"Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" debuts solid, faces critique

"Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" hit theaters on May 8. Compared to the previous series, it scored the second-best debut at the box office. Viewers were delighted, but critics were less so.

"War for the Planet of the Apes" from 2017 concluded the trilogy, which also included "Rise" (2011) and "Dawn" (2014). "Kingdom" opens a new series, though it references the pacifist leader Caesar, known from earlier films. About 300 years after his death, the hypocritical despot Proximus claims his legacy, enslaving both humans and other apes.

Reviewers praise the visual spectacle, but there are recurring accusations that the creators of "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" neglected character psychology and main themes like power. Instead of delving deeper into their essence, they focused on "laying the groundwork for more sequels." Moreover, some complain that the opening of a new trilogy, "Kingdom," is entirely unoriginal.

A BBC journalist commented that if you've seen 'War for the Planet of the Apes,' you might be surprised by how derivative 'Kingdom' is. Once again, a ruthless leader holds apes in an abandoned weapon warehouse. Everything is rusty from age this time, and the ruler is Proximus, not Woody Harrelson's Colonel. On top of that, the script is so flat that it's kind of an insult to the intelligence of the apes.

But viewers know what they like. On its opening weekend in America, "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" grossed the most of all films, with $56 million. The only better result from the previous series was "Dawn" ($72 million). After two weeks, Wes Ball's film earned $237 million worldwide.