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Noa (left, played Owen Teague) in a still from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (category IIA), directed by Wes Ball and co-starring Freya Allan and Kevin Durand. Photo: 20th Century Studios

Review | Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes movie review: looks great, but story of Freya Allan teaming up with apes is too slow

  • Many generations on from where the last Planet of the Apes movie left off, a group of apes and a human hunt down a tyrannical ape ruler, voiced by Kevin Durand
  • The computer graphics are impressive, and the pacing allows for nice slow-burn moments, but the film drags at key moments and is ultimately unfulfilling

3/5 stars

Seven years after War of the Planet of the Apes brought the rebooted “man versus monkeys” series to an apparent close, the simians are back.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes begins with the funeral of Caesar, the dignified leader who died in sacrifice for the ape cause, before moving forward “many generations” to a time when these talking apes are now the dominant species.

The humans that are left are feral and mute, infected by a man-made virus that spread across the globe.

Directed by Wes Ball, who was behind The Maze Runner series, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes tries to do something similar to the recent Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which relegates humans to supporting roles and lets the creatures do the fighting.

Here we meet Noa (Owen Teague), a young hunter chimpanzee who lives in a peaceful community until a rival clan storms in, setting fire to his village and enslaving its inhabitants.

The armour-plated leader Proximus (Kevin Durand) yells that this raid is “for Caesar”, although his violent actions seem to take the name of the great ape in vain.

Proximus (Kevin Durand) in a still from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Photo: 20th Century Studios

Noa resolves to hunt the offending clan down and is joined by the wise orangutan Raka (Peter Macon) and Mae (Freya Allan), a young human who has been left to fend for herself in this hostile environment.

What they find is a kingdom ruled with an iron fist by Proximus, who is desperate to destroy the remaining humans.

There is a neat supporting role for William H. Macy as Trevathan, an ageing fellow who has sold out to Proximus’ rule in the belief that humans will never regain their dominance.

The film is carved out with motion-capture performances and expert computer graphics; the apes look splendid, as do the birds of prey that play a significant role in the story. Naturally, this instalment misses Caesar and the prowess of actor Andy Serkis, despite Durand’s forceful turn.

Freya Allan as Mae in a still from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Photo: 20th Century Studios

There are some joyous moments, such as when Noa and company come across a herd of zebra. Ball should be praised for creating a film that has the space for these slow-burn moments.

Sadly, the movie does not accelerate where it needs to. While the final reel embraces themes of technology and evolution, it is an overlong act that does not quite deliver the thrills or emotional payoff one would hope for.

That is largely what makes Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes a competent, rather than a killer, instalment.

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