I’m a big fan of the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise. Rise, Dawn, War – a strong trilogy. Well-crafted, incredible visual effects, strong acting, emotional complexity.

While Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes doesn’t top the previous two chapters from Matt Reeves, this serves as another solid film in the franchise and it works well as a continuation and another reboot.

Maze Runner director Wes Ball stays in line with the overall tone and does well to keep this story feeling like a natural progression in this established world. The new characters are well drawn, although perhaps not as layered as the apes we grew to love in the previous trilogy, and the lead cast deliver nice turns.

Now, while a lot of the film is made with clear care and the visual effects are again impressive, much of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is played… safe. With much of the world building and the narrative unfolding as expected – save for a few turns towards the end – I found myself wishing for a bigger step away from formula; more creative leaps in this era – both on the dramatic side of things and in the sci-fi of it all.

Nevertheless, I’m happy to say that the franchise continues on in solid fashion. Very keen to see where this story goes.