This article contains spoilers for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.Disney made a perfect decision with new Planet of the Apes movie was announced.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes did not pick up right where War left off. Rather, Kingdom was set centuries after War for the Planet of the Apes. This could have meant that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was more of a reboot than a sequel film. By including a scene with Caesar, however, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes positioned itself as a true continuation of the previous trilogy.
Caesar’s Funeral Perfectly Set The Tone For Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
The Scene Made The Two Films Structurally Connected
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes opens with Caesar’s funeral. Even though the majority of the film takes place generations after War for the Planet of the Apes, this scene itself takes place very close to where War left off. This gave audiences who loved the Caesar trilogy (comprised of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and War for the Planet of the Apes) a sense of closure, as they could say a proper goodbye to the character who was seen dying in the ending of War for the Planet of the Apes.
Planet Of The Apes: All Movie Timelines Explained
A complete guide to every timeline introduced in the Planet of the Apes franchise, from the original timeline to the prequels' timeline.
Ostensibly, this scene may have worked to provide closure, but it actually opened doors. By making Caesar's presence felt right from the start, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes asserted that this was the next chapter rather than a new entity. That is, the two films were not just connected by a franchise affiliation but thematically connected. Caesar was still a part of this franchise, even centuries post-mortem. The fact that his legacy was honored from the first seconds of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes set the tone for what this film was going to be.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Being A Sequel To Caesar’s Trilogy Made It Better
Kingdom Restored Elements That Made The Caesar Trilogy Great
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ended up being a true sequel; Caesar’s impact is woven through the film. Even past the first scene, when Caesar is not on-screen, the character’s legacy is vital to the movie. The orangutan Raka, for instance, is responsible for teaching the protagonist, Noa, about Caesar’s legacy and the history of the apes. Raka’s knowledge, and promotion of peace throughout the film, are crucial to his character and is another way in which the franchise directly ties itself to War.
The inclusion of Caesar — whether physically or in dialogue — in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, ultimately made the film better. After all, one of the most interesting parts of Caesar’s trilogy was seeing how the ape transformed from a mistreated experiment to a political leader of sorts. The majority of Caesar’s battles, whether Dawn of the Planet of the Apes or Woody Harrelson’s human the Colonel in War, are ideological. This forms a strong set of core morals for Caesar’s character, and through apes like Raka, these morals are not forgotten.
Modern Planet of the Apes Movie RT Scores |
||
|---|---|---|
Movie |
RT Critics Score |
RT Audience Score |
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) |
82% |
77% |
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) |
91% |
88% |
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) |
94% |
84% |
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) |
80% |
77% |
However, Kingdom also did not forget the philosophical issues at the core of Caesar’s plight, values he has had to fight for throughout the series. What is even more interesting than those like Raka, who laud Caesar, is those who distort his legacy. Said warping is witnessed in the form of Proximus Caesar, the main villain in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Despite the likeness of their monikers, Proximus is not at all proximal to the original Caesar. Seeing how this legacy is warped and how the power of Caesar is misused vastly improved the Apes sequel.
The New Planet Of The Apes Series Is Too Good To Be Rebooted
The Modern Apes Trilogy Set A Strong Foundation
Overall, keeping Caesar spiritually alive and thus maintaining this social parable was the right decision for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The Caesar trilogy set far too strong of a foundation to be supplanted by a reboot, and luckily, Disney recognized that once it bought 20th Century Fox. At a time when reboots and remakes are so common for big franchises, Kingdom being a proper sequel rather than just a restart of the IP was refreshingly exciting.
As evidenced by the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ending, there is still so much to be explored in future installments.
And luckily, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was a strong entry into the franchise. Between its visual prowess and thematic depth, it was a strong enough entry into the franchise to warrant the continuation of the modern Planet of the Apes series. Its success both financially and critically indicates that Planet of the Apes films should continue so long as the franchise maintains profitability. As evidenced by the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ending, there is still so much to be explored in future installments.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
- Release Date
- May 10, 2024
- Runtime
- 145 Minutes
- Director
- Wes Ball
Cast
Kevin Durand
Freya Allan
WHERE TO WATCH
Set several years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the next installment in the Apes saga. Ape clans have taken up residence in the oasis that Caesar sought to colonize, but humans have reverted to their animalistic nature in their absence. Now battling between enslavement and freedom, outliers in the Ape clans will take sides in a newly burgeoning society.
- Writers
- Patrick Aison, Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
- Sequel(s)
- Battle for the Planet of the Apes
- Franchise(s)
- Planet of the Apes
- Studio(s)
- 20th Century, Chernin Entertainment, Oddball Entertainment, Shinbone Productions
- Distributor(s)
- 20th Century
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
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