The 2010s ‘Planet of the Apes’ trilogy redefined blockbuster cinema: powerful action scenes meet philosophical tones and complex characters. While the first and third parts only just achieved the highest rating in the FILMSTARTS rating with 4.5 out of 5 stars, “Planet of the Apes 2: Revolution” even achieved the highest rating in our review and is therefore one of the best for us. -Fi epics of all time.
So it is no easy task to match the quality of the work of Rupert Wyatt (“The Gambler”) and Matt Reeves (“The Batman”). But with “Planet of the Apes 4: New Kingdom” (original title: “Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes”) it is still a risk. This time around, however, none of the previous ‘Planet of the Apes’ filmmakers are in the director’s chair; instead, “Maze Runner” director Wes Ball, an ape newcomer, will direct the continuation of Ceasar & Co.’s story.
Now the first trailer for “Planet of the Apes 4: New Kingdom” has arrived, and the first moving images already feature the familiar mix of ape action and thoughtful tones.
And that’s what “Planet of the Apes 4” is about
The ‘Planet of the Apes’ series has reinvented itself with each installment and has managed to tell a new, exciting starting point in the story of the rise and fall, power and intrigue in the world of apes and humans. While “Prevolution” came across as a viral thriller that also focused on human rights negotiations, “Revolution” was a classic tragedy that had clear parallels to the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. ‘Planet of the Apes 4: New Kingdom’ now follows the biblical ending of Part 3, in which Caesar led his entourage to some sort of holy land to live in peace.
But monkeys are only people, so peace crumbles over time. Caesar fades into memory and some of the newer ape clans have never heard of him, while others exploit his divine status to twist his teachings to their own ends and elevate themselves above and even enslave other primates. The story follows Caesar’s son Cornelius (Owen Teague), who has to watch his clan being subjugated – together with a human girl he fights for freedom.
No reunion with Andy Serkis
As already indicated in the plot description, this part ends the story of Caesar, who exists only as an idea in the minds of his descendants. Anyone who was looking forward to seeing top ace Andy Serkis again will be disappointed. The latest part will do this for you, among other things William H. Macy (“Fargo”), Kevin Durand (“Robin Hood”) and Ciri actress Freya Allan be seen in front of the camera.
The ‘Planet of the Apes’ series has always been very good at acting as a mirror for current social problems and as a reflection of human misbehavior. It remains to be hoped that the sequel will also succeed in cleverly combining blockbuster action and intelligent cinematic entertainment.
We’ll have to wait a few more months before we know if the sequel can match the quality of its predecessor. “Planet of the Apes 4: New Kingdom” will hit German cinemas on May 23, 2024.