Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Review

The Cinematic Schematic returns to discuss the concept of ee-vo-lution in our review of the latest attempt to reboot one of Hollywood’s most tenured franchises, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Have we gone bananas for director Wes Ball’s follow-up to the Andy Serkis starring Odyssey of Caesar? --- The Review’s Kingdom of the Critics Hosts Caleb Masters and Laron Chapman complete this week’s panel with returning guest, Chelsea Ratterman, who recently moved from Geek Girl Features to the long-running Oklahoma City podcast, Two Dudes and a Movie. Matt Mungle, tenured film critic at The Entertainment Answer / The Mungle Show, completes the panel in his The Cinematic Schematic debut! --- Ice-Breaker Question: What Pre-1980 Film Should Get a 2020s-Style Reboot or Reimagining? Time Stamp: 6:28 To start this conversation, we ask, “What other pre-1980s film should get a 2020s-style reboot or reimagining?” --- Review: Has The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Done It Again? Time Stamp: 18:08 The Planet of the Apes franchise is one of Hollywood’s oldest and most enduring with the 2011 reboot, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, being a surprisingly fresh reboot focused on Caesar (Andy Serkis). Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes marks the fourth time the franchise is relaunching itself. Can director Wes Ball reinvent it again? In our spoiler-free review conversation, we discuss: - Our overall thoughts on the movie - How well this entry in the series transitions from the Matt Reeves-directed Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes - Kingdom’s spectacular visual effects - Our letter-grade ratings - Alternate media recommendations --- Spoiler Discussion: The Mythologization of Revolutionary Leaders – From Hero to Dogmatic Icon Time Stamp: 1:01:16 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes chooses to jump ahead by 300 years following the death of Caesar. This time jump provides an opportunity to do some interesting world building. Caesar’s history and victories form the foundation of a belief system that positions him as a Moses or messiah-type figure for the apes. In our spoiler-filled part of the conversation, we cover: - How director Wes Ball approaches the deification of Caesar - What it means that the role of the human characters is increasingly minimized - Where the 56-year-old Planet of the Apes franchise could go next Tune into our full discussion for our verdicts!