The impressive reboot series of the Planet of the Apes movies continues as the stories look to extend further than the arc of the revolutionary leader, Caesar (memorably played by Andy Serkis). The film is out in about a week, and now reactions to the new entry from The Maze Runner director Wes Ball have started to roll out on social media. Our official review will be released on Wednesday at 11 am ET, but our own Chris Bumbray got to catch an extended preview of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes at CinemaCon in Las Vegas and was impressed, calling the footage “pretty jaw-dropping” and a worthy continuation of the modern trilogy.
Our own JimmyO participated in the junket, writing on Twitter, “#KingdomOfThePlanetOfTheApes maintains – and builds – this impressive world that was explored by Matt Reeves. Wes Ball, The Maze Runner director, offers rich characters and an interesting take on the franchise. Perfectly cast, the film continues to take this story to exciting and effective cinematic adventures.”
Collider’s Perri Nemiroff maintains that the series continues to stand strong with this installment, “Between Rise, Dawn, War, and now #KingdomOfThePlanetOfTheApes, this series continues to be one of the very best franchise reboots out there. As expected, there was no better director to take over than Wes Ball. Of course the wizards at Wētā had a big hand in this, but there’s also no doubt that Ball’s personal proficiency with visual effects contributed big time to how incredible this film looks.”
Michael Lee of Geeks of Doom posted that “#KingdomOfThePlanetOfTheApes is a beautiful coming of age story framed around the idea of legacy and what happens to it when it’s lost to time or subverted by the wicked. It doesn’t surpass what Andy Serkis did with his trilogy, but Wes Ball’s approach proves that the franchise has plenty of stories to tell. Kevin Durand’s performance as Proximus Caesar steals this movie.”
Russ Milheim of The Direct also raves, but found the pacing to be off-putting at times, “#KingdomOfThePlanetOfTheApes is a fantastic addition to the series. While it may falter at times in the pacing department, that never keeps the movie from being an absolute thrill. The VFX is astounding and the characters beautifully crafted. Can’t wait to see what comes next!”
Griffin Schiller of Film Speak would interestingly liken this film to A New Hope in his reaction, “Apes have never been STRONGER in @wesball’s MAGNIFICENT #KingdomOfThePlanetOfTheApes! The complexities of Caesar’s legacy loom large, but twisted in this coming of age odyssey of truth & lies, knowledge & power. A breathtaking visual feast! A New Hope for the Apes franchise.”
Total Film’s Emily Murray also had issues with the movie’s pacing as she felt the length, but she was still fascinated by the story, “With #KingdomOfThePlanetOfTheApes being another great chapter, the series continues to hold strong There are undoubtedly pacing issues (too long), but I loved being lost in that world and the exploration of Caesar’s legacy is fascinating. The ending will leave you wanting more”
While Drew Taylor of The Wrap enjoyed the film as well, he also feels the story took some “curious missteps” in his reaction, “Yes, #KingdomOfThePlanetOfTheApes is very good. @WetaWorkshop outdid themselves and it’s good to be back in that world again. (One of the more underrated franchises ever?) The third act is exciting but also features some curious story missteps. Still. Ready for the next one.”
Are you excited to see this latest entry into the franchise? Let us know in the comments!