Chimping at bit
APE FRANCHISE BACK IN SPECTACULAR STYLE KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Cert 12A ★★★★
In cinemas now
■ THROUGHOUT the various iterations of the Planet Of The Apes saga, simians have largely abided by one principle: “ape shall not kill ape”.
Lessons of the past are spattered with freshly spilled blood in this visually spectacular franchise revival set many generations after grief-stricken apes bade a tearful farewell to their leader Caesar, brandishing torches around a funeral pyre.
The history of hubristic humankind’s downfall has been lost to the ravages of time in Kingdom Of The Planet Of The
Apes, the opening salvo of a new trilogy with Wes Ball, director of The Maze Runner, at the helm.
Motion-captured performances realise most characters on screen and impressive technological muscle visibly strains at the sinews in ambitious action sequences set around water.
Scriptwriter Josh Friedman follows the same path as the Avatar sequels, orchestrating a simplistic but compelling comingof-age story that tests familial bonds and forces reluctant heroes to accept their destinies.
Friedman nods reverentially to previous films including an explicit verbal reference to Charlton Heston’s oft-quoted line from 1968 (“Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!”) in a post-apocalyptic wilderness where homo sapiens
languish at the bottom of the primate pecking order, rendered mute and supposedly unintelligent by a genetically engineered virus.
A decent chunk of the 145-minute running time is invested in illustrating the ties that bind one clan to harness the raw emotion behind the special effects wizardry, beginning with a thrilling sequence closely aligned to director Ball’s previous credits.
The opening stretch almost becomes a trudge but then the pacing steadily cranks up, culminating in a pulse-quickening crescendo that teases future conflict and betrayal.
Owen Teague’s performance as guilt-riddled chimpanzee Noa deftly plucks heartstrings, supplanting self-doubt with glowering defiance as his prodigal son takes up the mantle and forcefully resuscitates the franchise. For now, vital signs are promising.