‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ honors Caesar’s legacy without forgetting to climb his own tree

In 1968, Stanley Kubrick revolutionized science fiction with the release of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, but That same year, another title of the genre landed in theaters that also ended up earning its place in the history of cinema. (literally, it is part of the National Film Registry): ‘Planet of the Apes’. Four direct sequels were born from its success between 1970 and 1973, a remake directed by Tim Burton in 2001 and the trilogy starring Andy Serkis as the iconic Caesar between 2011 and 2017.

Seven years after Matt Reeves put an end to the journey of Caesar and company, on May 10 Wes Ball (‘The Maze Runner’) opens the doors of this dystopian world (utopian for the apes) to us again with ‘ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’, tenth film in the saga and first installment of a new trilogy. Set about three centuries after the previous one, a time when the few remaining devolved humans are no longer a threat. Noa, a young primate who does not know life beyond his family, undertakes a dangerous adventure while a cruel tyrant builds an empire.

Reinvent yourself or die

If the franchise is characterized by something, with the exception of a Burton version that did not abandon the territory already explored, it is by try to ensure that each project innovates with respect to the previous one, giving a twist to the concept of the time where apes are the dominant species.

Regardless of whether the attempt worked better (like ‘Escape from the Planet of the Apes’ or the Caesar trilogy) or worse (‘Battle for the Planet of the Apes’), the mentality of “reinvent yourself or die” It makes it an attractive saga even with its bumps. And the search for originality, whether with or without setbacks, should be applauded, especially in established commercial franchises. that they can stretch the same gum that ensures they deliver at the box office. ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ does not disappoint its predecessors and, although also bumpy, embraces its past while betting on its own future.

The first statement of intent with which Ball announces that he wants a new story and not a simple continuation of ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ is to set the project hundreds of years after it. He decides to separate himself so much from a conflict already too far back in time that he can create one from scratch with the freedom that not having to be tied to the past grants him. Thanks to that, It doesn’t matter that we are facing the tenth installment of a saga, ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ immerses us in a new world Of which the only thing we know is that the apes have dominated it for centuries, the rest remains to be discovered.

Moving away from the previous installments allows Ball to introduce original ideas to the saga such as, with the inevitable growth of the population and the passage of time, Apes no longer have a single way of life. They are divided into clans with different cultures and customs., such as the special link between the protagonist’s home and the eagles or the antagonist’s home with human history. Noa’s journey takes him along paths that do not allow him to explore many more, but the possibility of meeting them in the future, as if it were the different Na’vi in ​​’Avatar’, is a good card that the trilogy can play in its upcoming movies.

“Cesar is at home”

Thirteen years have passed since we saw Caesar say goodbye to his owner in ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ with an epic “Caesar is home”, one of his first phrases. With it she sentenced his time as a pet to become not only responsible for his life, but for the future of his species. Aware of the enormous impact of this character on the saga, Ball successfully finds a way to honor him by incorporating his legacy into the plot, but without forgetting to chart his own path..

The director does not resort to this to take the film to safe ground from which to win over the audience with nostalgia, makes Caesar a tool with which to know the present and look to the future through the past. Instead of opting for Noa or his clan to be deeply united to him or his ideals, Ball practically turns Caesar into a mythological being about which the protagonists know nothing. The way to remember, through a very interesting almost mythical approachits principles about morality, decency and its relationship with human beings is one of the strongest points of ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’, which includes every connection with the past with great care.

It gives it even more strength, as well as mysticism, that the filmmaker does not at any time intend to base his film on it, he knows perfectly well when to get into the matter. He does not abuse the topic, he is not in a hurry to introduce it nor is he in a hurry to get rid of it. In fact, includes Caesar’s impact in such an organic way that the abruptness with which he forgets about him is annoyingcausing a certain feeling of inconclusion in this subplot.

The idea of ​​Caesar as a legend is presented through Raka, the most interesting secondary character in the story and with which Ball provides a certain secrecy to a topic familiar to the public. It’s sad that, beyond Raka, the rest of the secondary characters close to Noa do not arouse the same appeal as him or his equivalents in the previous trilogy, such as Maurice, Koba or Rocket, who greatly enriched the films regardless of having greater or less weight in them.

Never forget where you come from

Due to the proximity of their release dates, as well as their narrative connections, it is inevitable to contrast ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ with the projects starring César. But Ball reminds us that the saga is born from the fantastic first installment of 1968 with scenes that draw on it. The director pays tribute to Franklin J. Schaffner’s film with parallelisms included not gratuitously, but for the benefit of his story, demonstrating once again that the balance between past and present is one of the greatest virtues of the project.

Ball does not approach ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ as a film set in an impossible time in which he can give free rein to his craziest ideas, he is interested in introducing problems and conflicts close to our world. This results in a story close to fantastic and science fiction realism that allows the public to easily enter it, both lovers of these genres who enjoy the escape from the mundane and those who tend to prefer them closer to reality.

Although less adult than her predecessors, does not leave aside such delicate topics as slavery or the annihilation of villages, even though its approach does not have the rawness of ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’. What is missing, within the solemnity that Ball achieves, are certain scenes in which the epic charge that is gradually brewing explodes, such as the mythical “No” that Caesar shouts in ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’.

Part of the loss of the epic of ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ is because its third act is the weakest branch of the trunk. While the introduction to the new world in the first and the journey that Noa undertakes in the second are executed at an ideal pace, where Ball has no problem taking his time, the development of the latter is rushed and chaotic. Although in it we discover attractive ideas such as the villain’s obsession with human history, in addition to enjoying more screen time for this interesting character, It is the most irregular section due to its bombardment of new information. Some concepts land well, but others suffer from coming into play so late and without the necessary footage to delve into them.

This bittersweet taste of the third act is reduced thanks to the fact that in it we meet Proximus Caesar, antagonist whose extensive knowledge about the previous world matches perfectly with the protagonist’s zero idea about it. Kevin Durand (‘Lost’, ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’) finds with his interpretation the perfect tone to give life to the most human ape in the film, a charismatic yet imposing villain who makes eloquence and Manipulation of him his greatest weapon. Far from being a forgettable character, as he is one of the most suggestive, his great potential is not fully taken advantage of, which also takes its toll on starting to delve deeper into him so late.

The human behind the ape

Completing the main cast are Owen Teague (‘To Leslie’) and Freya Allan (‘The Witcher’), performers who do their job perfectly. Playing with your body posture, The actress is a wild and animalized human who also gives dignity when the script requires it.while in Noa’s face we recognize the look and features of an actor who skillfully moves his character between insecurity, fear, doubt and trust, making his interpretation a key element in the character’s evolution.

Recognizing Teague in Noa while the ape on screen has its own identity is possible due to the very high level of CGI, a compliment that is not new in the saga. Wes Ball, special effects artist turned director, He shows off the great result, not skimping on close-ups of the primates’ faces. Shots that, between the good work of the actors with the motion capture suit and the enormous work in post-production with CGI, give us looks and expressions that are as realistic as they are vehement.

Without ceasing to pose new dilemmas on the subject that are open to be explored in depth in the future, ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ places the human-apes relationship in the background to focus on the classic adventure of the potential hero who fears not measuring up. He does so through a captivating journey with which he discovers himself and the world around him, with which he strengthens ties with his home while expanding his horizon beyond it. A journey that prioritizes character development over big events to immerse him in., a crucial aspect that will benefit them in future deliveries. A journey that shows that if behind a tree there is a team that waters it with passion and care, strong branches can continue to grow, no matter how many apes swing from them.

‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ premieres in theaters May 10.