‘A New Hope for the Apes Franchise’

The first reactions to the latest installment in the long-running Planet of the Apes franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, are in and it sounds like we have another epic blockbuster to look forward to. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes picks up hundreds of years after the events of director Matt Reeves’ most recent trilogy, which consists of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and War for the Planet of the Apes, with early reactions declaring Kingdom a worthy successor.

FilmSpeak’s Griffin Schiller compared the movie to Star Wars and called Kingdom the “A New Hope” of the series, as well as praising the coming-of-age story at the movie’s center.

“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.”

While some take issue with the pacing of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the consensus so far is that the movie has a lot to offer audiences, with Emily Murray of GamesRadar+ saying:

“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.”

“KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is a worthy successor to the throne. A bold leap into the future of this world that hooked me immediately,” says one reaction, with another adding, “Takes a little while to find its footing, but builds into an captivating second act and a thrilling finale.”

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Boasts ‘Astounding’ Vfx & Wes Ball’s Direction Is ‘Incredible’

The Direct’s Ross Milheim calls Kingdom “a fantastic addition” to the franchise, heaping praise on the “astounding” VFX that has been used to once again bring these characters to life.

“#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!”

Lastly, Perri Nemiroff of Collider says that Kingdom cements the Planet of the Apes series as “one of the very best franchise reboots out there.”

“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.”

Directed by Wes Ball and written by Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds) and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Avatar: The Way of Water) and Patrick Aison (Prey), Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will breathe new life into the global, epic franchise.

“Set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.”