The opening scenes of "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" are full of mourning apes honoring their deceased leader, Caesar, whose body is adorned in flowers and ceremonially set aflame. Time jumps many generations ahead into the jungle, signifying the ancient history of the preceding three "Apes" movies, to some viewer's relief.
Remaking classic films often aims at capturing a fresh audience while still appealing to those who cherished the original version. This installment transitions from Caesar as the epicenter of the story to Noa, becoming the focus of the narrative. A brave young chimpanzee, Noa shares many character traits with Caesar. The story then unfolds as Noa’s tribe is attacked, forcing him into a perilous journey where he faces numerous survival tests before he encounters a dystopian seaside realm of apes.
The "Apes" franchise finally reaches the starting point that some fans argue, should have been its beginning. The tortious rise to power of Caesar and the evolution of intelligent apes may have been a thrilling journey to some, but to others, it may have allowed the franchise to feel inflated and lacking the playful dystopian energy of the original 1968 "Planet of the Apes".
Essentially, "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" serves as a reboot to the franchise. It may or may not surpass its previous installments in terms of success, but it brings a unique wilderness adventure, mixing astonishing cutting-edge motion capture technology and classic storytelling elements.
Noa, separated from his tribe, comes across Raka, the old orangutan believer in Ceaser's teachings, and a wild human child who is not as naive as she appears. Noa ends up in the ape kingdom, dominated by a cruel leader named Proximus Caesar, where he's forced to fight for his freedom and the liberty of his fellow apes. Undeniably, the film leaves audiences on a cliffhanger, hinting at the return of humanity in the sequels to come, making you wonder about the future of this ape-dominated planet.
