Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes brings the series back to the big screen next week, and we now have the first reactions to the new movie.
Set around 300 years after the end of War for the Planet of the Apes, the movie centres on young ape Noa (Owen Teague), who sets out on a journey that will cause him to question everything he knew about the past.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes held its world premiere last night (May 2) in the US. Those lucky few to have already seen it have now taken to Twitter to share their first reactions to the new movie.
Digital Spy's movies editor Ian Sandwell wrote that it's "a strong continuation of the series", adding: "Takes a little while to find its footing, but builds into a captivating second act and a thrilling finale."
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Most critics agreed that while it's not the best film in the franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a strong continuation of the story.
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Geeks of Doom's Michael Lee described the new film as "a beautiful coming of age story framed around the idea of legacy and what happens to it when it's lost to time or subverted by the wicked," adding: "It doesn't surpass what Andy Serkis did with his trilogy, but Wes Ball's approach proves that the franchise has plenty of stories to tell. Kevin Durand's performance as Proximus Caesar steals this movie."
"#KingdomOfThePlanetOfTheApes is a fantastic addition to the series," The Direct's Russ Milheim wrote. "While it may falter at times in the pacing department, that never keeps the movie from being an absolute thrill. The VFX is astounding and the characters beautifully crafted. Can't wait to see what comes next!"
"Between Rise, Dawn, War, and now Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, this series continues to be one of the very best franchise reboots out there," Collider's Perri Nemiroff enthused. "As expected, there was no better director to take over than Wes Ball.
"Of course the wizards at Wētā had a big hand in this, but there's also no doubt that Ball's personal proficiency with visual effects contributed big time to how incredible this film looks."
Hollywood Handle said the new movie is "incredibly gorgeous" while Geeks of Color's Dorian Parks insisted: "this film cements the franchise as one of the strongest IPs out there!"
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Caesar might be gone, but Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes does feature a Caesar of sorts in main villain Proximus Caesar, played by Kevin Durand.
"Caesar is almost a religious figure, and Proximus has taken on the name Caesar because it was the highest position held in ape society. It was a self-proclamation that was achieved by any means necessary, to ensure that apes continue to evolve," Durand explained.
"So you're seeing the influence and the evolution of what Caesar left. And, like in every morsel of human history, there's always some type of tyrant who comes along and scares everyone into believing them."
The movie also stars The Witcher's Freya Allan as a human that Noa meets on his journey, but we'll just have to wait and see how she fits into the story.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is released in UK cinemas on May 9 and in US cinemas on May 10.
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
News Editor, Digital Spy
Emma is an experienced entertainment news journalist with NCTJ accreditation and a First-Class Honours Degree in Journalism. Having started her career as a broadcast journalist, Emma’s voice has been heard on varying radio stations across the UK including Absolute, Magic, BBC Three Counties Radio, LBC London News and more.
Later specialising in multimedia entertainment news, Emma has brushed shoulders with numerous famous faces and interviewed the likes of Edward Norton, Margot Robbie, Sir Michael Palin, Rick Astley, and too many soap stars to count. Having produced a range of engaging news content over the years for brands such as 7Digital’s Entertainment News, Yahoo, and Express Online, Emma eventually joined Digital Spy in 2022 as Deputy News Editor, becoming Acting News Editor in 2023 and then News Editor in 2024.
While she’s gained lots of praise during celebrity interviews throughout her career, the most memorable compliment Emma’s ever received was when a Game of Thrones star remarked "Your teeth are stunning!". LinkedIn
