After a global pandemic almost wiped out the human species, intelligent primates became the dominant species. But while logre Disney bought the legendary studio 20th Century Fox in 2019, New Kingdom, tenth film of the mythical saga, did he pay in monkey currency?
Simian Genesis
If there are works of which we French can be proud, The Planet of Monkeys is undeniably part of these. Sci-fi novel written with a master's hand by writer Pierre Boule, published in 1963, the work is translated worldwide following a resounding commercial success. Adapted to cinema in 1968 by director Franklin J. Schaffner, with in casting the huge star Charlton Heston, the film is crowned by dithyrambic critics and instantly becomes cult. It will be quite different for the 2001 remake directed by Tim Burton, whose critical reception will be proportional to the commercial failure of the film, and which will ring the bell of the impressive makeup and prosthetic work of the saga.
A decade and a turn at 180 degrees later, the 20th Century Fox revives the franchise by taking the digital side at all Avatar. Two suites, as impressive as they are, will follow, and this new trilogy will be a true success. However, it will take seven long years before a fourth iteration of this saga simiesque is born.
Post Apo-calypto!
It all starts with an unexpected sequence, Caesar's funeral, hero of the last three films. Tribute and indelible memory of a loved character from the audience, his memory will permeate the story all along. After several centuries of ellipse, the spectator met three new primates during a spectacular egg hunt. The opportunity to discover a lush nature that has definitely camouflaged the last remains of human civilization. Back in their tribe, we discover the Eagle clan and in particular the family of Noa, the main protagonist of this story. After the attack of the village by masked threatening monkeys, Noa, left for death, began to pursue the attackers and will do everything to free his own.
If one expects little or no to the same screenplay as the previous episode, find and release his own, history intelligently integrates a somewhat unexpected MacGuffin quest. Best of all, the script is not sluggish in twists and reserves nice surprises, especially for fans of the first hour of the original work. Indeed, many Easter Eggs are sown throughout the 145 minutes, for a potential suite that would hang up the cars with the 68 film. As such, the final plan alone convokes all the mythology of the saga. Bright!
The bow of Noa
Crossing on his way the wise Orang-utan Raka and the ambiguous human figure carried by the fascinating Freya Allan, the trio led by chimpanzee Ingenu Noa shows excellent alchemy. Under their pixels costume, the actors' game easily guesses and participates in the illusion of seeing real monkeys make grimaces! The secondary protagonists are not left behind in the story, and the motives of the great villain remain laudable. The conflict questions authoritarian drifts, the falsification of ancestral texts, and inter-species conflicts.
This theological fable takes on its full meaning in a third spectacular act, and a sweet bitter final, which leaves the motivations of each one suspended. Between Dune, part two and the second partAvatar, this episode of the Planet of the Monkeys This is perfectly in line with the themes of his predecessors, probably due to the presence of the trio of scriptwriters Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver and Josh Friedman, already working on the scenario of The Waterway.
New Will
If the film suffers somewhat from a false rhythm, between brief sequences of action and scenes of pure contemplation, some portions would have deserved to be delayed longer when others could have been shortened. But don't misunderstand, the whole remains very generous in addition to being technically very strong.
Visually very beautiful, even though some large plans betray a slight lack of definition (which sometimes gives the impression of seeing actors evolve in front of green funds, even though they are not themselves real). A detail for the purists of VFX, because in general it is very impressive, especially close-ups and facial expressions, like the eyes of confusing creatures of realism. The achievement of Wes Ball is rather effective during the action phases but has nothing transcendent on more intimate moments. At this level, it is lower than the two previous stages, led by the brilliant Matt Reeves, who has since confirmed his talent with The Batman.
Past since the acquisition of the Fox in the lead of Disney Studios, one could fear some political smoothing of the work, but fortunately it is nothing. On the contrary, Australia's large-eared teams took care to respect the essence of previous films. The result is a dark atmosphere, a serious talk, and tiny touches of humor that often fly and serve narrative.
The music John Paesano is in retreat, lacking epic breath and magnitude on key sequences. Fortunately, the sound design is much more convincing and participates in the immersion of what is played on the screen. For these reasons, we encourage you to discover this film on the largest screen and with the best possible sound system.
Already I was looking forward to finding out... Thanks for the criticism Keviguane! 🙏
[...] flagship licenses have fallen into Disney's lead like Star Wars, Predator, Dead Pool, X-Men, The Planet of the Monkeys, Indiana Jones, Avatar, The Simpsons, etc.) For the best or for the [...]
I found this movie very good. Viewed in comics, the image is stunning and some plans are even close to the relief! The VF in single DD however lacks a fishing ability but nevertheless remains correct. Glad to find the wolf here, I think he remembers my participation in his old site.
[...] The Planet of the Monkeys: The New Kingdom, the Bible of the jungle? by Keviguane [...]