A very strong start to a new series of films, it understands that the Apes franchise is buoyed by spectacle, not carried by it. It is spectacle in the service of character and thought. Caesar and Serkis’ performance is the standout, of course. Even if you can see a bit of the seams now, the effects still hold up and more importantly, Serkis conveys Caesar’s growth expertly, communicating much through eyes and body language. Lithgow is terrific as always, stealing your heart with his screentime and serving as ample motivation for Will and the audience both. Oyelowo and Felton are both having a blast as scumbags.
Where the characters falter are Will and Caroline. Pinto’s performance is fine, but Caroline just stops mattering as a character at a certain point. Maybe that’s for the best- her last real scene of substance is a hamfisted and shoddily execution of the themes of human hubris that comes off like she’s implying some things just can’t and shouldn’t be changed, like. Alzheimer’s. The cure part was never the issue. And Franco has baggage now, but even setting that aside he just never feels bought in. He’s only slightly more distinct as a leading man than Wahlberg. He doesn’t sell the emotion whether with his father or Caesar, always feeling a step removed.
That said, this continues the Apes staple of being a thoughtful blockbuster. There’s only one big action scene, and because they take their time and build to that climax it’s all the more exciting and meaningful. That time is spent on Caesar’s journey and humanity’s greed and ambition. There’s not as much room for rumination on human- or should I say humane- nature with so much time devoted to Caesar’s and the apes’ rise as pretty unambiguous righteous figures, but what’s there works as the groundwork for the sequels to take off with when humans are decimated and the apes must reckon with what comes after revolution. It lacks a Taylor, or Zira and Cornelius, or MacDonald, or, well, original Caesar to turn a disgusted or disappointed eye on human and/or ape foibles, but that’s because this Caesar just isn’t there yet. He needed to be set up and developed into that spot. Now it’s up to the sequels to run with this strong foundation.
Review by JCVIP 4BlockedParent2024-04-27T18:46:16Z
A very strong start to a new series of films, it understands that the Apes franchise is buoyed by spectacle, not carried by it. It is spectacle in the service of character and thought. Caesar and Serkis’ performance is the standout, of course. Even if you can see a bit of the seams now, the effects still hold up and more importantly, Serkis conveys Caesar’s growth expertly, communicating much through eyes and body language. Lithgow is terrific as always, stealing your heart with his screentime and serving as ample motivation for Will and the audience both. Oyelowo and Felton are both having a blast as scumbags.
Where the characters falter are Will and Caroline. Pinto’s performance is fine, but Caroline just stops mattering as a character at a certain point. Maybe that’s for the best- her last real scene of substance is a hamfisted and shoddily execution of the themes of human hubris that comes off like she’s implying some things just can’t and shouldn’t be changed, like. Alzheimer’s. The cure part was never the issue. And Franco has baggage now, but even setting that aside he just never feels bought in. He’s only slightly more distinct as a leading man than Wahlberg. He doesn’t sell the emotion whether with his father or Caesar, always feeling a step removed.
That said, this continues the Apes staple of being a thoughtful blockbuster. There’s only one big action scene, and because they take their time and build to that climax it’s all the more exciting and meaningful. That time is spent on Caesar’s journey and humanity’s greed and ambition. There’s not as much room for rumination on human- or should I say humane- nature with so much time devoted to Caesar’s and the apes’ rise as pretty unambiguous righteous figures, but what’s there works as the groundwork for the sequels to take off with when humans are decimated and the apes must reckon with what comes after revolution. It lacks a Taylor, or Zira and Cornelius, or MacDonald, or, well, original Caesar to turn a disgusted or disappointed eye on human and/or ape foibles, but that’s because this Caesar just isn’t there yet. He needed to be set up and developed into that spot. Now it’s up to the sequels to run with this strong foundation.