Decades after Caesar, played by Andy Serkis in the previous films, led his apes to a promised land, a new generation has risen in the world crafted by director Wes Ball and brought to life by stars Owen Teague, Freya Allan, and Kevin Durand. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes throws us headfirst into a world where ape societies have flourished, each with their own customs and ideologies. This thrilling new chapter asks whether Caesar’s dream of peaceful coexistence can survive the challenges of a world reshaped by ape dominance.
Does Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Live Up To Its Predecessor?
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes steps out of the shadow of Caesar’s epic story and carves its own path. While it doesn’t delve as deeply into the emotional complexities explored in War for the Planet of the Apes, it delivers a thrilling and visually stunning adventure set decades later.
The film leans more heavily on action sequences and introduces us to new ape societies with unique cultures and conflicting ideologies. This fresh perspective broadens the franchise’s mythology, offering a captivating exploration of a world where apes have truly inherited the Earth. While some may miss the philosophical weight of the previous films, Kingdom’s focus on action and world-building makes it a worthy successor that stands on its own merits.
Have We Finally Reached Full Circle Back To The Original Planet Of The Apes Film?
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes isn’t a direct prequel to the original film, but it does share some thematic DNA. The 1968 film presented a world where humanity was the dominant species on the verge of encountering a society of intelligent apes just beginning to develop speech and tool use. Kingdom flips the script entirely, showcasing apes as established civilizations with their own rich histories, complex social structures, and internal conflicts. Here, humans are relegated to a feral existence, a far cry from the astronauts who crash-landed in the original.
Despite the reversal of roles, echoes of the original film’s themes of dominance and survival linger. However, they play out in a completely different context. The apes grapple with questions of leadership, the legacy of Caesar’s ideals, and how to coexist with the remnants of a shattered humanity.
The lack of a large, speaking human presence might evoke a similar sense of discovery as the original film, but Kingdom feels like a fresh chapter, not a retread. This is thanks to its well-developed ape cultures and the complex challenges they face. The new world order offers a wealth of storytelling opportunities, and Kingdom lays the groundwork for future films to explore the tensions between established ape societies, the rise of new factions, and the lingering human presence struggling to survive in a world they no longer rule.
What Can We Look Forward To In Terms Of Continuity?
The film leaves the door wide open for future stories. The ape society introduced in Kingdom, with its brutal militarism and thirst for human technology, hints at a potential antagonist for future films. We can also expect to see more of the ape societies that Caesar helped establish, grappling with his legacy and the challenges of maintaining peace in a world without his unifying presence.
The ending, which reveals a hidden human settlement existing beneath the ruins of a significant city, suggests that humanity may not be entirely gone. Whether they become allies, scavengers, or a new threat entirely remains to be seen.
This tapestry of potential conflicts, alliances, and lingering mysteries establishes a rich and fertile ground for exploring the future of the Planet of the Apes. The franchise can continue to delve into the philosophical questions of power, intelligence, and coexistence, all within the context of this new and ever-evolving world.
This film is a perfect fit for fans of action-adventure epics with stunning visuals. If you enjoyed the ape societies and world-building aspects of the previous films, Kingdom offers a deeper dive into this mythology. Be prepared for a faster pace and less philosophical exploration compared to War for the Planet of the Apes, but with a compelling central conflict and well-developed ape characters.
