Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Many years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he's been taught about the past and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 1, 2025
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes offers a riveting narrative paired with breathtaking visuals. Although it doesn't eclipse the benchmarks of the Caesar-centered trilogy, it solidly holds its ground, continuing the legacy of the Planet of the Apes saga with flair.
The visuals continue to astound. Bringing the apes to life in this franchise from a vfx perspective is second only to what James Cameron has accomplished in the Avatar franchise. There’s a third act set piece that feels like an ode to The Way of Water.
[Read my Full Review here]
Set generations after the Caesar Trilogy (is there a name for it yet?) Caesar is but a memory, but his legacy looms large. One of my favorite aspects of this reboot is how different clans of apes may all hold Caesar up as a messianic figure and proselytize his teachings (Apes together, strong. Etc) yet, they can still fall in opposition to each other. I think the human character motivations muddies the water considerable, particularly in the latter half of the film. I’ll have to see how well it holds up on repeat viewings.
The new cast of apes is really strong. The opening sequence which sets up the friendship of Noa, Soona and Anaya is as compelling as it is beautiful. I didn’t recognize literally any of the voices, which helped to immerse me in the world right away.
I checked my watch one time when I started to feel the pace drag and that was at around the 1 hour and 30 minute mark. So there was still an hour left to go at that point. The pace does pick up again, but I don’t necessarily think the second half is as good as the first half.
Overall, it’s a very strong reboot to the franchise. I definitely see the potential for where Wes Ball can take the franchise if given the opportunity. A Strong 3.5 (very close to giving it a 4) and I’m hopeful that this film finds some box office success.