Dog’s Movie House: “Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes” Thrilling Addition To An Excellent Franchise!”

After a brief prologue in which we see the funeral of the fallen Caesar, several generations pass before we are introduced to the Eagle Clan of apes. Known for their raising and bonding with the aforementioned birds of prey, we are introduced to Noa (Owen Teague) a young ape who happens to be the son of the chief birdmaster of the clan. He and his two companions are attempting to acquire eagle’s eggs to raise for the ritual bonding process that signals their transition to adulthood. Events take a disasterous turn when Eagle Clan is attacked and destroyed by an army of ape warriors who capture most of Eagle Clan with the intent of using them as slave labor. Noa, accompanied by a wise old orangutan named Raka (Peter Macon) and an unusually smart human female named Mae (Freya Allan) embark on a perillous journey to free the Eagle Clan from the clutches of the ape kingdom led by the sadistic Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand).

Now that plot description sounds pretty basic, but the quest/hero’s journey provides a sturdy framework upon which to build an incredibly complex story involving what it means to be an ape, the politics and hubris that comes from acting more “human” and the possible counter-revolution of the few remaining intelligent humans on the planet. It’s a lot to process, but writer Josh Friedman deftly manuevers these dispirate elements in his script to that everything is easy to understand with losing any of its emotional complexity. New director Wes Ball (replacing Matt Reeves) picks up the reigns with style and skill, combining the huge action sequences with just as many quiet and emotional moments that give the spectacle weight.

Motion capture technology has come a long way since the days of “The Phantom Menace” and boy is it incredible here. Nothing feels like a special effect and the apes are for all intents and purposes, real. Never once do you feel that you are watching CGI and that adds to the incredibly immersive experience of the film. The camera work and set design are also amazing, giving life to this incredibly wild world whose civilization has been reclaimed by nature.

More than any other film in the recent history of the Planet Of The Apes franchise, “Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes” feels most like a thematic companion to the original 1968 film as it features primarily ape characters with very little interaction with the human race at large. Only Mae and Trevathan (William H. Macy) serve as the human characters of note; everyone else is ape. The performances are fantastic, Teague successfully taking over the reigns from Serkis as Noa, the boy who becomes a man during the course of the film. Initially innocent, Noa is forced to discover the leader inside when things are at there worst and his dedication to the teachings of Caesar, who has become something of a contentious legend over the course of so many generations. Allan is terrific as Mae, a cunning human woman with an agenda of her own, and Peter Macon is a hoot as Raka, the old orangutan whose peaceful adherence of Caesar’s teachings leads to some of the funnier scenes in the movie. It also makes him one of the most complex characters in the film. Veteran character actor Kevin Durand does fantastic work as Proximus Caesar, a power-mad king who has twisted the original laws of Caesar to his own personal advantage. His proclamation of “What a wonderful day!” is sure to become one of the most popular memes on the internet. Proximus is also a complex character who has reasons for his actions that resonate far beyond the simple ideas of good and evil.

If I could provide one small complaint is that the film drags just a little bit during the middle section of the film. You probably could have trimmed fifteen minutes or so from the final cut to improve the pacing just a bit. But that’s a minor complaint at best as “Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes” is one of the most thoughtful and thrilling science fiction films of the year. It needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible. 4 1/2 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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