Mikes Film Talk

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes tries to add a layer to the existing franchise. Clans who have never heard of Caesar. Apes who do not know the real creed of the original leader. The film does do a certain amount of credit to the original and the new franchise starting with the 2011 re-imagining of the ape world.

The original, co-written by the master of quirky and thoughtful material Rod Serling, starred Charlton Heston as Taylor. The astronaut finds himself on earth. One he does not recognise. *Michael Wilson also worked on the screenplay based on the novel by Pierre Boulle.*

The 1968 film, as mentioned in an earlier review, was groundbreaking. Frontal male nudity and state of the art prosthetics for the “apes.” I remember watching it in the cinema and being blown away. The realization during the Statue of Liberty scene was breathtaking.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

The main cast is impressive for this one.

Kevin Durand is Proximous Caesar. A fan of Roman history, he wants modern technology to aid his rise to the top.

Owen Teague is Noa. A young ape who grows throughout his experiences in the battle with Caesar.

Freya Allan is Nova. A human scientist who bonds with Noa and travels with him.

Peter Macon is Raka. He almost steals the movie. This eccentric and intriguing intellectual orangutan travels with, and teaches, Noa.

William H. Macy is Trevathan. A traitor to his own kind, he educates Proximous Caesar in the ways of the world via books.

The story

Noa, the son of his clan’s “bird master” is looking for his egg to bond with. * A not so short aside: This idea of bonding with a creature who can fly is reminiscent of the late Anne McCaffrey and her “Dragons of Pern” series. A superb fantasy series that is well worth the time spent reading it. I have always wanted to see a film version of this world. The closest movie to the story’s theme is Avatar, a pale imitation of McCaffrey’s dragons and their bonded riders.*

While Noa is out, his clan is taken by Caesar’s men. Noa loses his father and sets off to save his clan. Along the way he meets Nova and Raka. The trio attempt to take Proximous down.

It Works

The motion capture, the CG and the direction make this an enjoyable experience. The director: Wes Ball does well in his endeavour to recreate the tale of the original “Apes.” The writers; Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver (Wife of Rick Jaffa) have provided us with a world that felt real.

A tale of growth and ambition. Durand’s Caesar is a megalomaniac and a narcissist of the first order. To be fair, this is not a new tale. The son out to avenge his family and save his fellow clan members is nothing new.

However.

The motion capture allows us to feel that the story is real and memorable, despite the mundacity of the journey.

Peter Macon

This actor played Lt. Cmdr. Bortus on The Orville. I have never seen it. This is of no consequence as Macon is beyond memorable as Raka. His portrayal of the kind, studious and wise intellectual orangutan almost effortlessly steals the movie.

He would have if not for motion capture and Kevin Durand.

Kevin Durand

Kevin Durand in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is superb. He plays a role that would have gone to Ron Perlman a few years ago. But Durand made this character his own. This is not just down to the motion capture aspect. It comes down to Durand’s own special style of acting.

In one scene, Proximous Caesar is anxiously questioning Noa. As the camera zooms in, a close up of the ape leader shows us that underneath all the “magic” of motion capture technology, Kevin Durand is there. Even under the digital mask, he shows up loud and clear.

As Caesar, he chews the scenery in an admirable fashion. “What a wonderful day” indeed.

Why Nova doesn’t work

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes does not really replace the original 1968 story at all. Nova, AKA Mae, is not a suitable replacement for Taylor. She is not an astronaut, or from a different time. Mae/ Nova is of this time and place. She is a scientist and well aware of the cultural times. Taylor was a fish out of water who had to fight almost everything and everyone to survive.

Nova is a representative of humans who are part of this world. She is a scientist and a survivor. She is a part of this Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Not a unwilling participant dropped from the sky like a new bird out of its nest.

But.

Nova is a great sign post to the next film in this new series. Like the astronaut mural, the observatory, this is like a “key” that connects the humans with the apes. And connects them all to the Serling original. Nova’s story is a brilliant foreshadowing of the “past” coming to present.

Perhaps the next film in this new franchise will include space travellers like Taylor and his doomed chums.

the verdict

I had a fight with this one. Initially, I wanted to rate this one a full 5 stars. However, considering the lack of real ingenuity in the tale, we opted for a full 4 out of 5 stars. Entertaining, clever and quite relevant, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes comes close; but there is no cigar.The film does entertain though. It is streaming on Hulu at the moment.

Go check this out and see what you think. Does this one excite you for the next in the series or leave you cold. Let us know what you think.

Food for thought

Would the most clever ape really use the four syllable word “duplicitous?”

The obligatory trailer