When it comes right down to it, all of these films are: Government of the Planet of the Apes. I’m not sure the exact reason for it, but apparently the minute we imagine super smart apes, we imagine a primitive fascist police state. If I had to guess, I’d say this comes from observing the GOP in action. For whatever the reason, however, ape movies always beg the question, “Who’s in charge here?” And while Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was no exception, it takes until Act III -a breath of fresh air, comparatively- to get there.
The Eagle Clan are a clever and industrious set of chimps. As a rite of passage, teenagers must scale the surrounding mountaintops and raid aeries for eggs. These soon-to-be-eaglets then become the working familiar of the chimp who raises and trains them.
You see? Already this is better than we’re used to. Every other ape movie out there is all: “I just want to live a peaceful life, but General Zaius has us hunting humans tomorrow.” Don’t worry; Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will get to that part. In the meantime, how delightful to see an entire ape society that just wants to … be. They want to fish and raise eagles and teach future generations how to do the same. The start of the film showcases Noa (voice of Owen Teague), a talented climber and future clan leader. His egg-collecting acrobatics are undone when a human scavenger, Mae (Freya Allen), scuffles with him while stealing from the clan fish house (can you imagine the smell of that place?). Noa goes out for a second attempt at collection making him the odd-chimp out when a bully gorilla clan burn their village to the ground.
Left empty, alone, and lacking for direction, Noa decides to follow the abducting clan in hopes of rescuing his apes. Before long, he encounters an older orangutan, Raka (Peter Macon), who decides to tag along. Raka also convinces Noa that Mae, Noa’s human shadow, might be a positive addition to their quest. In this world, chimps, orangutans, gorillas all speak (English as it turns out), but all the 
humans they know are mute. It’s a sad existence for humans – they haven’t got fur or claws or super strength or speed; humans in our multiverse rely on brains and communication and these humans can’t communicate.
Ah, but Mae can. This is probably the best part of the picture, the uneasy bond established among Noa, Raka, and Mae. These three have zero reason to trust other than they’ve all been victims of the gorilla clan. Honestly? “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” only works on paper. When food and safety are valuable commodities, it takes bit more to establish trust.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes puts Noa front-and-center. His motivations are our motivations. His outlook is the same as we would have. Again I think this is very refreshing. While we could sympathize with Mae, the knockoff Katniss Everdeen, we stick with Noa, which seems a wise move. Mae is clearly hiding something … and this is a movie in which I’m not sure we want humans to have ape-like intelligence; they’re clearly gonna misuse it.
Summer movies have arrived and blockbusters are now two-for-two. The Fall Guy was a winner and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes also works on several levels, although title is not among them. While it might seem odd to sympathize with a chimp, I find it odder not to. Here’s a guy who just wants to get back to the life he knew and the apes he loved. No grandiose aspirations or megalomaniacal tendencies. Noa’s quest is a compelling and exciting one. And it is certainly aided by the biggest screen you can find.
There once was a chimp named Noa
Whose home was destroyed by a foe-a
So he packed up his stick
And went explorin’, right quick
Like a primate dystopian Balboa
Rated PG-13, 145 Minutes
Director: Wes Ball
Writer: Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Genre: Our screwed future
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: People who want an ape to root for
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Fascists
