Xtreme Vogue London Desk: Judith Benjamin
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (English) Review {2.5/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Peter Macon, Kevin Durand
Director: Wes Ball
Movie Synopsis:
KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is the story of a young ape fighting for his clan. A few hundred years after Caesar’s death, the apes have split into numerous clans. Noa (Owen Teague) is a part of the Eagle Clan and his father, Koro (Neil Sandilands), is the chief. Noa along with his friends Anaya (Travis Jeffery) and Soona (Lydia Peckham) goes into the forest to collect eagle eggs as part of a ceremony. This is when they encounter a human being. At night, the girl enters the Eagle Clan village. Noa tries to chase her and in the process, his egg breaks. He goes into the forest to get another egg. He comes across a rogue ape clan, headed by Proximus (Kevin Durand). He and his army claim to be devotees of Caesar but have twisted his teachings for their agenda. They destroy the Eagle Clan village, kill Koro and take away all the apes. Noa is left behind as he’s believed to be dead. Once Noa regains consciousness, he sets out to find his clan members. On his way, he encounters an orangutan named Raka (Peter Macon). Raka educates Noa about Caesar and his real teachings. Soon, the girl, named Mae (Freya Allan), also joins them. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Story Review:
Josh Friedman’s story is interesting and fresh. Josh Friedman’s screenplay is peppered with some interesting dramatic and action-packed moments. However, it also falters in several places. The dialogues are okay.
Wes Ball’s direction is neat. He and his team have used their imagination well, especially in depicting what the world has turned into a few centuries after the outbreak of the Simian Flu. The abandoned structures, especially, are spectacular. The track of Raka is great fun and the best part of the enterprise. The tense moments in the climax will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Also, though the film is 145 minutes long, the pace is fine.
On the flipside, one can’t help but miss Caesar, the iconic protagonist of the earlier three parts. The new protagonist is nowhere close. Secondly, certain important questions are left unanswered like when and why the apes got divided into clans, where Proximus came from etc. Raka and Trevathan (William H Macy) are fascinating characters but the makers don’t do justice to them. The climax is grand but the developments that lead to the finale are silly.
Performances:
Owen Teague tries his best to do his best but the character is not well fleshed out, especially considering that he is the hero of the film. Freya Allan is damn good and speaks a lot through her silence. Peter Macon is likeable and one wishes he had more screen time. Kevin Durand is apt as the antagonist. William H Macy doesn’t get much scope. Travis Jeffery, Lydia Peckham and Neil Sandilands are decent.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes music and other technical aspects:
John Paesano’s music has a cinematic feel. Gyula Pados’ cinematography is breathtaking. Daniel T Dorrance’s production design is creative and imaginative. The action is appropriate while VFX is top-class. Dan Zimmerman’s editing is smooth.
Conclusion:
On the whole, KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is a grand, spectacular saga but suffers due to an average script. At the box office, it might face a tough time due to limited buzz and also because of limited following for the series in India.
