Planet der Affen: New Kingdom

Eine Oldschool-Reise durch Destruktion und Ruinen der Zivilisation mit einer schönen Atmosphäre und recht sympathischen Charakteren, die es aber kaum schaffen, 144 Minuten zu füllen. Für die Handlung würde objektiv gesehen etwa die Hälfte der Laufzeit reichen. Visuell ist der Film sehr schön und wird Leuten gefallen, die das Original mit seinem intimen Setting und der Betonung der eher minimalistischen Action mögen. Aber Noa ist nicht Caesar und Ball ist nicht so ein baller wie Reeves, um dem Film den besonderen apokalyptischen Touch von Planet der Affen: Revolution zu geben. Insgesamt aber ein würdiger Beitrag. Es ist nur schade, dass das Ende eher eine Variation der ursprünglichen Trilogie mit einem etwas weniger charismatischen Protagonisten verspricht. (09.05.2024)

Ja, es ist wahr, dass das letzte Drittel den beiden vorherigen nicht gerecht wird, obwohl es ernsthaft versucht, aber es wiederholte sich eigentlich das 13 Jahre alte Überraschung aus dem Planet der Affen: Prevolution, das ich auch nicht wirklich erwartet hatte. Dieses Mal sind wir endlich in der Phase angekommen, in der die Affen die Hauptrolle spielen und den Menschen nur noch die zweite Geige übrig bleibt (obwohl es im weiteren Verlauf anders sein könnte), und das ist großartig. Die Tricks verzaubern wieder, die Charaktere sind dank ihnen hundertprozentig glaubwürdig, die Geschichte ist interessant und die Erforschung einer fremden, aber vertrauten Welt hat auf jeden Fall ihren eigenen Zauber. (16.05.2024)

I don't see any major differences in the direction and I don't trust Wes Ball much, but for me it's another sheer blockbuster spectacle that meets the highest criteria, it's setting itself up for another excellent Trilogy (there aren't many of those in the works right now) and it will definitely be in the top 5 among blockbusters this year. Plot-wise, I like it better, the apes are in control and the humans will gradually fight to take over. The new hero Noah is likable, Freya Allan is adorable and acts great (another female star looms here), Proximus is a solid villain, visually it's a VFX gem! The action scenes have drive, tension, emotion and a thick atmosphere, in fact I was almost breathless during every scene, it's that gripping (the home invasion one was almost horror) and the whole grand finale has the necessary gusto. 100% immersion in the story with a world that still has something to offer. 85% (09.05.2024)

I'm going to say it, and I'm surprised myself. Even though I'm an old boomer who grew up on the first Planet of the Apes from the late 60s, and even though I'm not a fan of the CGI serendipity of today, the direction that Rupert Wyatt took 13 years ago, Matt Reeves continued, and now Wes Ball has followed up on, is very much to my liking. While the old Apes from the 70s was becoming a ridiculous parody of itself (and an ugly one at that) episode by episode (except for the legendary first one), and Tim Burton didn't take to it happily later on either, so the current tetralogy is beautifully paced, looks beautiful, makes logical sense in how the apes evolve and take over, and the current installment is such a natural evolution in the plot that the cards are already clearly dealt. It makes me happy that in this day and age we have a film franchise that has great references and works well, which is not the norm in contemporary Hollywood, where "rhyming" is done at the top of its lungs and it usually turns out badly. (08.05.2024)

To be honest, I have to say that I got exactly what I expected. And while I wasn't looking for a miracle, I definitely intended to enjoy a smart, good-looking sci-fi adventure at the cinema, and that's what Wes Ball delivered. This is the first installment of a new planned trilogy, so a lot of time is spent on world building (which has changed quite a bit from the last film) and introducing the main characters. And just the first scene with them is enough to blow you away, because Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes looks gorgeous, and Ball also makes great use of the attractive setting of the ruined cities that nature is taking back. But that's just the beginning. What's most interesting about Ball's new release is the ape society itself, hinting at the ways and directions in which the new civilization and each ape community is evolving. Noah is also quite a likable hero, different from Caesar and to some extent a bit more ordinary and with simpler motivations, but he serves well as a guide in the journey through a world we actually have to rediscover, as does his human partner Freya Allan, with whom it's unclear for a long time how they will work with her. The only problem is that because of the long exposition and introduction of the world, there is not much time for the plot itself, which is a bit rushed in the last third. The ambiguous villain could have done more interesting things with a better script, and the moral issues facing some of the heroes deserve more space, but again, I understand that you can't cram everything into two and a half hours. What Ball has crammed in is amply sufficient for a satisfying sci-fi adventure that can easily stand alongside the previous installments. And I hope he gets a chance to continue telling his story (09.05.2024)