Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes proves there’s still life in this decades-old franchise

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Kevin Durand as Proximus in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Nothing captures the imagination like an anthropomorphic monkey. Ever since a stop-motion King Kong scaled the dizzy heights of the Empire State Building in Merian C. Cooper’s 1933 classic, ominous ‘What if?’ stories about our closest living relatives have proven a surefire way to get audiences’ bums on seats.

Perhaps, then, we shouldn’t be surprised that the Planet of the Apes franchise has endured for so long (61 years and counting), but it’s still remarkable that a premise introduced in 1968 remains compelling enough to attract Marvel-level investment from increasingly risk-averse studios.

The tenth (tenth!) entry in the Planet of the Apes series is the grandly-titled Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; a sequel-of-sorts to Matt Reeves’ excellent War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) and a jumping-off point for what will surely become another Apes saga. This time around, there’s no Andy Serkis – he consulted with director Wes Ball on the new film’s script, but had no hand in its production – though Kingdom still manages to stand on its own two feet (knuckles?) as a thoroughly entertaining post-apocalyptic adventure. 

Set “many generations” after the events of War, Kingdom centers on an intelligent young ape called Noa (Owen Teague), whose clan of eagle-rearing chimpanzees live a tranquil existence in the oasis left behind by Caesar. Humans are few and far between, and those who do emerge from the shadows are feral and mute. 

It all seems rather pleasant (for the apes, anyway) until a violent tribe of coastal simians – led by the tyrannical bonobo Proximus (Kevin Durand) – capture Noa’s clan to further populate their own ape kingdom (title drop!), with Proximus hell-bent on advancing his species through the discovery of human technologies. Having avoided capture himself, Noa embarks on a cross-country journey to free his family and friends, with an inquisitive human girl (Freya Allen) and a wise-cracking Orangutan (Peter Macon) in tow.

Kevin Durand as Proximus in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Owen Teague, Freya Allen and Peter Macon in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

If that synopsis reads to you like the plots of Dawn (2014) and War rolled into one, you’re not far wrong. Kingdom’s maniacal antagonist, imprisoned apes, and West Coast road trip are all reminiscent of recent Apes movies, and those left unmoved by Reeves’ trilogy won’t find anything revelatory in Ball’s latest effort. There is, however, enough new meat on the bone here to warrant the ticket price for existing franchise fans.

For starters, Kingdom uses the absence of Caesar to its strength. Although Serkis’ simian doesn’t feature physically, he takes on an almost mythical role for the apes that do continue to survive – and thrive – on this pandemic-ravaged Earth. Caesar’s ‘apes together strong’ doctrine is misinterpreted (willfully or otherwise) by a paranoid Proximus as a call to arms against the last remnants of humanity, while the scholarly Roka continues to share Caesar's hope that apes can live side-by-side with humans as equals. 

Kingdom is the most philosophical of the recent Apes movies; it lays bare the same question at the heart of every film in the franchise – is there room for competing intelligent species on one planet? – in a way that feels more urgent, perhaps because we’re now approaching the moment at which Charlton Heston crash-landed on Earth in the original movie’s imagined future (if indeed Ball and co. decide to go that way). It leaves you wondering when, if, and how this centuries-spanning story will end.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Kevin Durand as Proximus in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Proximus is also a refreshingly interesting villain. He believes that the only way to assert true dominance is to become human, in a way. He despises humanity, but his hate is driven by envy. He wants to achieve, for apes, what humans achieved in the time before the apocalypse, and although his proposed method for doing so is a little – okay, very – silly, his motivations are markedly different from those of previous villains in the series. 

That said, the film takes too long to introduce Proximus, and we’re not given enough time to digest his perspective before all hell breaks loose in the final act. William H. Macy plays a sort of court jester-cum-private tutor to Kingdom’s antagonist; he’s a human character who teaches his ape master Roman history and fuels his emperor complex (hence the Proximus name), while also harboring deep-rooted ambitions for his own species. The relationship between the pair makes for an interesting role reversal, but again, Macy’s character is all too quickly brushed aside in favor of the series’ customary Kong vs. Kong action.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Travis Jeffery, Owen Teague and Lydia Peckham in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

The CGI-fueled set pieces in Kingdom are downright jaw-dropping, mind. As we’ve come to expect from Weta FX, the film’s myriad ape characters are both life-like and distinct – Durand’s Proximus is a highlight – and the lengthy water-based sequences rival those in Avatar: The Way of Water for realism.

Kingdom is also packed to the rafters with nods to Apes movies past. In one scene, Ball inverts the enclosure sequence in Rise (2011) by having the apes appear aghast at a human’s ability to speak, while Linda Harrison’s Nova and Heston’s Taylor are referenced on several occasions. This is a movie that rewards long-time Planet of the Apes fans, but also one that can exist as a standalone trilogy-starter. Kingdom ultimately succeeds because of that dichotomy; it’s essentially more of the same, but the same is still interesting enough to propel another Apes era into orbit.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is released in the US on May 10, and in the UK and Australia on May 9.

You might also like...

Axel Metz
Phones Editor

Axel is TechRadar's UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site's Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.  Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.

Read more
A T-Rex roaring in some vegetation in Jurassic World Rebirth
First trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth teases strong ties to Jurassic Park, and I can't help but wonder if another trip to Isla Nublar is on the cards
Mark Grayson shouting as he flies towards the camera in Invincible season 3
Invincible season 3 is another soaring entry of the popular Prime Video series that packs a real punch in more ways than one
Millie Bobby Brown's Michelle armed with a paint gun while standing next to some robots in Netflix's The Electric State movie
The Electric State could have been a great Netflix sci-fi movie, but it's just more evidence that it's Marvel or bust for the Russo brothers
The Wild Robot on Panasonic MZ1500 screen with Blu-ray Bounty logo in bottom right
3 new 4K Blu-rays to add to your collection in January 2025
Godzilla (1954) image of buildings on OLED TV
4 new 4K Blu-ray discs to add to your collection in December 2024
Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson standing in a compound's courtyard in Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World does its best to fly high, but the first Marvel movie of 2025 is the titular hero’s worst solo film so far
Latest in Entertainment
Trinity Rodman #2 of the Washington Spirit crosses the ball during a game between Bay FC and Washington Spirit at Audi Field on November 10, 2024 in Washington, DC.
National Women's Soccer League 2025: How to watch NWSL games live from anywhere
Irish boxer TJ Doheny receives an undercard bout, ahead of the WBO super welterweight world title fight in March, 2023
Ball vs Doheny live stream: how to watch the boxing from anywhere now, full undercard, start time, weigh-in results
Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match in February 2025
Liverpool vs Newcastle live stream: how to watch Carabao Cup final 2025 online, team news
The Russo brothers posing for a photograph and Herman carrying a Volkswagen camper van in The Electric State
'We're optimists': AI enthusiasts Joe and Anthony Russo defend its use in movies and TV shows, but admit there are 'very real dangers' around its application
Lando Norris driving around a bend during practice for the 2025 Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix 2025: How to watch this season’s first F1 race online from anywhere
A collage of Tom Holland's unmasked Spider-Man and Sadie Sink's Max in Stranger Things season 4
Marvel reportedly casts Stranger Things star Sadie Sink in Spider-Man 4, but I don't want her to tackle the roles she's rumored to play
Latest in Features
Disappointed by The Electric State? Here's 4 reasons you should watch Tales From the Loop on Prime Video
A computer file surrounded by red laser beams
Cover your tracks: the risk of sending unencrypted files
Close up of PS5 DualSense controller leaning on a PS5
5 reasons your PS5 needs a VPN
Anora sitting on Ivan's lap in a casino in her self-titled film, one of the best new Hulu movies in March 2025
5 new Prime Video movies with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes I think you should stream in March
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
With discounts of up to 95%, these are the biggest deals I've managed to find in the Steam Spring Sale
The cast of The Parenting
The Parenting is Max's #1 most-watched movie but it has frightening reviews – here are 3 better horror films with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes