The most negative audiences often think that Hollywood is now running out of ideas and is saturated with pre-, post-, and spin-off works. It is not difficult to sympathize with their way of thinking, when indeed film franchises and cinematic universes are springing up continuously, with large fluctuations in quality.

So it’s quite strange that a franchise from the ’60s, which has been quiet for nearly four decades (barring a failed reboot attempt), is now quietly alive and well with consistently critically acclaimed installments. expensive.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes , the first sequel in 7 years to Planet of the Apes , continues to take the series in exciting new directions, while subtly paying tribute to and exploring the world that the previous three films explored. meticulously built. And although it cannot climb as high as Caesar’s story, Kingdom still has the potential to lead the Planet of the Apes franchise to a new horizon.

The article will reveal the content of the movie Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

When “savior” is no longer the focus

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes place centuries after the story of the previous three films. Most of humanity was swept away by a virus called “primate flu”, the survivors lost their intelligence and ability to communicate, becoming feral creatures.

Caesar, the ape possessing superior intelligence who once led primates out of human captivity and hunting, has passed away and become an ancient legend.

The tribe of Noa, the main character of Kingdom, no longer remembers who Caesar is. They live peacefully in the jungle, taming eagles. But just like human history, primitive tribes cannot live in isolation and peace forever.

Another tribe of apes, more warlike and dangerous because they discovered how to generate electricity, suddenly appeared and burned Noa’s village in search of a “Remnant” – as the main character’s tribe calls them. People. They enslaved the Eagle Clan, forcing Noa to embark on a journey to rescue them.

And Noa is not alone in this adventure. On the way, he encountered Raka – a friendly and wise old orangutan who still followed the peaceful teachings of the ancient Caesar, and Mae – a lonely girl who for some reason had not yet lost her reputation. his speech and intelligence.

And the man they must confront, the culprit who ordered the hunt for Mae and the destruction of Noa’s village, is Proximus Caesar. Taking Caesar’s name and distorting the legendary character’s teachings to rule his kingdom through fear, Proximus finds every way to retrieve ancient human technology.

A feat of technology and image

Since Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2011, images and effects have always been the most unique elements of the Planet of the Apes film series , seamlessly combining traditional filmmaking techniques and motion capture technology. capture) to create complex characters in both appearance and content.

This was further inherited by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes . No longer the vast primeval forests where Caesar and his comrades fought guerrillas, Kingdom takes us to a magnificent and magnificent post-apocalyptic world, where the remnants of civilization are re-conquered by nature. course.

The decision to shoot outdoors instead of using virtual space gives Kingdom a more “real” feel, with the ape characters seeming to sink into their surroundings, making the audience sometimes forget that they are actually watching an animated film. image.

But it’s not the majestic background, but the microscopic details that are most impressive in the film.

Generations have passed since the lifeless rubber masks of the 1968 film. Now, the faces of lead actors Owen Teague and Kevin Durand are transformed into apes with meticulous attention to detail. wrinkles and hair, depicting in detail all the complex expressions of the character.

Without this, the most emotional scenes of the film, such as when Noa watches in fear as her village burns, or Proximus’s arrogant speech, would not be able to have the desired weight. .

The story is subtle, but not enough

In some ways, part 4 of a film series has the most difficult task, or at least more difficult than the first part. Kingdom, with its modest task of bridging the old trilogy and continuing the series, doesn’t have the luxury of playing a stand-alone production like Dawn of the Planet of the Apes , with an authorized script. complete closure and an if-good-enough-then-move-on approach.

As for Kingdom, director Wes Ball and screenwriter Josh Friedman’s approach is relatively smart, focusing on a story small enough and isolated enough to continue growing the franchise.

Nowadays, too many sequels rely on simple connections like Easter eggs or old characters to please fans. Kingdom, meanwhile, chooses to exploit and develop the world its predecessors created, rather than abuse it.

The most typical is Noa, an ordinary ape who does not possess any connection with previous characters, thereby breaking the “chosen one” trap that many other series have fallen into.

What remains of Caesar’s story, especially the forgotten or distorted messages of this character, becomes a metaphor for the way humans manipulate and selectively acquire faith.

In terms of structure, the first half of Kingdom is like an adventure film that closely follows the hero’s journey model of literature. In the second half, when the main characters are taken to Proximus’ kingdom, Kingdom makes the audience feel like they are watching an epic movie like Gladiator, with the main character trying to escape from the captivity of a villain. dictatorial emperor.

Also in the second half is when Kingdom seeks to integrate the complex questions and issues of the film.

We know Proximus is the villain, but should the audience cheer for Noa or Mae, for the main character we have been with the whole movie, or for ourselves – the humans? Do other primates automatically inherit what once belonged to humans? And can peace between humans and apes exist when both have their own goals?

But these questions are only briefly explored in the most general way. Kingdom ‘s characters are also not designed with depth comparable to Caesar’s. Even the doubts between Noa and Mae, which create an interesting balance in the relationship of these two characters, are not developed too much. And just when the most interesting details were revealed, the movie quickly came to an end.

The future of the Planet of the Apes

Like Caesar’s teachings, “Apes together strong”, Kingdom is difficult to stand alone and attract new audiences, is okay for viewers of the previous three films, and interesting for fans of the entire franchise. since the 60s.

Because almost all previous Planet of the Apes movies tried to answer one question: How did Earth turn into the Planet of the Apes. Kingdom, meanwhile, raises a different question: How will this film and its three predecessors take us to the setting of the original, when Charlton Heston’s character lands on Earth in 3978?

Those who have that question in mind will enjoy guessing the story of the character Mae. Will the new Planet of the Apes franchise have a big reveal like the Statue of Liberty scene in the 1968 film?

The biggest difficulty that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes encountered was probably that the film tried to tell an engaging story, but it seemed to have to end too quickly, to save the interesting plot, the conflicts, character developments for the next films.

However, all evolution cannot happen overnight, even if Kingdom ‘s villain has other wishes. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is still an evolutionary step, albeit not a huge one, in bringing the franchise into the future.

The film may not possess the uniqueness and complexity of its three predecessors, but it still contains enough entertainment and satisfaction for a summer blockbuster, and has many fans excited for the next installments.

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