If War for the Planet of the Apes was the last film in the Apes reboot, I would be perfectly fine. It caps off the trilogy in tremendous fashion and presents its story perfectly. However, the franchise lives on and thankfully, doesn’t tarnish the reputation of it one bit. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes continues the legacy of the previous trilogy and more importantly, handles the legacy of Caesar with great results. I’m so excited for what the future holds.

The cast is always the best part of these films and when you can make such a deep connection with them without ever seeing their true face, you know they’ve done a great job. Owen Teague, Kevin Durand, and Peter Macon are the main trio of apes, and they do a phenomenal job of breathing life into these characters through their voice and facial expressions. Freya Allan and William H. Macy also play great human characters and make the most of their limited screen time. This film makes it really easy to connect with each character, ape and human.

Wes Ball’s writing and directing is just as strong as the last trilogy. Ball has a lot of world-building to do and while it holds back this film from greatness, it’s also what needs to be done and will benefit the franchise long-term. We are introduced to multiple new characters and no matter how big or small their role is, they are all memorable and the audience grows to care for them fast. In particular, Ball does a great job with Noa, Mae, Raka and Proximus Caesar. He gives these characters lots of development, all while allowing the story to progress naturally and allowing the themes of the film to shine. Above all else, the pacing of the film is perfect. While it’s a long movie, clocking in at 145 minutes, it never overstays its welcome and is never boring. Ball manages to keep you captivated, effortlessly, from start to finish.

The Apes franchise has been cutting edge visually since the 60s and this film is no different. Not since Avatar: The Way of Water have I seen such good visual effects and been so captivated by them. Everything is beyond photorealistic and the effort put into every single character model is a new standard for visual effects. The mix of shooting on real locations paired with CG apes works really well and shows that taking the time to make it look realistic is always better than rushing out a product.

Thematically, this film is very strong on past concepts explored in the Apes films. We see ideas of humans vs. apes again, and who should rule over society, with egos getting in the way of the notion of a peaceful co-existence. The religious themes are also prominent through Caesar’s legend as a Christ-like figure. In this film, 400 years have passed since Caesar’s death and his views and ideologies are frequently spoken of and twisted, for better or for worse. While Noa and Raka both believe in what Caesar truly stood for such as, ape not kill ape, apes together strong, etc, even their views do not fully line up with the original idea. Proximus Caesar on the other hand, twists Caesar’s words and uses his name in bad faith, spreading lies and tarnishing his legacy. It very much mirrors how Jesus Christ is portrayed in our world today, with different biblical events being used and twisted to suit people’s agendas. The familial ties and relationships and the idea of found family are also strong in this film as we see Noa discovering a makeshift family, with Raka and Mae, as he journeys back to find his village. Overall, Ball handles the ideas well and reminds us why we love these movies so much

Kingdom of the Planet of The Apes is yet another fantastic entry in the nearly flawless Apes reboot franchise. Wes Ball breathes life into a franchise that didn’t need it, but benefits from it significantly. Owen Teague and Kevin Durand, along with the rest of the cast, are incredible and give us a new group of characters to care for, all while setting up so much more for the future. Apes Together Strong.