KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Gareth Higgins on KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Unlike many franchises, each segment of the rebooted Planet of the Apes trilogy is better than the last one. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) is one of the great industrial scale mainstream films, which confirmed that trilogy as the most emotionally mature blockbuster sequence perhaps since the first two Superman films. It also established director/co-writer Matt Reeves as the contemporary tentpole filmmaker whose movies I most look forward to. While the first of that original rebooted trilogy (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) was directed by Rupert Wyatt, Reeves directed the next two (Rise and Dawn), and based on the ethical universe of his most recent film The Batman, it’s his sensibility that animates the new one. These films have tried to limit lethal violence from the start, and have uncommon compassion for such movies. The developmental journey of Caesar, the chief ape, is one of the more compelling character arcs - and Andy Serkis’ motion-capture performance warrants him a much more distinguished reputation. He’s one of the great actors, relying more on his voice and eyes, revealing the kind of depth only available to those who have spent a lot of time in self-reflection. Caesar is also the kind of leader who gives authority a good name - he is at pains to avoid unnecessary suffering, he refuses retribution, and fights only when no other option is available. He asks questions first; and when he’s fortunate enough to encounter humans with the same tendency, good things can happen. He coins the phrase “Ape shall not kill ape”, which is a step in the right direction, to be sure; not only because it makes us think about who exactly they should kill, and why, rather than just assuming like many adventure stories that bad guys (or even merely annoying ones) should be blown up. Of course, these monkeys are our cousins, and in the movies they represent us. These films intend to make us consider what matters most, which in public life these days often seem to be downplayed, and sometimes inverted.