Content Warning: This story contains spoilers for Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes (2024)
Any movie that includes an ape riding on a horse with a spear is going to be a head-turner. That’s how I got into this famous trilogy in the first place, so when I was told there was a fourth movie, I was excited to say the least.
My first thought was the characters. The movie takes place 300 years after the previous films, so the original crew is long gone. It was inevitable that they would die, especially with Caesar’s death at the end of the third film, but it felt bittersweet to say goodbye to our main cast. The new cast is pretty interesting though, and I found myself quickly becoming attached.
This movie decided to have a human as a main character again, similar to Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, which was an amazing touch. My personal favorite characters somehow always end up being the orangutans, so when the character Raka was introduced, I knew I had a new favorite. His character is so wise and sweet, just a genuinely likable character.
As the movie starts, we meet three young monkeys, one of which is Noa, our main ape. Very quickly, we are introduced to war. As their village is attacked by gorillas and eventually burned into nothing. Planet Of The Apes films tend to be action-packed with fighting and death, so this wasn’t a crazy scene, however, the cinematography was incredible. With quick camera shots and amazing CGI, this scene is unforgettable. Not once during the battle did I feel confused or bored; it was the perfect balance of fast-paced and understandable.
One part of this movie that I loved was the acting of Mae, played by Freya Allen. Being one of the only humans that this film focused on, her character automatically stood out to the audience. Allen’s acting felt so raw. Mae is a human who is trying to survive in a world run by apes, so as you’d imagine, she’s frightened and weak. Allen played this perfectly, from her expressions to her spoken lines. I adored this character. I was going to say that this was the best acting of the movie, but that was before we met Proximus Caesar.
Played by Kevin Durand, Proximus Caesar is our antagonist. Caesar is the ruler of a clan of apes, all of whom worship him, hence his name. He is obsessed with Caesar and his legacy. With his power over his clan, he changes how people view Caesar and what Caesar fought for. This entire part of the movie with Proximus Caesar was long, and at some points, boring. However, the thing that saved it was Durand’s acting. The scenes with Durand were so well done. His facial expressions were so animated, I could feel the emotions of Proximus Caesar so strongly, at no point was I tired of this character.
Skipping to the end of the film. Noa and his family are back to their peaceful lives and everyone seems to be happy. Mae has become somewhat of a confusing character. We can’t tell if we can trust her or not. One of the most unforgettable scenes of this film is during the end when Noa and Mae are talking. The camera slowly pans to the back of Mae, where we can see a gun in her hand, as if she was planning to shoot and kill Noa. She ends up not using the gun, but it was definitely an insane scene. I was left with my jaw dropped, staring at my friends in the theater to see their similar shocked expressions.
Overall, this fun, action-packed film was a great watch. The characters, the acting, the CGI, the cinematography, everything was well done and super satisfying. At first, I was skeptical about a fourth Planet Of The Apes movie, being that I adore the first three and was worried a fourth would ruin it. However, I’m happy with the outcome of this movie. I like how it’s somewhat separate from the trilogy, while still expanding on the ideas it set up. I’d definitely recommend watching this movie, and if you can, see it in theaters. Everything is cooler on the big screen.
