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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has premiered, and the franchise is stronger than ever.
The premiere went down last night and critics have released their first reactions. Wes Ball seems to have successfully rebooted the series. After all, Kingdom is the first installment in the franchise since 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes.
What is it about?
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes place “many” years after its predecessor. Despite Caesar's efforts years prior, society has taken a step backward.
“Many apes societies have grown from when the Moses-like Caesar brought his people to an oasis, while humans have been reduced to a feral-like existence,” THR teased in one of their reports. “Some age groups have never heard of Caesar, while others have contorted his teaching to build burgeoning empires.
“In this setting, one ape leader begins to enslave other groups to find human technology, while another ape, who watched his clan be taken, embarks on a journey to find freedom. A young human woman becomes key to the latter’s quest, although she has plans of her own,” they continued.
Freya Allan leads the human portion of the cast as Mae/Nova. William H. Macy plays another human character. Owen Teague, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, Travis Jeffery, Nail Sandlands, and Lydia Peckham also star in the film.
Wes Ball directed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes based on a script from Josh Friedman (Avatar: The Way of Water). Ball is known for directing the Maze Runner film trilogy. Coming up, he will direct a live-action Legend of Zelda film.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' first reactions
The first round of reactions are in. Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture is “relieved and thrilled by how much I enjoyed it.” Their expectations were high given the legendary status of the previous trilogy, but Ball did the unthinkable. They also praised the visual effects for being the “best” since Avatar: The Way of Water.
Daniel Howat called the film a “worthy successor to the throne” and a “bold leap into the future.” They even said that the film may be “larger in scope” than the previous trilogy. Even still, it maintains being “grounded in honest emotion.”
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes must set up another film or two with its ending. Ian Sandwell said that the film may take a bit to “find its footing,” but it “builds into a captivating second act and a thrilling finale.” They are excited to see what the film leads to due to its “intriguing ending.”
Lastly, The Hollywood Handle said that the film “is not only incredibly gorgeous but also a deep and magnificent return to the franchise.” The film fills Caesar's legacy thanks to its “engaging story” and “amazing cast.” At the end of the day, they praised directed Wes Ball as “the right guy to bring this franchise back.”
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be released on May 10.
