Planet der Affen: New Kingdom

I really wanted to like this film, but unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. There are no characters who could compare to such an outstanding hero as Caesar. The main character was not impressive. The film does not offer anything particularly new, and I miss the unique atmosphere that director Matt Reeves created. The main antagonist could have been truly captivating and powerful, but he simply doesn't have enough screen time to showcase his potential and become something truly great. The plot felt predictable, and the dialogue lacked the depth and emotion that could have made the story more engaging. Overall, the film failed to capture the magic that made its predecessors so memorable.

I was waiting just to hear Proximus scream 'WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY!' from all the times I heard the trailer playing at the theatre. I really liked how the franchise once again showcases the humanity of the apes, like the touching funeral scene. It had breathtaking scenery throughout, especially the transformation of metropolitan cities into forests. I found it interesting how they introduced pets, a bird is an ape's best friend, essentially. I liked that we exploring their customs in the first act of the movie.

While the film's length and the extensive world-building sometimes made it feel a bit slow, every scene served a purpose in the end, especially considering this's setting the stage for a new era in the Planet of the Apes movies. We get to see how the environment, the apes and the humans have evolved. I liked how the movie paid homage to Caesar without directly continuing his story; his legacy felt respectfully acknowledged. He had a good run and his story was complete.

The premise of the movie, particularly the portrayal of the antagonists, reminded me of religious wars, where the apes resemble Christian crusaders using a historic figure's image to justify war and violence, a theme with deep implications. The movie addresses that but not in a way that will make you leave the theatre pondering. How teachings can be misconstrued.

This installment's message felt more overt compared to the trilogy, almost as if the apes were portrayed as essentially human. The trilogy was always telling a human story through apes, it was always obvious but now the fourth installment is quite on the nose.

Good time is spent with the characters, so when moments of sadness or goodbyes arise, we feel it too. It's slow paced but I was heavily invested. The scene where she calls out to Noah was amazing. Hearing an 'echo' speaking, was almost as shocking when Caesar screamed "go!" for the first time. Also was she essentially looking for an English textbook? Lol.

While Noah is the lead character, there were instances where Mae took the forefront, causing some confusion about the movie's primary focus. She didn't feel explored or interesting enough but I loved Freya Allan's performance.

It's a drama. It's not what I was expecting, I thought it'd me more action packed, but it's still good. It was different to my expectations the way "War for the Planet of the apes" also wasn't a full blown war as well. I also think this is the first movie since the trilogy started where earth was now actually a planet of apes. Humans clearly have been dominated.

Following up on Caesar was always gonna be difficult, I think he was a beloved character and we got to see his whole journey. The new lead character Noah is alright, however, I didn't find myself super captivated by him. We got to see Caesar's full character arc, birth to death; while Noah is already a little older, coming-of-age age. His story is still interesting though.

The conflict of ideas between Noah and Mae could have been more intense. There were times when I thought "ouu this is about to be a big fight/argument" and it's just meh. It wasn't as thought provoking as I would've liked. I liked Proximus Caesar though, I thought he made quite the enticing antagonist. Second most interesting character after Raka*.

The ending hints at the possibility of another trilogy, laying a solid foundation for future installments. Overall, I liked it more than "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" but not as much as the sequels. "Dawn of the planet of the apes" is still my favorite. It's not as epic as I thought it'd be; I think it's more enjoyable if you're already into the franchise. It doesn't do anything terribly, I just didn't walk out of the theatre thinking "wow!" People were applauding a lot throughout the movie actually. There was a guy who sat close to me and blacked out before the movie started, snoring the entire time. Thought about not waking him up after the movie finished because everyone literally just walked by him. This dude bought imax tickets, large bucket of popcorn, large soda and some more snacks, all that just to sleep before the movie started. Anyway, I still enjoyed the whole thing, and very much looking forward to whatever's next.

Also just found out it's directed by they who did maze runner movies and they actually both have such similar aura to them.

This film continues the franchise's tradition of delivering thought-provoking and visually stunning sci-fi. The film shines with its impressive special effects and CGI, which bring the apes to life in a remarkably realistic way. The world-building is expansive, offering a fresh take on the franchise's post-apocalyptic setting that's both intriguing and immersive. The story introduces new layers to the apes' society and their conflicts, maintaining the series' hallmark of exploring complex themes through its characters.

The performances, particularly from the lead actors portraying the apes, are compelling, adding depth and emotion to their roles. The action sequences are well-choreographed and engaging, keeping the tension high throughout.

However, the film does stumble slightly in its pacing. Some parts of the story drag, and there are moments where the narrative feels overly familiar, relying on tropes from previous installments. Additionally, while the new characters are interesting, they don't always receive the development needed to make a strong impact.

Overall, this is a strong entry in the series that continues to captivate with its imaginative world and impressive visuals, even if it occasionally falls into predictable patterns. It's a satisfying watch for fans and newcomers alike, with enough to offer to keep the franchise's legacy alive.

Are there any directors left that have watched a Spielberg movie so they can see how to pace an action adventure movie? Very few movies are actually so well written, acted and directed as to warrant a 2:30+ hr run time. This was not one of them. But with some proper editing, you could make a tight 2:10 movie that keeps things moving along.

The story wasnt bad. The characters werent bad. The acting was good enough. They just took a very long time to get to anything. Then the action picks up for a bit, things get good, it gets exciting and you get another long dull 15-20 min segment. A good editor would bring those segments down to 5-10 min and keep the movie rolling along.

This movies is basically a passage preparing for the next one. It starts at one point and leave us at the same point.

Okay they are interesting things, but in the end we are looking at the story of Indigenous people getting overrun but modernisation. And just like every other movie of the genre there is an happy ending.

Which in this context does not progress the story.

There are many many many things they could have done to save the story. But they were either afraid or got controlled out of it.

I do recognise amazing work on the visuals, which is why I compare this one to avatar. Good visuals but empty story. And it might actually be avatar 2 . A shell movie using the previous one to sell and trying to be a filler for the next one...