“That is the law. But the law is WRONG.”

Story: “Many generations after Caesar’s death”, Earth looks like one of those Life After People episodes. Apes have flourished, with many different settlements throughout the former USA. But Noa, a young Eagle Clan chimpanzee who’s battling Not As Good As Dad Syndrome, is desperately trying to prove himself. When chaos enters their clan, Noa must try to save his people…and figure out what the deal is with this strange “Nova” that’s following him around. Wait – she can talk? NO WAAAAAAY.

Genre I’d put it in: Sequels That Are Just Okay
Release Date: 2024
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Based on the Planet of the Apes franchise of films released in the 1960s/1970s. Part of the modern Apes franchise. We do not speak of the Tim Burton adaptation. #AperahamLincoln

Gotta say: I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; writing a review about a film that does exactly what it tries to do – and nothing more – is tough. A great movie? I can wax poetic for hours. A bad movie? Well, y’all know how I love writing up one of those. However, Kingdom is a film that’s in-between.

There were moments when I was all in, where the art direction, cinematography, and performances drew me in. But there were also long stretches of time where I kept asking myself “but how though? How did [character] become/get [thing]?” Many of my questions were answered by the end of the film, but a huge number were not. So I walked away feeling puzzled and unsatisfied. Not a great feeling for a hopeful entry into the summer blockbuster sweepstakes. I guess it’ll do though; as with most summer blockbusters, Kingdom can be easily enjoyed, as long as you shift your brain into a Simian Flu vibe, and just let the action flow over you.

The story has many interesting ideas, and I’d have loved to have seen even one get the attention earlier films in this franchise paid to them. Here, the main theme is how history can become myth, and then become corrupted by power hungry individuals. That’s shown by apes who’ve twisted Caesar’s beliefs, and humans who seem to be immune to the Simian Flu/ALZ-113. I say seem to be, because for the majority of the film, we get no idea why Noa’s travel companion Mae is intelligent. Nor how she’s able to do many of the things she’s shown doing; yes, it’s answered later, but when all I can thing about is “how the heck does she know [X]???” I’m pulled out of the story.

I loved the way the Eagle Clan was structured, and how they’ve settled into a life that’s meaningful and successful. They use the old skyscrapers – now covered with plant life – as hunting grounds, and to be honest? I’d absolutely live with them. They’ve turned falconry to eagle-ry? Sign this girl up! (Seriously, I love golden eagles. Raptors in general, really.) Kudos to the art, CGI, and set design departments for creating such a gorgeous village, and beautiful jewelry/decorations that adorn those apes. In fact, the ape adornment in general is well done, showing how after generations of adaptation, they’ve creating their own meaningful symbols and decorations.

Harking back to War, all humans in Noa’s village are called Novas, and so when “his” Nova speaks, and tells him her name? He’s gobsmacked. (I tell you this, because the trailer’s already spoiled it for everyone. Otherwise, it’s a funny moment.) But Freya Allan’s Mae/Nova is a cypher, one that gets increasingly baffling as the story progresses. Allan does a fantastic job, all doe eyed and innocent at first, but more complex as she and Noa continue on their journey. Owen Teague lends a poignant feel to Noa, a chimp that’s trying to piece together his life after unthinkable tragedy. Kevin Durand seems to be enjoying the hell outta playing Proximus Caesar, the Big Bad bonobo that may change the world one way or another. Special shout-out to Peter Macon as oragutan Raka, a Yoda-esque believer in the old ways. Macon’s empathetic performance had me wishing for a Raka-centric story. Maybe later, she said hopefully.

I blame this inconsistency on the introduction of a new director and writer for Kingdom. Yes, Matt Reeves took up the helm with Dawn and War after Rupert Wyatt’s Rise. But Reeves continued Wyatt’s deep-think method of storytelling, with ideas and themes that grab you and force you to consider them. In this film, they’re simply window dressing, a thing to hint at so you feel like maybe there’s something you can think about after the credits roll. But I had no gut-punch as I was walking out of the theater this time. Kingdom doesn’t discuss stagnancy vs. change, or how belief can become zealotry. It simply plops change in front of you as not only a fait accompli, but something that cannot be remedied. Too bad, so sad. Let’s get the next film going, y’all!

So if you’re in the mood for an action film that’s two and a half hours and feels every bit of that length? Get comfy, grab your favorite snax, and check this one out. If you’re on the fence? This would be a great one to stream at home. The act-by-act structure – The Eagle Clan, The Journey, Meeting Caesar, and What Happens Next can be easily broken into “episodes” that can be watched in bits and pieces. Just don’t be surprised if you’re kinda iffy on what happened previously. The story in Kingdom doesn’t really matter; it feels more of a placeholder for the fifth film than a powerful story by itself.

#Protip: Wanna know how Andy Serkis gets the job done? He’ll tell you! It’s an interesting look at how he did things in the earlier films, which is a cool way to see how the motion-suited ape and simian performers may have brought their own characters to the screen.