War for the Planet of the Apes,” continues this damn dirty science-fiction franchise’s reign as one of the best out there.Directed with visual splendor by Wes Ball, the meaty film’s combo of flawless zoological effects (unlike this year’s inferior primate picture “Godzilla x.
Kong”), superbly crafted characters and a timeless story of emerging civilization and the fight for survival is remarkably riveting for what sets the groundwork of a whole new trilogy.This enduring series proves that, when handled properly, you just can’t beat talking monkeys.And yap, they do. “Kingdom,” thank God, marks the first entry in the reboot-prequel-whatever-this-is series to actually take place on the futuristic earth populated by super-intelligent chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans that we loved from the old Roddy McDowall films.Teasingly peeling back the banana, Ball’s film shrewdly forges connections to the classic 1968 original in clever ways.
The score nods to Jerry Goldsmith’s memorable drum-and-horn-heavy music and we reunite with some iconic imagery, both nostalgic and ominous.
Caesar — Andy Serkis’ brilliant monkey creation who became smart after a lab-leaked virus spread around the globe in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” and then led his species’ violent revolution — is now dead and gone.No matter.
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