world building to do, bridging the gap between 2017’s War of the Planet of the Apes and explaining what has happened in the intervening years, as well as standing on its own feet as a jumping on point for new audiences.

It is partially successful at this.

The opening couple of acts are very slow. At two and a half hours, this is not a short film, and it felt like a good 20-30 minutes could have been lost here. But it is also beautiful to look at. The CGI of the Apes is decent, but the world itself looks excellent. The blending of the old, and the remnants of the human led world, at odds with the nature and wildlife that have taken over.

And it does leave you in no doubt as to where we are in the series chronology. It does a good job of explaining are far the apes of risen, and how far humans fell. 

There are also a couple of good action scenes, with what felt like genuine stakes. It would have just been nice to have a little more of this to help the film zip along a little easier.

The third act, however, is brilliant. Naturally I won’t go into this in any real detail, so as not to give away any spoilers, but once we reach it, and the pace of the film picks up, it is a pleasure to watch.

Where this franchise goes next, who knows. There were hints towards the end as to the direction it will take, and I have my own hopes for it which may or may not be realised, but Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes does a solid job in setting up the future of a franchise many thought would be dead.

It is, as was the original source, a franchise that will clearly be politically minded, with themes of the teachings of biblical figures being twisted and distorted to suit ones own agenda. Of the dangers of blindly following the charismatic. Of the forced segregation of two groups, and what happens when they begin to turn on each other.

This new trilogy has the unenviable position of being the second in a series of three (the second trilogy in a trilogy of trilogies if you will), but with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes it is off to a solid, if never spectacular, start.