Seven years after the end of the Caesar trilogy, the Planet of the Apes series returns to the big screen. The franchise has been with us in the cinema since the late 1960s. Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom jumps 300 years into the future. Human civilization has collapsed. Now the monkeys are in charge.
But how good did the new Planet of the Apes film turn out? The science fiction blockbuster celebrated its premiere in Los Angeles a few hours ago, so more and more voices are now pouring in on the Internet. We have the first reactions collected and give you an overview of the quality of the film.
Big sci-fi blockbuster: The new Planet of the Apes film is very well received, but there are deductions in the B grade
At first glance, the mood is extremely positive. Although the previous films have set the bar very high, Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom shines a lot to offer, which will delight fans of the series. Matt Neglia from Next Best Picture is thrilled and relieved at the same time:
[Regisseur] Wes Ball wisely takes his timeestablishing the state of the planet many generations after the last film, exploring how the Christ-like legend of Caesar has spread for both good and evil, and introducing us to new characters that we grow to love.
He is particularly fond of newcomers Owen Teague (It), Kevin Durand (Smokin’ Aces) and Peter Macon (The Orville). There is particular praise for the effectswhich he as “the best visual effects in a film since Avatar: The Way of Water” designated. That sounds like a science fiction blockbuster to marvel at.
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Collider’s Perri Nemiroff also got carried away by Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom. In their eyes, we are dealing with one worthy continuation to do that proves that the Planet of the Apes series is currently one of the best film series ever. For them, Maze Runner director Wes Ball is the biggest star of the film:
As expected, there was no better director than Wes Ball to make [die Reihe] to take over. Of course, the wizards of Wētā had a large part in this, but there is no doubt that Ball’s personal Skills in visual effects contributed significantly to making this film look so incredibly good.
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Germain Lussier, who writes about films, series and pop culture at Gizmodo and io9, agrees with the positive reactions, but also has one a few points of criticism:
Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom lives up to the ape saga. An extended adventure with wonderful effects and acting. [Der Film] has A LOT to say about him thematically unclear – I don’t *love* the ending either – but these are minor criticisms of an otherwise entertaining, captivating film.
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In the eyes of Digital Spy critic Ian Sandwell, the new sci-fi adventure is also a success. Just like Lussier does, however Deductions in the B grade:
Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom is a strong sequel to the series. The film takes a while to find its footing, but it builds to a compelling second act and a exciting finale. I’m excited to see what happens next after this amazing ending.
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It’s not just the monkeys that impress. Planet of the Apes also has a really strong human character in Mae, played by The Witcher star Freya Allan, as Brian Davids of the Hollywood Reporter notes:
Freya Allans Mae is the most convincing human figurewhich can be seen on the screen in one of the new monkey films.
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But what about the Gretchen question? Is Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom now better than the Caesar films? Film critic Michael Lee states:
Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom is a beautiful coming-of-age story that revolves around the idea of a legacy and what happens to it when it is lost in time or undermined by the evil ones. [Der Film] doesn’t beat that though, which Andy Serkis accomplished with his trilogy, but Wes Ball’s approach proves the franchise still has plenty of stories to tell. Kevin Durand’s performance as Proximus Caesar makes this film a real highlight.
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Based on the first reactions, the new Planet of the Apes film is very well received and bears that out Blockbuster legacy of Avatar continues in the cinema, even if it cannot quite maintain the masterful level of its predecessors. Now we can be curious to see what the opinion will be when the detailed reviews arrive.
When does Planet of the Apes open in cinemas?
From then on May 8, 2024 you can get your own idea of Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom. Then the sci-fi sequel starts in German cinemas.