2020-2029, Film Review

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

Posted on May 9, 2024May 18, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**© 20th Century Studios, Jason T. Reed Productions and Oddball Entertainment**

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – Film Review

Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, William H. Macy, Travis Jeffery, Lydia Peckham, Neil Sandilands, Eka Darville,

Director: Wes Ball

Synopsis: Many generations after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, a young ape goes on a journey of discovery after his clan comes under attack…

Review: When the Planet of the Apes franchise came roaring back to life after a near decade of absence in 2011, it was the foundation on which arguably the best trilogy of the 2010s was built. Centred on Caesar, a genetically advanced ape who in his lifetime, rose up and led the apes in a revolution, saw his authority challenged by a rogue ape, and later led the apes into a war against the humans before he succumbed to his injuries. Portrayed by the master of motion capture by Andy Serkis, this rebooted trilogy set an exceedingly high bar for any future films. It is a bar that this new instalment swings for but ultimately falls short of matching those lofty standards.

Set hundreds of years after Caesar’s passing, apes have become the planet’s most dominant species, with humans regressing into a more primitive and feral-like state. The apes are divided into clans, with one clan developing a strong bond with eagles, including young ape Noa (Teague) who’s being prepped by his father for an important ceremony and must complete a significant ritual beforehand. However, after his clan comes under attack from a military-minded clan, Noa must go on a journey to find any survivors and establish the motivations of this combative clan. Along the way, he encounters a human (Allen), who is being hunted by the clan as they believe she is smarter than all the other humans and has crucial knowledge to access something of great significance to the clan.

Such was the enormous cultural impact of Caesar during the previous films, a list of the best characters of the 2010s would be incomplete without his inclusion. Caesar’s shadow looms large over this new generation of apes, even several hundred years after his passing. With the passage of such a long time, Josh Friedman’s screenplay takes its time to introduce the new Eagle clan and their peaceful existence, which stands in unique contrast to the more warmongering apes. The latter have taken Caesar’s teachings and misinterpreted them as a means to perpetrate violence against both other ape clans and humans. By contrast, the likes of orangutang Raka (Macon), who is fighting hard to preserve Caesar’s teachings and their true meanings. This puts Noa in a tricky position as to what he should do with this human, and whether he should trust her, or leave her to the warmongering apes.

Teague brings a likeable presence to Noa and imbues him with a sense of honour and a determination to do what is right and to honour his family and his tribe. Unfortunately, though no one else at least in his tribe is as memorable or given nearly as much development as Noa. However, as far as the other ape characters go, Macon as Raka brings no shortage of wisdom and imparts valuable knowledge to Noa as he proceeds on his journey to rescue his family, who have fallen into the servitude of the militaristic tribe and its leader Proximus Caesar (played with a blend of charisma and arrogance by Kevin Durand). His name would suggest he is a descendant of Caesar, and while he certainly echoes Caesar’s prominent “Apes. Together. Strong” mantra, Proximus is a far cry from the legendary leader he idolises. He possesses a messiah complex and is driven by the belief that not only what he is doing is right, but precisely what Caesar would have wanted the apes to do, making the audience wish the great Caesar’s ghost would reincarnate and give him a sharp and thorough rebuking.

Having done the visual effects work for the previous instalments, the craftwork on display from the geniuses at Weta is once again nothing short of extraordinary with such photorealistic visuals, it completely makes you forget that these are human actors in some rather unusual-looking suits bringing these apes to life. Unfortunately, outside of the apes, the only human character who is given a substantial amount of development is Freya Allan’s mysterious character, whom Noa and Raka name Nova (in a callback to the character of the same name from War for the Planet of the Apes). There’s an element of mystery to her, but as the film progresses and we learn more about her, certain decisions she makes are extremely perplexing and ultimately leave the audience with more questions than answers as to her motivations. The script could have fleshed these out more.

At 145 minutes, Kingdom is also the longest movie in the series to date. While this runtime is sometimes necessary to establish this world generations after the events of the previous film, it can also be to its detriment, particularly in the latter half. With this being reported as the first journey in a brand new trilogy, it has laid solid but imperfect foundations for future films to build upon. Time will tell if this new group of apes prove to be as strong or as memorable as Caesar’s remarkable journey from genetically modified ape to messianic primate.

Retaining the visual splendour of its previous instalments, Kingdom goes for some big swings with weighty themes about legacy and differing interpretations of teachings but doesn’t quite hit the heights of Caesar’s trilogy.

2010-2019, Film Review

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

Posted on July 15, 2017May 18, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**Image is property of 20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment**

War for the Planet of the Apes – Film Review

Cast: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Karin Konoval, Terry Notary, Amiah Miller

Director: Matt Reeves

Synopsis: After the devastation caused by the skirmish between Apes and Humans, Caesar and his apes now face a new threat in the form of a vicious Colonel who’s intent on eradicating the Apes once and for all

Review: “Apes, together, strong!” These were some of the words that we saw written on one of the walls of what was once the stronghold of the colony of super-smart Apes led by Caesar. The Ape that kick-started the rise of the Ape revolution that we saw in the first chapter of this reboot. We watched in awe as he became the leader of that colony. Then came the second chapter, where Caesar saw his leadership and his ideals challenged. It was the dawn of the Ape uprising, as one ape went rogue, and things went a bit awry for mankind and ape-kind both, and the war that was triggered as a result of that conflict is now upon us, and it ain’t pretty.

Continuing in the same vein as both Rise and Dawn, this is a very personal story for Caesar, once again voiced and mo-capped tremendously by Andy Serkis. After the events of Dawn, the actions of the mutinous Koba and the utter contempt for humanity he had have had a lasting effect on Caesar. And when the humans and the apes clash once again, it proves to be the final straw for Caesar, and he sets out on the hunt for the vicious colonel (Harrelson) who is determined to eradicate Caesar and all of his apes, once and for all. Thus, this sets the wheels in motion for another deeply personal and brilliantly told personal clash. Back once again after directing Dawn, Reeves has really showed himself to at the top of his craft, both as a writer and as a director, so it’s no wonder that he’s been handed the keys to the Batmobile.

The screenplay, co-written by Reeves and Matt Bomback, once again makes the smart decision to focus on Caesar and his apes, and their motivations for doing what they’re doing. Caesar stands out by far, but Maurice (Konoval) has a much greater role as Caesar’s most trusted adviser, and Rocket (Notary) likewise. A new addition to the Ape clan is Steve Zahn’s self named “Bad Ape” who certainly adds the humour this time around, but it’s gratefully kept to a minimum and thus it doesn’t become annoying. Dawn certainly offered plenty of exhilarating action sequences and once again Reeves delivers equally enthralling action sequences, whilst also delivering an intense psychological battle that pits Caesar against, by far the most compelling human antagonist of the franchise to date, Woody Harrelson’s Colonel, a man who is determined to ensure that humanity retains its place as the dominant species of the planet.

The CGI is once again, particularly for the Apes, is absolutely faultless. It’s so life like that once again you forget that they’re portrayed by actual actors in rather unusual suits. Though Serkis has often been overlooked for his work in these films in terms of awards recognition, he absolutely demonstrates his talents in bringing such emotional depth to a character, one who really makes the audience root for him, and want to see the obliteration of their own species. His performance is truly awards-worthy, but award or not, his sterling work has ensured Caesar’s place as one of the most iconic film characters of the decade without a doubt. Michael Giacchino’s score is as you would expect, absolutely flawless.

Though there will almost certainly be more to come for this franchise, with Rise, Dawn and now War, we have a trilogy that improves on what came before, and thus giving us one of one of the best trilogies of modern times. Apes, together, strong indeed.

The third chapter in trilogies so often disappoints, but not so here. With a thrilling personal story, combined with another excellent turn from Serkis as Caesar, to ensure that this trilogy is completed in great style, with the best film in the trilogy.

2010-2019, Film Review

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Posted on July 10, 2017May 18, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**Image is property of 20th Century Fox, Ingenious Film Partners and Chernin Entertainment**

Rise of the Planet of the Apes – Film Review

Cast: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo

Directors: Rupert Wyatt

Synopsis: Whilst carrying out some tests to research a cure for Alzheimer’s, a determined scientist discovers a young ape who after experimentation, develops remarkably advanced intelligence.

Review: As a species, humanity has had the dominion of Planet Earth has for the past two millennia. Of course, the idea that one day something else could come along and take that away from humanity is a theme that has been explored a considerable amount in cinema. There’s the classic alien invasion films, but the idea of super smart apes taking over the planet has been around since the 1960s and the original Planet of the Apes film featuring Charlton Heston, spawned four sequels. Then came Tim Burton and Mark Wahlberg in 2001, to which a sequel never materialised and after another decade, the franchise was rebooted once more.

In this new take on the franchise, Will (Franco) is a scientist aiming to discover a cure for Alzheimer’s. His research leads to the development of a drug that is given to some Apes, which leads to one particular ape developing unprecedented abilities and super advanced intelligence that Will decides to adopt and name Caesar. As we watch Caesar grow up, and his intelligence becomes apparent, he begins to start questioning himself. All the while, the development of the drug begins to create tensions for the humans and as you might imagine a conflict between the humans and the apes starts to brew.

The wonder of modern technology meant that the apes were brought to life via motion capture work, and it’s just remarkable how advanced the technology has become. The technology is so impressive that it could almost make you forget that there is an actor who’s bringing the character to life. Though there are a handful of actors who bring the apes to life, the main man is the King of Motion Capture, Mr Andy Serkis himself. His work here is flawless, giving Caesar a very distinct personality, and a character you absolutely can empathise with. Given that it is in fact Caesar who is the main character in the film, writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver give him the most back story out of everyone by far, which does mean the back story of others does suffer a little bit.

As Caesar’s main father figure, Franco is excellent in his role as one of the few humans that Caesar trusts, along with Will’s ailing father Charles (Lithgow) and love interest Caroline (Pinto). There’s not a great deal of development on them, but they’re characters you care about. There’s one human who doesn’t quite view Caesar the way Will does, and that is Tom Felton’s Dodge Landon. Channelling his inner Draco Malfoy, he’s a man who relishes mistreating apes and putting them in their place, and when he meets Caesar, he’s certainly got his hands full, as it’s all well and good telling the audience that Caesar is a smart ape, but actions sometimes speak louder than words, and this is definitely the case with Caesar.

Under Wyatt’s direction the film is visually crisp with action scenes that are absolutely exhilarating to watch. With scenes that take place on California’s Golden Gate Bridge stand out as a particular highlight. The film’s pacing isn’t perfect, there are a few lapses in the plot where the film does drag. However, there are one or two moments “holy shit” moments that more than makeup for this. If a franchise has been dormant for a decade, any reboot’s key purpose is to reinvigorate interest in the franchise in a substantial way, and in that sense, it certainly was mission accomplished.

What a reboot should be, centred by a magnificent performance from Serkis with some stunning CGI and a very intriguing story, one that paved the way for future greatness.

2010-2019, Film Review

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

Posted on February 12, 2015May 18, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

dotpoa — **Image is property of Chernin Entertainment, TSG Entertainment and 20th Century Fox**

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Film Review

Cast: Jason Clarke, Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee

Director: Matt Reeves

Synopsis: Ten years after the events of the first film as humanity has been devastated by the virus. The colony of Apes, led by Caesar are prospering. However, when a last batch of surviving humans resurface, tension resurfaces and it is poised to erupt into a war to establish control over the planet.

Review: Sequels, are seemingly ever-present in the world of Hollywood. Sometimes, they come along and disappoint, failing to top its predecessor, or nothing more than a cash grab. Yet when a sequel takes the first film and tops it, in many ways, it is something to be admired. 2014 showed itself to be the year of remarkable sequels. With the Matt Reeves-directed Dawn, a sequel to 2011’s Rise, we continue that great sequel trend with a beautifully directed and riveting story that will ensure that the Planet of The Apes franchise is not going anywhere any time soon.

With humanity obliterated in the wake of the Simian virus that was unleashed at the end of Rise, Caesar, once again brilliantly motion captured by Andy Serkis, and his crew of apes have their spot where they live. With a whole community established, it is enthralling to watch the apes interact with each other. They have their own language and their population is thriving. There are no humans about (or so they think) and all is right in the ape world. They live, and they prosper. This is, until a group of humans come along looking for something to help their population return to normality. Instantaneously, conflict threatens to break out once more between the two factions amid uneasy truces. Distrust is brewing in the ranks of both camps and it threatens to completely boil over into all-out war as there are those on both sides who simply do not trust the other. In some cases, these reasons are clear and in others, they are not.

Through the marvel of motion capture realised by WETA Digital, it is Andy Serkis in the role of Caesar who completely steals the show once again. His performance is incredible to watch, it is almost as if it is not brilliant computer-generated imagery and is actually a real life ape communicating with humans. He is the glue that binds the ape community together and he is the star of the show. The motion capture technology looks astoundingly for all of the ape community, with different actors playing different apes, and the different personalities of all of the apes shine through. Yet Caesar’s not the only ape who takes the limelight, the more hostile angry Koba, portrayed by Toby Kebbell is an ape on a mission, to eradicate humanity. He is vicious and angry and is determined to gain revenge on the humans. The computer generated imagery is flawless and it is a strong contender to scoop some awards for its breathtaking visuals in this year’s awards season. With great apes also come some interesting human characters, namely Malcolm (Jason Clarke) and Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) also come into conflict about what to do with the Apes. One wants peace, the other wants war, and it threatens to boil over at any given moment.

The action in this film is taken up a notch from the first movie, with some enthralling battle scenes. 2014 offered some sweet action scenes but some of the battles in this sequel are some of the stand-out moments of cinema in 2014. As the title poster illustrates, apes on horses is a sample of this brilliance. Under Matt Reeves’ masterful direction, Dawn provides a compelling and somewhat moving story about a fight to survive, mixed with compassion and a desire for both species to co-exist, whilst some factions of both communities strive for supremacy over the other. With a third film in the works, once again directed by Reeves and scheduled to be released in 2017, more Apes goodness will be on the way.