Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – Film Review
by Fran Winston

Directed by: Wes Ball
Starring: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, William H. Macy

In cinemas May 10th

The franchise with the longest titles in film history gets something of a reboot with this offering set 300 years after War For Planet of The Apes. Humans are now known as Echoes and have lost the power of speech as the apes control everything. However, after three centuries they have broken off into factions and have their own power struggles.

When the clan of an ape called Noa (Teague) are captured by a rogue faction he goes in search of them. Along the way, he encounters a human Nova/Mae (Allan) who can not only speak but also knows where his family and friends are.  The pair work together to try and bring down the rogue apes however both have different agendas for the future of the planet.

The intention is that this will be the beginning of a new trilogy of films for the franchise and it sets things up nicely for that introducing likeable characters and leaving just enough threads hanging that you want to see more.

Although it is only seven years since the release of War For The Planet of The Apes the effects have come on hugely and you really do believe you are watching talking apes. Ball has created a rich world that bears reminders of its human-dominated past but has adapted to its current predominant inhabitants. This new landscape lends itself well to some lush cinematography.

The sound mixing is also incredible helping to further enhance the feeling that you are in a wild yet civilised world.  While there is a huge amount of backstory to catch up on for newbies to the franchise Ball avoids tonnes of exposition and manages to subtly weave it into the plot.

Overall, this is an entertaining watch that fits well in the franchise and features some spectacular set pieces and action scenes. However, its 145-minute running time feels a bit long and at times it does drag. Losing half an hour would definitely have helped with the pacing.

While this isn’t the greatest film in the ten movie franchise it is deserving of its place in it. It manages to be both a thought-provoking social parable and an enjoyable action flick.