It's been seven years since we last had a science fiction dystopian action-adventure movie of Apes, but now "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," directed by Wes Ball and written by Josh Friedman, hit theaters on May 10, 2024. It's the fourth installment and also the first part of an upcoming trilogy of Planet of the Apes.The movie received on Rotten Tomatoes 81% rating and 7.3 on IMDb. The top cast of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes includes Owen Teague, Freya Allen, Kevin Durand, William H. Macy, Peter Macon, Lydia Peckham, Travis Jeffrey, Neil Sandilands, Sara Wiseman, Eka Darville, Ras-Samuel Weld A'abzgi, and Dichen Lachman.
Owen Teague As Noa
Owen Teague plays Noa. Noa is the main character, a young chimpanzee who is like a leader after Caesar in the Planet of the Apes story.
Freya Allan As Mae
Freya Allan plays Mae. Mae is a young woman who can talk and hasn't been sick from the virus. She travels with Noa.
Kevin Durand As Proximus Caesar
Kevin Durand plays Proximus Caesar. Proximus Caesar is a big chimpanzee who leads by being scary and mean. He seems very powerful, but he isn't really.
William H. Macy As Trevathan
William H. Macy plays Trevathan.Trevathan is a human who didn't get sick from the virus. He teaches Proximus Caesar to live easy in exchange for being safe.
Peter Macon As Raka
Peter Macon plays Raka. Raka is an Orangutan who teaches Noa about what Caesar really wanted.
Eka Darville As Sylva
Eka Darville plays Sylva. Sylva is a gorilla and Proximus Caesar's important soldier.
Travis Jeffrey As Anaya
Travis Jeffrey plays Anaya. Anaya is Noa's good friend who likes to play.
Neil Sandilands As Koro
Neil Sandilands plays Koro. Koro is Noa's dad and the leader of their group and he is the "Master of Birds".
Sara Wiseman As Dar
Sara Wiseman plays Dar. Dar is Noa's mom. She is a wise and very experienced member and helps their group.
Lydia Peckham As Soona
Lydia Peckham plays Soona. Soona is Noa's best friend and also likes him.
Ras-Samuel Weld A’abzgi As Lightning
Ras-Samuel Weld A’abzgi plays Lightning. Lightning is a chimpanzee who's very loyal to Proximus Caesar.
Dichen Lachman
Dichen Lachman, she plays a human who wasn't sick from the virus, like Mae and Trevathan, but we don't know her name yet.
Many years have passed since the apes' leader, Caesar, passed away. A young ape leader Noa (Owen Teague) goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he's been taught about the past. He make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
The movie takes place many generations after Caesar has passed. It's been about 300 years since Caesar died in part 3 of Planet of the Apes. Apes are still the dominant species, with small bands of humans roaming around like feral animals. When one ape clan is attacked, a survivor named Noa goes on a search for any of his remaining tribe. He then has his horizons widened by meeting a human(Mae) who behaves slightly differently than the ones that are huddled in masses like frightened animals.
VFX in this movie are flawless and stunning. It's hard to tell that the apes aren't real because of their realistic movements and facial expressions. The world they show us is like an alien version of Earth, with overgrown buildings and lots of nature.
The movie runs about 2 and half hours, there is no slowness or dragging during the introduction to this world. There is a good balance of exposition and drama within the action sequences, and it is not like the drama isn't intriguing either.
The action scenes are exciting and well-made. Noa and Nova/Mae, the human, have a relationship that feels real. They don't fully trust each other, which makes sense.
The action scenes are fast and clear. There's one scene near the end that's really intense and well-done. Some scene could have been explained better. And some character backgrounds are missing.
Definitely worth watching for its visuals and actions. There's no nudity, just a tiny bit of hilariously used profanity, and then a lot of violence.
