Jeri Jacquin
Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director Wes Ball and 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment is the KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.
The young ape Noa (Owen Teague) is living with his community in the lush forest. Noa and his friends are out climbing when they discover something unusual. Taking it to his father, he hears about those called the Echoes and how they are to be dealt with. Noa also knows that something is following him and one night goes looking only to discover apes wearing masks that are vicious. Frightened he returns to his village only to find it in flames and everyone being captured.
Managing to escape, Noa begins to follow the trail that would lead him to his people. Along the way he meets Raka (Peter Macon) who explains that the Echoes are, in fact, humans. The thing following them on the road is Nova (Freya Allan) and, to their surprise, she can speak! Captured by Proximus Caesar’s (Kevin Durand) army, Noah is sent to work on the city and Nova is sent to Trevathan (William H. Macy).
Proximus Caesar is twisting the beliefs and teachings of Caesar by breaking the law of ‘ape shall not kill ape’ and enslaving his own. In this city there is a door that the new Caesar wants opened and he is using slaves to get into it. Noa is brought before the leader, joined by Nova and Trevathan to tell them what he wants. It is Nova who convinces the apes that it is possible to stop Proximus and, at the same time free his people!
Teague as Noa plays a young and naïve ape who has been living basically happy with his people. When the attack on the village happens, it is time for the young ape to grow up. Once his family is taken, Noa uses what he has learned to help to free his family and discover how to become a leader that embraces the world. Allan as Nova must tell Noa the plan to retrieve what it is that Proximus Caesar wants for his own. Working with Noa, she gives the performance against the backdrop of cgi which makes her character shine.
Duran as Proximus Caesar is a harsh ruler who only sees what will benefit him. Using his people by way of falsehoods and twisting the beliefs of a beloved icon, Duran has always been good at being bad and I’m here for it. Macy as Trevathan has found a way to live with the apes without becoming a victim of Proximus. It has worked for him but his fear outweighs his desire to help.
Other cast include Eka Darville as Sylva, Travis Jeffery as Anaya, Lydia Peckham as Soona, Neil Sandilands as Koro, Ras-Samuel as Lightning, Sara Wiseman as Dar, Kaden Hartcher as Oda, Karin Konoval as Maurice, and Kichen Lachman as Korina.
Twentieth Century Studios Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.20thcenturystudios.com.
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Bonus Features include the Documentary Inside the Forbidden Zone: Making KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – Join director Wes Ball, cast and crew as they expand the PLANET OF THE APES legacy for a new generation. Travel to the outdoor production in Australia, train at Ape School, and discover the practical and motion capture techniques in building a breathtaking Kingdom, and 14 Deleted/Extended Scenes with optional audio commentary by director Wes Ball.
This is another adventure in the ‘new’ Planet of the Apes series. The special effects are flawless as well as seamless. The actors inside the suits, as it were, give a voice to the effects to tell the story that director Ball is trying to tell. The effects are vast, mixed in with vibrant cinematography. The joining of the two make the film a feast for the eyes.
There are many nods to the original PLANET OF THE APES in 1968, such as the name of Nova and the X of the border into the forbidden zone. The turn of the film is that now, the apes are turning against one another in the same as ape and gorillas were intense in the original trilogy. I will say I do miss Andy Serkis as Caesar but, as with all ‘retellings’, you have to accept the change.
Me and mine are planning a Planet of the Apes marathon to watch each film back-to-back and ending with KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES!
In the end – no one can stop the reign!
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