Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Ends With a Frustrating Appeasement

As a film critic who has spent years dissecting the intricacies of cinematic storytelling, I found “War for the Planet of the Apes: Kingdom” to be a fascinating yet perplexing addition to the franchise. Being a student of human and ape societies alike, I couldn’t help but notice the thought-provoking themes that this film presents.

Spoilers follow for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, now streaming on Hulu.

Phrases from various films have become iconic, shaping entire franchises. Examples include “I am your father” from Star Wars, “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti” from Hannibal Lecter movies, and “Is Butterbean okay?” from Jackass. The Planet of the Apes series also features an iconic phrase: “Apes together strong.” This phrase symbolizes unity and camaraderie among apes against humanity’s most ruthless survivors, suggesting that separatism can be a viable political strategy for oppressed groups. It also implies that the colonized minority may never truly gain acceptance from the colonizer majority. However, in the upcoming movie Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the creators have chosen to alter this phrase, emphasizing unity and strength without explicitly referencing apes, potentially diluting the political significance of the original slogan.

The films featuring Andy Serkis as the star, the “Planet of the Apes” series, portray a powerful and exclusive message: “Strength in unity among apes.” This unity enables them to escape from an oppressive lab, create their own society in California woods, defend against human resource grabbers, and resist a renegade military unit confining apes in labor camps. This strength is not just resilient amidst humans, but thrives independently of them. The movies, namely “Rise,” “Dawn,” and “War,” are filled with instances that underscore humanity’s untrustworthiness. In “Rise,” they are cruel by nature. In “Dawn,” they prove treacherous even when granted access to ape territory. In “War,” they show ingratitude, as seen in the soldier who spares Caesar’s life at the beginning of the film but attempts to assassinate him in its concluding moments.

In the movie “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” Caesar, the intelligent ape, and his former comrade Koba have contrasting ideas about the phrase “apes together strong.” While Caesar interprets it as tolerance, Koba sees it as a call for violence. However, the conclusion of “War” suggests that Caesar may be leaning towards Koba’s perspective, though not necessarily the violent or human-hating aspects. After Koba’s death at the end of “Dawn,” Caesar is tormented by visions of him and is disturbed by the cruel treatment of apes by Woody Harrelson’s character, the Colonel. At the end of “War,” Caesar and his followers retreat deeper into the wilderness, hinting at a rejection of their past ties with humans and a shift towards self-reliance. This choice to uphold the “apes together strong” philosophy on their own gives “War” a poignant, noble ending that implies isolation was the best course of action. However, in “The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” the phrase “apes together strong” is transformed from a unifying slogan for apes into a declaration of war among apes, and it offers the conciliatory “together strong” as a plea for cooperation between apes and humans. This change can be seen as similar to the “All Lives Matter” argument, but not quite the same.

In essence, the series “Kingdom” is exploring something intriguing: How does truth transform into legend, and how do individuals employ legends to motivate themselves? The story unfolds several generations post-Caesar’s demise, envisioning a universe where most apes are unaware of who Caesar was. Though ape communities have developed their unique customs and traditions, such as Noa’s (Owen Teague) eagle-partnered clan, the philosophies and written language knowledge of Caesar have largely been erased by time. Only a few apes remember Caesar, and they interpret his legacy in diverse ways, stretching it to extremes. Raka (Peter Macon), a member of the “Order of Caesar,” instructs Noa that “apes together strong” and “ape shall not kill ape” were Caesar’s most valuable teachings and gives him a pendant adorned with Caesar’s symbol. However, Raka exhibits more compassion towards the remaining humans than Caesar did in his final days, sharing stories about “when apes and humans coexisted” and explaining that because humans were significant to Caesar, they matter to him as well. He despises the invading apes, led by the ambitious Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), for how they manipulate Caesar’s teachings to enslave various clans. Though Proximus uses “apes together strong” as a battle cry against humans, his interpretation of ape-Caesar has been deliberately distorted by a human, the cunning Trevathan (William H. Macy), who recognizes that staying useful to Proximus will guarantee his own survival. (There’s no clear reason given as to why Trevathan would know about ape-Caesar when other apes don’t, but you have to go along with it.) Proximus justifies his actions behind the slogan “apes together strong” while establishing an autocratic system that concentrates power in his hands, resembling fascism rather than democracy.

The narrative in Kingdom portrays a complex and evolving interpretation of religious and political beliefs among the apes, which mirrors how doctrines change over generations. However, it seems to suggest that this internal conflict is exclusive to disempowered groups when they gain power, implying an underlying deficiency in their ability to maintain unity. This perspective diminishes the exhilarating moment of “apes together strong,” a phrase often associated with unity among the apes.

It’s clear that the human characters in “Kingdom” continue to exhibit their usual self-centered behavior, filled with resentment and an unwavering desire for social superiority, much like they were in “Rise”, “Dawn”, and “War”. Mae’s actions, such as concealing a gun during her last meeting with Noa, complaining about giving apes access to human weapons, and lying about the satcom key she left behind, do not present a particularly favorable image. However, when Noa gives Mae Raka’s pendant, symbolizing unity, and emphasizes its importance, “Kingdom” seems to be subtly conveying its most noble message: “Together strong”.

2024-08-15 20:54

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Ends With a Frustrating Appeasement

Read More

Minority Mindset