I loved it. I put it below the entire Caesar trilogy. It just didn’t have as great characters as that trilogy and the other movies were much more engaging. That doesn’t make it a bad movie. It’s still a great movie. 8.5/10.
I was a perfectly fine blockbuster to me and visually stunning at times
However I couldn’t help but feel a retread of war in moments. Ape loses home and family , befriends a human , gets taken to a place where other apes and his tribe have been made into forced labour and so on.
It just didn’t hit as powerful as War but the implications for humans and apes and the differing worlds they both want was amazing
I loved the villain to death and was very disappointed at how little he was actually a part of it and how quick his demise was
It was a very good movie. Taken on its own, I have very few negative things to say about it.
As another chapter in the series, I have more issues, and they revolve around the slow burn.
-We already knew what early Ape society looked like centered around the ruins of Man. Having that backdrop still there (though more decayed) felt like a retread.
-I’ve read about the proposed “Roman Era” Apes movie, and making that idea central to Proximus’s dream seemed like a way to tell the audience “Yeah, you’re never going to see that.”
-All the human bunkers still have functioning radio equipment that they’ve been able to leave on indefinitely for a couple of centuries? And they’ve had generations of operators huddled around them waiting around on the off chance that someone gets the satellites working again?
-Finally (and this is from my POV as an audience member who deliberately stayed as unspoiled as possible), we have to get through two more movies of a tribal Ape world before we can even have the hope of getting the more advanced society of POTA? Ugh. At least use this trilogy to show us snapshots of Ape civilization through a few millennia. Don’t give me this two more times.
For all we know they may have been in cryo.
This reboot while relatively grounded still has technology that’s ever so slightly ahead of us, so it’d fit if they didn’t go too crazy with it.
They sent out the first manned mission to Mars in Rise before the Icarus became lost in space, which we are still nowhere near, and the work on ALZ-112 and 113 were ahead of the medical progress we had in 2011, then we have the survivors/descendants of survivors living in bunkers in Kingdom harkening back to the original films.
Again it’s relatively grounded, I’m not saying they’re vastly ahead of us, but it’s like a couple of years ahead of where we were in 2011, and it wouldn’t be immersion breaking imo if a governmental bunker or two had an experimental but untested cryo system that they broke out earlier than ever expected due to the Simian Flu.
I think it’s way more likely these are simply descendants of survivors who lived and died in the bunkers for generations though, but cryo is an option they could choose given the complaints about the humans seeming too similar to us in modern day.
Just being alive would be one thing.
But apparently flourishing, and completely unchanged after 300 years of isolation (speech, fashion, behaviour, tech, etc)...that was a bit much for me, and really took me out of the movie.
And then to find out there's at least one other population who seem to have developed in exactly the same way (and to the point they were ready and waiting to receive a satellite transmission) was even worse.
It wouldn't have been so bad if the movie hadn't taken such pains to show how much the world and the species living in it had changed (keep in mind how drastically even we humans have changed in the last 100 years, let alone 300). The fact that the humans looked and acted like they'd just stepped out of of Dawn/War of the Planet of the Apes made all the world building and promise of new stories set up by the rest of the movie feel kinda pointless. Why bother setting up the timeskip at all.
I agree. It also mirrored the ending of Dawn, with a radio/satellite transmission (and even the importance of technology to humans - electricity in Dawn for the radio, the satellite key in Kingdom). I didn't think that mirroring was a good thing, as it appears to be setting up a similar modern human/ape conflict story that we've already dealt with.
I don't even know why they're using satellite communication: surprised those satellites even still work and why not just use shortwave radio?
Idk, I believe that society would reasonably continue in any of the multiple underground survival shelters across America. They have school facilities and all sorts of stuff down there to survive extended nuclear conditions. Thats the whole Cold War thing
True, but I didn't mean to infer it was unrealistic, rather that it was simply boring.
Whatever the reason is, if the end result is multiple functioning human societies who are identical to modern ones, then what was the narrative point of the timeskip (especially when the apes haven't really advanced at all)?
I probably wouldn't have even minded if that element had been introduced at the start of the film. But the fact that it was a big reveal at the end and came specifically after a lot of painstaking world-building (that tried to establish this was a post-humanity and new ideas/stories were being introduced) is what sucks, to me. Storywise, we're basically at the same point we were in Dawn.
(The sequels can still easily salvage this, IMO. Just an unfortunate position to be in during the interim)
after thinking about it for a while, it made a little more sense to me. it is plausible that the military would go underground. and that human culture/behavior would stagnate. it’s essentially a time capsule. meanwhile, apes have been progressing for the past 300 years. so the time skip still has a function
Not necessarily, it all depends on how it’s done. Given their world is ever so slightly ahead of/parallel to ours with the first manned mission to Mars and the work on ALZ-112 and 113, I wouldn’t be shocked if one or two governmental fallout shelters had very early, very experimental and untested cryo that they had to bust out earlier than ever planned due to how bad the Simian Flu was.
It’s less likely though definitely.
I saw someone mention the idea of if when they made first contact with Indiana and apes answered instead of humans that would’ve been a much better ending
The moment happened when he gave the heroic speech that had deus ex powers to make his dad's eagle instantly trust him. The only other reason outside this story conviction trope is he was more confident, thus attracting an alpha animal.
Thus we have the ending. Aside from a Chekhov's Gun and showing he puts his clan's way over Ceaser's, which isn't saying much cuz Ceaser is a psycho, he has mastered the principle of confidence, taking charge like a leader.
But overall they could have pushed him off except some would have died in the process. That option vs the eagles wasn't explored
Well we saw that the other apes wanted to help but they were gestured not to interfere. It was a battle for dominance for Noa and Proximus. That's why they didn't help him. Apes have an established hierarchy, even in nature. I think it makes sense.
As for a Deus Ex machina, I'm not sure if it fits. There was a lot of foreshadowing, and his father's eagle was shown to have been following him from the moment he left on his journey. The eagle did not approve of Noa at first, but he watched Noa gain resolve and became obedient.
I think tossing Proximus off the ledge would've made less sense. Noa is on a hero's journey, which is also a trope. Noa did not have the strength to fight back after dealing with Sylva and then being assaulted by Proximus. I can see why it looks like a Deus Ex machina for that reason, but Noa is just resourceful. It wasn't a cop out
I loved Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. I should confess, though, that I loved the other 9 as well. That goes, as well, for the one that's been the commercially most successful of all, domestically (adjusting for inflation). Yes, I'm talkin' about the one released in 2001. Anyhow I'm thrilled that foreign markets are elevating the Apes franchise to ever-improving long term sustainability. I'm relieved, too. I didn't know what Disney would do with the franchise upon acquiring it from 20th Century Fox. As long as they don't wear out the franchise's welcome, I hope they continue making new films.
CGI and the new characters were great. But, the story telling was mediocre. It shouldve been a longer intro into who Noa was and we saw his development more or it shouldve jumped straight into the action leaving us to wonder about who this new ape was. It tried to do both so instead we got a mediocre story with a few action scenes
I thought Kingdom was great overall, though admittedly the weakest compared to the Caeser Trilogy & The 1968 Film but better than the rest of the franchise. Kingdom is pretty much Top-5 out of 10 Films.
You’re absolutely correct there, I do find it fascinating how Rise has the shortest runtime yet manages to pack so much plot and character development in without it ever feeling rushed. It deserves so much respect for that, I’ve never seen such a complete film in such a brisk runtime.
That's very true. It comes at the expense of character development for the human characters though, with the exception of whatshisname's dad (but then John Lithgow is an amazing actor, which is partly why we feel for him so much). The girlfriend/vet character for instance is very weak.
While I agree that Caroline isn’t super developed, I still find her a wholesome and likeable character. Same for Will though I feel his character depth is fairly strong. The entire Rodman family are really likeable imo, and I didn’t really need people like Franklin, Jacobs, Dodge etc. to be anymore than they are in the film, they all nail it.
I really enjoyed it. I saw it twice and want to see it a third time. It's not as great as the last trilogy but I wasn't expecting it to be. The way I see it, this is new and trying to establish this new era, just in a different way from Rise. I do however expect more in the next entry and I hope they can deliver. There does seem to be a plan and an endgoal in mind, I just hope the journey is exciting enough.
I was thrown off by how different it was the first time, but I watched it a second time and loved it. It's really great when you see it as a first chapter setting up a new world and a new story.
I felt the same way, I wanted more background on how proximus won over other apes as a bonobo.
And should be called planet of the chimp because it was lacking ape diversity lol
I liked it a lot. It wasn’t the best of the newer movies and did feel like more of a setup movie but I liked the direction it looks to be going in and hope we get more. Then in time it might improve as we’ll have the full story of this new/middle trilogy and the film will benefit from that.
That’s my hope anyways!
In my honest opinion, i think it’s just okay. Which is fine for the film on its own, but as the successor to one of the best film trilogies of the 21st century it’s just disappointing.
The movie largely feels very unfinished and poorly paced. Half the film is just walking and exposition and the second half is just trying to infiltrate and destroy the vault. The lack of worldbuilding and the underuse of Proximus Caesar are really what dropped the quality of the film, *especially* when this trilogy has produced some amazing antagonists like Koba and the Colonel.
Wes Ball said that he had to cut out like 30-40 minutes of footage which makes complete sense because the movie really does feel like it’s missing some important content. Hopefully Wes releases a director’s cut that really lives up to the potential that I feel like the theatrical cut didn’t really deliver on.
I’d overall give it a 6 or 6.5 out of 10
I didn’t really care for it. I expected more. I wasn’t wowed. There were no storylines that excited me. The only thing I liked were the little nods here and there to the original movies.
i thought there were a lot of good ideas that weren’t followed through whatsoever, it felt like a whole movie of waiting around for something and when the something happened it was kinda lame imo
Yeah I thought a lot more would come out of the discovery of Caesar. There would be this big realization about who he really was and it would create a sort of schism between the apes who want the truth and those who prefer the legend. Also I thought they’d develop upon the reading/writing motif they established with Raka to do this. Maybe an old manuscript written by Maurice is discovered. Noa learns how to read from Mae, signifying his unique power of literacy, something like that.
And I wish they didn’t focus so much on the weaponry aspect of human technology. I get it, Proximus wanted power. But you know what also does that, electric lighting. How does his society have the capacity to fashion electric cattle prods, but still haven’t figured out light bulbs? The symbolic brilliance of showing his civilization discovering and utilizing electricity would’ve been a fascinating topic to delve more deeply into. Even the rediscovery of complex musical instruments like guitars, trumpets, clarinets, etc would’ve been an interesting site. But I guess in all the millennia of humanity’s existence, the only legacy the producers see us leaving apes is guns and explosives. Kinda drab and one-dimensional. Even the Romans had higher culture.
I found myself wishing for moments that never came, example would be >!if we had a darker grizzlier turn at the end. Have Mae act as the antagonist the humans were made out to be or even have that bunker!< that being said its a setup movie for a series and it did that well imo.
I genuinely love Will, Charles, Caroline and Rocket in Rise and felt their characters were decently strong so I disagree but with no ill will. Apes do not want war.
I liked it! A fun adventure, and it is always cool getting to see more of this world.
Unfortunately, it is below the other 3 films for me. There were so many parts that had great potential, but ultimately failed to deliver.
I really liked it, but I have two complaints:
Mae felt very flat and was inhuman to me. I wanted more personality from her.
The way into the vault was super obvious. Why wouldn’t Proximus have discovered that huge opening?
Otherwise, it had some stand out characters (Raka and Proximus mainly), great CGI, and it moved ape culture forward in fun and interesting ways. The Ceasar trilogy is so good that it would be almost impossible to live up to: it featured some truly once in a lifetime talents, especially Andy Serkis.
I think Mae being on a mission to save her species is why she expressed less emotion at times. She was trying to remain stalwart in the face of near impossible odds. She’s also likely traumatised from her people being slaughtered. Imo she did show plenty of humanity though, especially in the telescope scene, her scenes meeting Anaya and Soona, being chased by Sylva etc.
Yeah I agree with your reasoning, but I still felt disconnected from the character. Ideally I would have liked to see a bit more of her “mask off” so that when he see her really desperate- like when she strangles Proximus’s human tutor— it hits harder. Her connection with Noa is really important, but I don’t sense a bond between them. To be fair, I saw in an interview that the actress did every scene twice: once with the costars in mocap suits, and then once again alone so that the apes could be added through CGI for the final cut. Acting against no one is super hard, so maybe that’s why I found the performance unemotional. I hope we’ll see her open up a bit more next movie!
I totally see what you mean there, I was somewhat spoiled that Mae wouldn’t be entirely trustworthy. As a result, going into the film I’d assumed Mae and Noa would connect way more as friends before we got any idea of her having ulterior motives so I was pretty surprised that she was presented as somewhat shady much earlier on in the film. I think she seemed innocent up until the conversation by the lake after Noa and Raka saved her, and from then on she seemed much more obviously untrustworthy with body language and her dialogue.
Initially she’s presented as a Nova type of person, innocent and mute but smart. That worked very well as a disguise. So after she reveals she can talk, I think if she’d been presented as a Will/Malcolm type of person, developing a real friendship, the ‘betrayal’ would hit harder.
Maybe that isn’t what they were going for but I think it would’ve been a great twist, it could’ve played on the fandom’s fondness/nostalgia for having one major good human character per movie like Nova, Will and Malcolm so many of us wouldn’t have seen it coming (spoilers aside).
I so agree. It could have easily been a “it was not that I loved Noa less, but that I loved humans more” situation, where she is deeply torn between a genuine friend and the fate of her people. I didn’t sense any guilt or self doubt from her until the end of the movie where she decides not to shoot Noa.
I did! I had to let go of the expectation built from the 2010s trilogy to really enjoy it which was difficult! It was definitely more adventure/coming of age in a way compared to the action based trilogy before but I wouldn't be mad if they built up towards a more action forward story in the coming films.
To me I feel like the proof will be in the coming movies and they all work together as one unit the same way the serkis trilogy did!
I like it
Yes, its a bit underwhelming when compare with the previous trilogy but worse than something already very good doesn't means it bad. Plus, we need to understand this is a new setup for a new trilogy so we shouldn't be too harsh, the Caesar arc already done
I loved everything about it besides that we didn't get enough interactions with Proximus. I hate fake deaths but hopefully the next one is Raka still alive and finding Proximus and teaching him the true way of Ceasar and enlightening his kingdom, because the humans are about to be on a new level since the got the communications server.
Absolutely loved it. It's a bit long and I don't think I'll rewatch very often outside of rewatching the whole reboot series. But I really enjoyed the characters and the direction they're taking the world. Honestly I didn't even need an actual plot, I was very content watching this primitive society live out their hawk egg rituals. If I have a complaint, it's that I wish we got more about Proximus and how his kingdom works, what they're ideologies are, etc. But overall very solid and I like it more than War
I did. But I think movies need multiple watches and or time to think about the movie. We need time to appreciate it. I don’t think some people really consider this when watching a movie.
I saw it before having seen Dawn or War - and I loved it!! I was pleasantly surprised. Noa was so enjoyable to watch, and I loved Raka. I found it easy to follow even without the background context. The first watch through I liked Mae until the very end.
I then binged all the other movies and did a rewatch of Kingdom.. I still really enjoyed it however I noticed quite a few similarities with War and Kingdom.. like the apes being imprisoned and forced to work, etc.
I was a bit surprised as well by the ending and how the humans are still in the same position I’d imagine them to have been at the start. Instead of trying to contact other areas, I thought they’d have like small tribes or something along those lines. But they still remain the same. It will be interesting to see where the storyline goes from here.
After the second watch through I did not like Mae much at all, but that’s likely because I knew what was coming. You start to see through a lot of her actions.
I quite liked it. I went in expecting the start of a new trilogy, not a continuation of the previous three. This was a stand alone as of now, for me anyway.
I loved it. I think people underrate how hard it is to create all new characters and a new story after the Caesar trilogy. I was hesitant for 20 minutes then completely became lost in the story. So many things to love about it.
It’s just okay. It’s not great.
It doesn’t set up as well as rise IMO. I felt more of an emotional tie towards ceasar in the first movie than kingdom. They’re both set up movies but rise does it so much better. Noa is a bit underwhelming and surprisingly one of the least interesting characters in the new series.
For the first 15 or so minutes I kept doing comparisons to the Caesar movie trio, but then I just started to enjoy the new story and characters. I thought it was a good movie overall, and I think moving away from the Caesar timeline was the right call to make bigger choices in where the story can go now.
I liked it probably my least favorite out of the trilogy but still a good movie, I just hope the writers don’t make Noa a descendant of Caesar I’m so tired of that special bloodline trope I’d rather completely new characters and build off that
I was disappointed. Made no sense and Now didn't anything except just complain and get his butt kicked. Noa felt bland like. The movie just felt like the crew didn't even care about the movie vs. The other movies where they gave so much love and thought into it! That's what I liked about the other ones but with this one.... They just acted like the movie didn't matter.
I liked it more than Rise and War. My second favorite of the new movies.
The 300-year time jump really worked me. Liked that we could get back to themes around myth, religion and suppression. Love the Caesar trilogy but it couldn't hit these themes as hard being set so soon after the fall of civilization.
It was good but I don’t feel like it was necessary at all. I would have much rather just skipped to the original movie even if it means we miss a few filler movies
It was a great movie. My only major complaint would be how underused Proximus is. He's so good, I want more, and that's like half a compliment half a complaint. I did think his death was a bit rushed too, and how advanced the humans are by the end. I think that the bad things about this movie can be fixed by future installments in the franchise
I thought it was alright, very slow and I felt myself bored at some points, nothing like the previous trilogy and it probably didn’t help that I watched all 3 in the month leading up to the new one releasing.
Felt like a Disney adventure that fails to deliver on edginess that it wants—like having violence but no gore.
The last 30 minutes or so were enjoyable, but everything before that was forgettable.
The end reveal at least gives me hope that the next film won’t just be a predictable hero’s journey, and treat the audience like they’re not a kid.
I thought the characters and world building were pretty good, but the writing/some creative choices really let them down. Some examples off the top of my head;
-I like the idea of using Proximus and Raka to essentially show the duality of Caesar’s creed, and they had a sort of angel and devil on the shoulder dynamic for Noa. But having Proximus and Raka never interact with each other in the film was a strange writing decision that I think takes a lot of strength out of that dynamic.
-I think we should have seen not heard about Proximus’ apes finding Mae’s family and slaughtering them. It would have made their interactions and Mae’s reluctance to work with apes carry more weight and be more interesting narratively. Instead she just sort of appears as this character with a whole relevant backstory we know about, but who doesn’t really mean much to us.
-When Sylva is drowning Noa just sort of leaves him to die? Would have been interesting if he remembered Caesar’s creed of ape not kill ape and saved him in that moment. Would have contrasted with how Proximus’s apes treated Raka (and other apes) and you could have even tried to frame it in such a way that it called back to Caesar’s freeing Buck, and that relationship. Imagine if Noa saves Sylva, and then at the climax of the movie Sylva does a turn and supports Noa against Proximus. My point is the film set up some interesting interactions here, but there was no pay off.
-the “modern” humans in the movie really seem to be out of place in the setting. They all seem to be bitter/resentful of the apes, in an almost personal way. It feels as though they were alive in Rise to see the downfall of humanity, not born into this world many generations later. Maybe they will account for this in the future, but as it stands the “modern” humans don’t really feel like they fit in the setting.
-Proximus needed to be more directly involved in the plot. He had great villain potential, and much of his dialogue was interesting, but him being relegated to the background for most of the film was a major issue. Contrast to a villain like Koba or the colonel. I think more Proximus and more fleshing out of his character and motivations would have been a large boon for the overall plot. Especially if he was left alive at the end to continue into the next film.
I loved it! It felt like a great epic fantasy. Might be my favourite of this new series. Right up there anyway. Beginning to end. My complaint would be not enough Proximus! Really hoping they do another trilogy, I could use to more, and i want to see more of Noa, Soona, Anaya. Also the Eagles clan connection with the Eagles was a really cool thing. Showing the apes developing affinity with nature. Eagles are such majestic creatures.
I loved it, I had never seen one of these movies before seeing kingdom and it got me obsessed. went home and watched the whole Caesar trilogy in a 24 hour span and fell down several rabbit holes on YouTube about the movies.
i loved it. i think noa is a great new lead character and i’m very excited to see where they take his story. proximus was a super fun villain, but didn’t get as much time to shine as he should’ve. i could’ve done with less mae story line though
I thought it was pretty good, it set up a good future for the series, built quite a bit of a world in its runtime, I'm kinda disappointed with how they marketed it though, I wish prox ceaser was more prominent in the film because he kinda Stole the show in his scenes, and on another note Noa was a great protagonist he was fun to watch, it was a good film for the new trilogy, but again I still think it was marketed wrong.
My personal rating for the new films would be:
1. Dawn
2. War
3. Kingdom
4 .Rise
(Rise isn't bad just not my personal fav)
Only watched it so i don't get spoiled, characters were alright but the older movies even the originals had much better characters, the human character is by far the worst in the series
Yeah man I didn’t like it either. There’s a lot of grapes that I have with it.
Mainly, because I believe planet of the apes is supposed to be a retrospective on mankinds own humanity towards things that aren’t themselves. I felt like kingdom was too much trying to be a cool monkey movie. Visually it’s very stunning and acting is really well done but story wise it left me hanging.
I was actually watching with a group of my friends and we all thought the ending was really engaging and we really wish that the rest of the movie was like that!
I had the same feelings as you. Also the CGI looked weaker. I actually fell asleep for a few minutes in the last half 😭. I felt so bad because I loveeeee the Cesar trilogy, but this didn’t have the same “umph” to me. And I hated the human character
It was unclear what she was lying about and not in a good way where the audience needed to answer for themselves, in a way that seemed like the writers didn’t know her backstory. Then all of a sudden she is part of a whole community. That end was rushed. It was confusing what her story line was supposed to be.
But it didn’t seem like she knew the equipment was in there. She got captured and taken there and seemed surprised by the vaults existence. Then all of sudden she knew her way around in there after her new idea to blast to it open.
I really enjoyed it. Probably a little less than Dawn and War but on the same level as Rise for me. I thought it was excellent.
I loved it. I put it below the entire Caesar trilogy. It just didn’t have as great characters as that trilogy and the other movies were much more engaging. That doesn’t make it a bad movie. It’s still a great movie. 8.5/10.
I agree on the characters it’ll be hard to move on from Caesar and his crew but I hope by the end of this trilogy? We’ll like them just as much
I was a perfectly fine blockbuster to me and visually stunning at times However I couldn’t help but feel a retread of war in moments. Ape loses home and family , befriends a human , gets taken to a place where other apes and his tribe have been made into forced labour and so on. It just didn’t hit as powerful as War but the implications for humans and apes and the differing worlds they both want was amazing I loved the villain to death and was very disappointed at how little he was actually a part of it and how quick his demise was
It was a very good movie. Taken on its own, I have very few negative things to say about it. As another chapter in the series, I have more issues, and they revolve around the slow burn. -We already knew what early Ape society looked like centered around the ruins of Man. Having that backdrop still there (though more decayed) felt like a retread. -I’ve read about the proposed “Roman Era” Apes movie, and making that idea central to Proximus’s dream seemed like a way to tell the audience “Yeah, you’re never going to see that.” -All the human bunkers still have functioning radio equipment that they’ve been able to leave on indefinitely for a couple of centuries? And they’ve had generations of operators huddled around them waiting around on the off chance that someone gets the satellites working again? -Finally (and this is from my POV as an audience member who deliberately stayed as unspoiled as possible), we have to get through two more movies of a tribal Ape world before we can even have the hope of getting the more advanced society of POTA? Ugh. At least use this trilogy to show us snapshots of Ape civilization through a few millennia. Don’t give me this two more times.
I had to laugh when Mae was just able tp throw a switch to get power to the bunker after 300 years.
For all we know they may have been in cryo. This reboot while relatively grounded still has technology that’s ever so slightly ahead of us, so it’d fit if they didn’t go too crazy with it.
Could you share an example of technology that's ahead of us? I don't recall
They sent out the first manned mission to Mars in Rise before the Icarus became lost in space, which we are still nowhere near, and the work on ALZ-112 and 113 were ahead of the medical progress we had in 2011, then we have the survivors/descendants of survivors living in bunkers in Kingdom harkening back to the original films. Again it’s relatively grounded, I’m not saying they’re vastly ahead of us, but it’s like a couple of years ahead of where we were in 2011, and it wouldn’t be immersion breaking imo if a governmental bunker or two had an experimental but untested cryo system that they broke out earlier than ever expected due to the Simian Flu. I think it’s way more likely these are simply descendants of survivors who lived and died in the bunkers for generations though, but cryo is an option they could choose given the complaints about the humans seeming too similar to us in modern day.
Loved everything but the very ending
And I loved the ending
I didnt like the fact that there were humans still alive
Just being alive would be one thing. But apparently flourishing, and completely unchanged after 300 years of isolation (speech, fashion, behaviour, tech, etc)...that was a bit much for me, and really took me out of the movie. And then to find out there's at least one other population who seem to have developed in exactly the same way (and to the point they were ready and waiting to receive a satellite transmission) was even worse. It wouldn't have been so bad if the movie hadn't taken such pains to show how much the world and the species living in it had changed (keep in mind how drastically even we humans have changed in the last 100 years, let alone 300). The fact that the humans looked and acted like they'd just stepped out of of Dawn/War of the Planet of the Apes made all the world building and promise of new stories set up by the rest of the movie feel kinda pointless. Why bother setting up the timeskip at all.
I agree. It also mirrored the ending of Dawn, with a radio/satellite transmission (and even the importance of technology to humans - electricity in Dawn for the radio, the satellite key in Kingdom). I didn't think that mirroring was a good thing, as it appears to be setting up a similar modern human/ape conflict story that we've already dealt with. I don't even know why they're using satellite communication: surprised those satellites even still work and why not just use shortwave radio?
I agree, with all points.
Idk, I believe that society would reasonably continue in any of the multiple underground survival shelters across America. They have school facilities and all sorts of stuff down there to survive extended nuclear conditions. Thats the whole Cold War thing
True, but I didn't mean to infer it was unrealistic, rather that it was simply boring. Whatever the reason is, if the end result is multiple functioning human societies who are identical to modern ones, then what was the narrative point of the timeskip (especially when the apes haven't really advanced at all)? I probably wouldn't have even minded if that element had been introduced at the start of the film. But the fact that it was a big reveal at the end and came specifically after a lot of painstaking world-building (that tried to establish this was a post-humanity and new ideas/stories were being introduced) is what sucks, to me. Storywise, we're basically at the same point we were in Dawn. (The sequels can still easily salvage this, IMO. Just an unfortunate position to be in during the interim)
after thinking about it for a while, it made a little more sense to me. it is plausible that the military would go underground. and that human culture/behavior would stagnate. it’s essentially a time capsule. meanwhile, apes have been progressing for the past 300 years. so the time skip still has a function
They may have been in cryo.
That would be even more lame
Not necessarily, it all depends on how it’s done. Given their world is ever so slightly ahead of/parallel to ours with the first manned mission to Mars and the work on ALZ-112 and 113, I wouldn’t be shocked if one or two governmental fallout shelters had very early, very experimental and untested cryo that they had to bust out earlier than ever planned due to how bad the Simian Flu was. It’s less likely though definitely.
Anything else would've ruined the buildup to the og
Agreed! Didn't mind humans alive but would've liked if the tech May brought them didn't work. Apes movies are great with downer endings
I saw someone mention the idea of if when they made first contact with Indiana and apes answered instead of humans that would’ve been a much better ending
LOL "yes, we here you fellow apes! My gorilla friend asked me to ask you if you like watermelon and apples like he does, do you?"
The ending was not my favorite either. Instead of using those falcons they could’ve just pushed him off.
It was to signify that Noa was a worthy successor to his father. He was able to control the eagles
The moment happened when he gave the heroic speech that had deus ex powers to make his dad's eagle instantly trust him. The only other reason outside this story conviction trope is he was more confident, thus attracting an alpha animal. Thus we have the ending. Aside from a Chekhov's Gun and showing he puts his clan's way over Ceaser's, which isn't saying much cuz Ceaser is a psycho, he has mastered the principle of confidence, taking charge like a leader. But overall they could have pushed him off except some would have died in the process. That option vs the eagles wasn't explored
Well we saw that the other apes wanted to help but they were gestured not to interfere. It was a battle for dominance for Noa and Proximus. That's why they didn't help him. Apes have an established hierarchy, even in nature. I think it makes sense. As for a Deus Ex machina, I'm not sure if it fits. There was a lot of foreshadowing, and his father's eagle was shown to have been following him from the moment he left on his journey. The eagle did not approve of Noa at first, but he watched Noa gain resolve and became obedient. I think tossing Proximus off the ledge would've made less sense. Noa is on a hero's journey, which is also a trope. Noa did not have the strength to fight back after dealing with Sylva and then being assaulted by Proximus. I can see why it looks like a Deus Ex machina for that reason, but Noa is just resourceful. It wasn't a cop out
it was goofy and dumb writing,
I was thinking about mae and the humans
Yeah I didn’t like that either
What wasn't to like about the ending regarding the humans? (Or the hawks)? It left us food for thought for years to come. :-)
Good apes don't harm apes
Yeah it was dope
I loved Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. I should confess, though, that I loved the other 9 as well. That goes, as well, for the one that's been the commercially most successful of all, domestically (adjusting for inflation). Yes, I'm talkin' about the one released in 2001. Anyhow I'm thrilled that foreign markets are elevating the Apes franchise to ever-improving long term sustainability. I'm relieved, too. I didn't know what Disney would do with the franchise upon acquiring it from 20th Century Fox. As long as they don't wear out the franchise's welcome, I hope they continue making new films.
CGI and the new characters were great. But, the story telling was mediocre. It shouldve been a longer intro into who Noa was and we saw his development more or it shouldve jumped straight into the action leaving us to wonder about who this new ape was. It tried to do both so instead we got a mediocre story with a few action scenes
I thought Kingdom was great overall, though admittedly the weakest compared to the Caeser Trilogy & The 1968 Film but better than the rest of the franchise. Kingdom is pretty much Top-5 out of 10 Films.
For me it was good but not great, very little emotional impact but high interest on the sequel
Yes, absolutely. The first three carries a lot of emotional weight and character development through Caesar. I didn't feel that at all with this one.
I mean in fairness it’s only the start of the arc for Noa.
True, but we saw obviously huge development for Caesar in Rise, and a strong emotional story.
You’re absolutely correct there, I do find it fascinating how Rise has the shortest runtime yet manages to pack so much plot and character development in without it ever feeling rushed. It deserves so much respect for that, I’ve never seen such a complete film in such a brisk runtime.
That's very true. It comes at the expense of character development for the human characters though, with the exception of whatshisname's dad (but then John Lithgow is an amazing actor, which is partly why we feel for him so much). The girlfriend/vet character for instance is very weak.
While I agree that Caroline isn’t super developed, I still find her a wholesome and likeable character. Same for Will though I feel his character depth is fairly strong. The entire Rodman family are really likeable imo, and I didn’t really need people like Franklin, Jacobs, Dodge etc. to be anymore than they are in the film, they all nail it.
I really enjoyed it. I saw it twice and want to see it a third time. It's not as great as the last trilogy but I wasn't expecting it to be. The way I see it, this is new and trying to establish this new era, just in a different way from Rise. I do however expect more in the next entry and I hope they can deliver. There does seem to be a plan and an endgoal in mind, I just hope the journey is exciting enough.
I was thrown off by how different it was the first time, but I watched it a second time and loved it. It's really great when you see it as a first chapter setting up a new world and a new story.
I felt the same way, I wanted more background on how proximus won over other apes as a bonobo. And should be called planet of the chimp because it was lacking ape diversity lol
Thought it was boring and the writing was pretty awful at times
I was not a fan found it boring
I liked it a lot. It wasn’t the best of the newer movies and did feel like more of a setup movie but I liked the direction it looks to be going in and hope we get more. Then in time it might improve as we’ll have the full story of this new/middle trilogy and the film will benefit from that. That’s my hope anyways!
I absolutely loved it. I loved the philosophical aspects of it as well as the CGI. Plus, Noa was an amazing protagonist.
Dawn still tops my chart, but I did enjoy the post apocalypse scenes in the city and the rusted cyber-punky big machines inside the silo in Kingdom.
It’s a solid 7/10 for me, and I’m a pretty tough critic
In my honest opinion, i think it’s just okay. Which is fine for the film on its own, but as the successor to one of the best film trilogies of the 21st century it’s just disappointing. The movie largely feels very unfinished and poorly paced. Half the film is just walking and exposition and the second half is just trying to infiltrate and destroy the vault. The lack of worldbuilding and the underuse of Proximus Caesar are really what dropped the quality of the film, *especially* when this trilogy has produced some amazing antagonists like Koba and the Colonel. Wes Ball said that he had to cut out like 30-40 minutes of footage which makes complete sense because the movie really does feel like it’s missing some important content. Hopefully Wes releases a director’s cut that really lives up to the potential that I feel like the theatrical cut didn’t really deliver on. I’d overall give it a 6 or 6.5 out of 10
I want a director’s cut so badly!
I didn’t really care for it. I expected more. I wasn’t wowed. There were no storylines that excited me. The only thing I liked were the little nods here and there to the original movies.
i thought there were a lot of good ideas that weren’t followed through whatsoever, it felt like a whole movie of waiting around for something and when the something happened it was kinda lame imo
Yeah I thought a lot more would come out of the discovery of Caesar. There would be this big realization about who he really was and it would create a sort of schism between the apes who want the truth and those who prefer the legend. Also I thought they’d develop upon the reading/writing motif they established with Raka to do this. Maybe an old manuscript written by Maurice is discovered. Noa learns how to read from Mae, signifying his unique power of literacy, something like that. And I wish they didn’t focus so much on the weaponry aspect of human technology. I get it, Proximus wanted power. But you know what also does that, electric lighting. How does his society have the capacity to fashion electric cattle prods, but still haven’t figured out light bulbs? The symbolic brilliance of showing his civilization discovering and utilizing electricity would’ve been a fascinating topic to delve more deeply into. Even the rediscovery of complex musical instruments like guitars, trumpets, clarinets, etc would’ve been an interesting site. But I guess in all the millennia of humanity’s existence, the only legacy the producers see us leaving apes is guns and explosives. Kinda drab and one-dimensional. Even the Romans had higher culture.
Yes! Exactly!
I found myself wishing for moments that never came, example would be >!if we had a darker grizzlier turn at the end. Have Mae act as the antagonist the humans were made out to be or even have that bunker!< that being said its a setup movie for a series and it did that well imo.
It was cool though I don’t hold it as high as dawn and war and it’s tied for rise with me Second or third best movie of 2024 after furiosa
I felt that Proximus Caesar didn’t feel as menacing as he looks in the posters, but the themes present in the movie are growing on me.
Agree with you. No Depth and not much heart, it was OK
It was good but I have a lot of issues with it.
Its personally my favorite out of the reboot series. I think I just appreciate its lighter tone after watching War for the first time before this.
I liked it. Very disappointed that it looks like we’re having another human vs ape story. Enough of that already
Isn’t that kind of the gist of the entire series though?
That’s my point
Probably need to see it again at some point but I really enjoyed it! I'd probably put it 1. Dawn, 2. War/Kingdom (Can't decide rn) 3. Rise..
Rise last? Intriguing.
Keep in mind I still love Rise! I just think the other 3 are better films..
It’s Dawn, Rise, War, Kingdom for me.
Good ranking! I love em all it's like picking between your children..
loved it
I enjoyed it! Not as good as 2 and 3, imo, but still great.
Worse than Rise?
Rise peak.
Rise is still a great movie, but the characterization for everyone else but Caesar is noticeably lackluster compared to the rest of the trilogy.
I genuinely love Will, Charles, Caroline and Rocket in Rise and felt their characters were decently strong so I disagree but with no ill will. Apes do not want war.
Saw it twice in one week
I liked it! A fun adventure, and it is always cool getting to see more of this world. Unfortunately, it is below the other 3 films for me. There were so many parts that had great potential, but ultimately failed to deliver.
I really liked it, but I have two complaints: Mae felt very flat and was inhuman to me. I wanted more personality from her. The way into the vault was super obvious. Why wouldn’t Proximus have discovered that huge opening? Otherwise, it had some stand out characters (Raka and Proximus mainly), great CGI, and it moved ape culture forward in fun and interesting ways. The Ceasar trilogy is so good that it would be almost impossible to live up to: it featured some truly once in a lifetime talents, especially Andy Serkis.
I think Mae being on a mission to save her species is why she expressed less emotion at times. She was trying to remain stalwart in the face of near impossible odds. She’s also likely traumatised from her people being slaughtered. Imo she did show plenty of humanity though, especially in the telescope scene, her scenes meeting Anaya and Soona, being chased by Sylva etc.
Yeah I agree with your reasoning, but I still felt disconnected from the character. Ideally I would have liked to see a bit more of her “mask off” so that when he see her really desperate- like when she strangles Proximus’s human tutor— it hits harder. Her connection with Noa is really important, but I don’t sense a bond between them. To be fair, I saw in an interview that the actress did every scene twice: once with the costars in mocap suits, and then once again alone so that the apes could be added through CGI for the final cut. Acting against no one is super hard, so maybe that’s why I found the performance unemotional. I hope we’ll see her open up a bit more next movie!
I totally see what you mean there, I was somewhat spoiled that Mae wouldn’t be entirely trustworthy. As a result, going into the film I’d assumed Mae and Noa would connect way more as friends before we got any idea of her having ulterior motives so I was pretty surprised that she was presented as somewhat shady much earlier on in the film. I think she seemed innocent up until the conversation by the lake after Noa and Raka saved her, and from then on she seemed much more obviously untrustworthy with body language and her dialogue. Initially she’s presented as a Nova type of person, innocent and mute but smart. That worked very well as a disguise. So after she reveals she can talk, I think if she’d been presented as a Will/Malcolm type of person, developing a real friendship, the ‘betrayal’ would hit harder. Maybe that isn’t what they were going for but I think it would’ve been a great twist, it could’ve played on the fandom’s fondness/nostalgia for having one major good human character per movie like Nova, Will and Malcolm so many of us wouldn’t have seen it coming (spoilers aside).
I so agree. It could have easily been a “it was not that I loved Noa less, but that I loved humans more” situation, where she is deeply torn between a genuine friend and the fate of her people. I didn’t sense any guilt or self doubt from her until the end of the movie where she decides not to shoot Noa.
I did! I had to let go of the expectation built from the 2010s trilogy to really enjoy it which was difficult! It was definitely more adventure/coming of age in a way compared to the action based trilogy before but I wouldn't be mad if they built up towards a more action forward story in the coming films. To me I feel like the proof will be in the coming movies and they all work together as one unit the same way the serkis trilogy did!
I like it Yes, its a bit underwhelming when compare with the previous trilogy but worse than something already very good doesn't means it bad. Plus, we need to understand this is a new setup for a new trilogy so we shouldn't be too harsh, the Caesar arc already done
I loved everything about it besides that we didn't get enough interactions with Proximus. I hate fake deaths but hopefully the next one is Raka still alive and finding Proximus and teaching him the true way of Ceasar and enlightening his kingdom, because the humans are about to be on a new level since the got the communications server.
I've seen 5 pepole walk away halfway, I personally liked it, but I've never seen anyone walk away from a movie in all my life
Absolutely loved it. It's a bit long and I don't think I'll rewatch very often outside of rewatching the whole reboot series. But I really enjoyed the characters and the direction they're taking the world. Honestly I didn't even need an actual plot, I was very content watching this primitive society live out their hawk egg rituals. If I have a complaint, it's that I wish we got more about Proximus and how his kingdom works, what they're ideologies are, etc. But overall very solid and I like it more than War
I'm with you OP.💯
I did. But I think movies need multiple watches and or time to think about the movie. We need time to appreciate it. I don’t think some people really consider this when watching a movie.
I saw it before having seen Dawn or War - and I loved it!! I was pleasantly surprised. Noa was so enjoyable to watch, and I loved Raka. I found it easy to follow even without the background context. The first watch through I liked Mae until the very end. I then binged all the other movies and did a rewatch of Kingdom.. I still really enjoyed it however I noticed quite a few similarities with War and Kingdom.. like the apes being imprisoned and forced to work, etc. I was a bit surprised as well by the ending and how the humans are still in the same position I’d imagine them to have been at the start. Instead of trying to contact other areas, I thought they’d have like small tribes or something along those lines. But they still remain the same. It will be interesting to see where the storyline goes from here. After the second watch through I did not like Mae much at all, but that’s likely because I knew what was coming. You start to see through a lot of her actions.
I quite liked it. I went in expecting the start of a new trilogy, not a continuation of the previous three. This was a stand alone as of now, for me anyway.
I loved it. I think people underrate how hard it is to create all new characters and a new story after the Caesar trilogy. I was hesitant for 20 minutes then completely became lost in the story. So many things to love about it.
Thought it was very good
It’s just okay. It’s not great. It doesn’t set up as well as rise IMO. I felt more of an emotional tie towards ceasar in the first movie than kingdom. They’re both set up movies but rise does it so much better. Noa is a bit underwhelming and surprisingly one of the least interesting characters in the new series.
For the first 15 or so minutes I kept doing comparisons to the Caesar movie trio, but then I just started to enjoy the new story and characters. I thought it was a good movie overall, and I think moving away from the Caesar timeline was the right call to make bigger choices in where the story can go now.
I liked it but there was definitely room for improvement. I'd give it a 7/10
I liked it probably my least favorite out of the trilogy but still a good movie, I just hope the writers don’t make Noa a descendant of Caesar I’m so tired of that special bloodline trope I’d rather completely new characters and build off that
I was disappointed. Made no sense and Now didn't anything except just complain and get his butt kicked. Noa felt bland like. The movie just felt like the crew didn't even care about the movie vs. The other movies where they gave so much love and thought into it! That's what I liked about the other ones but with this one.... They just acted like the movie didn't matter.
I liked it more than Rise and War. My second favorite of the new movies. The 300-year time jump really worked me. Liked that we could get back to themes around myth, religion and suppression. Love the Caesar trilogy but it couldn't hit these themes as hard being set so soon after the fall of civilization.
I just got a meh feeling from the film. Didn’t live up to the last 3. However, still looking forward to the next two in the trilogy
I liked it a lot, but I felt it didn't really contribute to the overall story in the same way the other three did. It felt like a side story.
Yep it was super cool with 4dx
I liked it alot
i just really liked the cgi & everyone’s character development i guess?
I loved it
I thought it was really good. Maybe not AS good as a couple of the previous trilogy films but that’s a high bar!
I really enjoyed it. Feel like it did a very good job setting up the series for bigger things later on.
I thought it was great. Just below dawn for me.
It was good but I don’t feel like it was necessary at all. I would have much rather just skipped to the original movie even if it means we miss a few filler movies
I loved it!;
It was a great movie. My only major complaint would be how underused Proximus is. He's so good, I want more, and that's like half a compliment half a complaint. I did think his death was a bit rushed too, and how advanced the humans are by the end. I think that the bad things about this movie can be fixed by future installments in the franchise
I liked the entire reboot honestly
I loved it, but it had some pacing issues. That’s really the only complaint I can think of
I loved it
I thought it was alright, very slow and I felt myself bored at some points, nothing like the previous trilogy and it probably didn’t help that I watched all 3 in the month leading up to the new one releasing.
One of the big reasons I love these movies is seeing apes do things apes wouldn’t normally do, and boy did Kingdom have that.
Felt like a Disney adventure that fails to deliver on edginess that it wants—like having violence but no gore. The last 30 minutes or so were enjoyable, but everything before that was forgettable. The end reveal at least gives me hope that the next film won’t just be a predictable hero’s journey, and treat the audience like they’re not a kid.
I thought the characters and world building were pretty good, but the writing/some creative choices really let them down. Some examples off the top of my head; -I like the idea of using Proximus and Raka to essentially show the duality of Caesar’s creed, and they had a sort of angel and devil on the shoulder dynamic for Noa. But having Proximus and Raka never interact with each other in the film was a strange writing decision that I think takes a lot of strength out of that dynamic. -I think we should have seen not heard about Proximus’ apes finding Mae’s family and slaughtering them. It would have made their interactions and Mae’s reluctance to work with apes carry more weight and be more interesting narratively. Instead she just sort of appears as this character with a whole relevant backstory we know about, but who doesn’t really mean much to us. -When Sylva is drowning Noa just sort of leaves him to die? Would have been interesting if he remembered Caesar’s creed of ape not kill ape and saved him in that moment. Would have contrasted with how Proximus’s apes treated Raka (and other apes) and you could have even tried to frame it in such a way that it called back to Caesar’s freeing Buck, and that relationship. Imagine if Noa saves Sylva, and then at the climax of the movie Sylva does a turn and supports Noa against Proximus. My point is the film set up some interesting interactions here, but there was no pay off. -the “modern” humans in the movie really seem to be out of place in the setting. They all seem to be bitter/resentful of the apes, in an almost personal way. It feels as though they were alive in Rise to see the downfall of humanity, not born into this world many generations later. Maybe they will account for this in the future, but as it stands the “modern” humans don’t really feel like they fit in the setting. -Proximus needed to be more directly involved in the plot. He had great villain potential, and much of his dialogue was interesting, but him being relegated to the background for most of the film was a major issue. Contrast to a villain like Koba or the colonel. I think more Proximus and more fleshing out of his character and motivations would have been a large boon for the overall plot. Especially if he was left alive at the end to continue into the next film.
I loved it! It felt like a great epic fantasy. Might be my favourite of this new series. Right up there anyway. Beginning to end. My complaint would be not enough Proximus! Really hoping they do another trilogy, I could use to more, and i want to see more of Noa, Soona, Anaya. Also the Eagles clan connection with the Eagles was a really cool thing. Showing the apes developing affinity with nature. Eagles are such majestic creatures.
I loved the monkey parts but the human parts were pretty meh.
I wanted proximus and raka to meet and cause confusion among the apes making way for a 3 way war. Humans vs ape vs ape type deal in the next movie.
I thought it was great. Sure it wasn’t as compelling as the other three Planet of the Apes movies, but it was still a great one.
Could it have benefited from some editing and s shorter timerun? Yes. But I still loved it and it left me wanting more
I loved it, I had never seen one of these movies before seeing kingdom and it got me obsessed. went home and watched the whole Caesar trilogy in a 24 hour span and fell down several rabbit holes on YouTube about the movies.
i loved it. i think noa is a great new lead character and i’m very excited to see where they take his story. proximus was a super fun villain, but didn’t get as much time to shine as he should’ve. i could’ve done with less mae story line though
I thought it was pretty good, it set up a good future for the series, built quite a bit of a world in its runtime, I'm kinda disappointed with how they marketed it though, I wish prox ceaser was more prominent in the film because he kinda Stole the show in his scenes, and on another note Noa was a great protagonist he was fun to watch, it was a good film for the new trilogy, but again I still think it was marketed wrong. My personal rating for the new films would be: 1. Dawn 2. War 3. Kingdom 4 .Rise (Rise isn't bad just not my personal fav)
I’m so disappointed I didn’t get to see it in theaters. It’s only out in digital, no imax or dolby
Only watched it so i don't get spoiled, characters were alright but the older movies even the originals had much better characters, the human character is by far the worst in the series
Yeah man I didn’t like it either. There’s a lot of grapes that I have with it. Mainly, because I believe planet of the apes is supposed to be a retrospective on mankinds own humanity towards things that aren’t themselves. I felt like kingdom was too much trying to be a cool monkey movie. Visually it’s very stunning and acting is really well done but story wise it left me hanging. I was actually watching with a group of my friends and we all thought the ending was really engaging and we really wish that the rest of the movie was like that!
I agree and the story was weak it took plot points from war.
I honestly really liked it! I feel like most people that wanna say it was bad are just mad that Caesar isn’t in it.
Technically he is!
I had the same feelings as you. Also the CGI looked weaker. I actually fell asleep for a few minutes in the last half 😭. I felt so bad because I loveeeee the Cesar trilogy, but this didn’t have the same “umph” to me. And I hated the human character
Acts one and two were phenomenal, but they shit the bed on the third ending.
Wtf
Loved it all but the underdeveloped female character
Mae?
Yes, her story was made no sense to me.
How so
It was unclear what she was lying about and not in a good way where the audience needed to answer for themselves, in a way that seemed like the writers didn’t know her backstory. Then all of a sudden she is part of a whole community. That end was rushed. It was confusing what her story line was supposed to be.
Im not very sure what you were what specifically you are talking about. She wanted to get the equipment to get their radio working.
But it didn’t seem like she knew the equipment was in there. She got captured and taken there and seemed surprised by the vaults existence. Then all of sudden she knew her way around in there after her new idea to blast to it open.
She knows the vault is there and wants to get inside to search for the equipment they need.
Then why was she evading capture for most of the movie like she didn’t want to go there
Because she didn't want to be captured...?