Film Review: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (USA 2024) by Wes Ball

Content: In this podcast, we talk about “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” by director Wes Ball from 2024. It’s a standalone sequel to “War for the Planet of the Apes” (2017). Set several generations after Caesar's reign, the film depicts a conflict between a tyrannical ape rule and a group of survivors fighting for their survival. Critics praise the technical quality and staging, but criticize the predictable plot. Despite the absence of Caesar, the film offers an entertaining cinematic experience and could mark the beginning of a new trilogy. The main roles are played by relatively unknown actors, with the exception of William H. Macy in a guest role. Plot: The film is set several generations in the future after Caesar’s reign, where apes have become the dominant species on Earth and live in harmony with nature. The primates are roughly at the level of Stone Age humans. The original human race has been reduced to a shadow of its former self. While a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, a young ape embarks on a long and arduous journey that forces him to question everything he thought he knew about the past and make decisions that will shape the future for both primates and humans alike.