Sightlines · reception
How Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was received
2024 · Wes Ball · Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes on Sightlines
The arc
Landed in May 2024 as one of the few dependable performers in a shaky blockbuster summer, with solid reviews and roughly $400M worldwide. Two years on the consensus has settled: a genuinely good new chapter, but ranked below the Matt Reeves entries — 'promising start,' not 'new peak.'
What’s debated
The evergreen fan debate: is Kingdom a worthy successor to the Caesar trilogy, or a handsome, well-made placeholder that can't match the emotional weight of Dawn and War?
Its footprint
Kevin Durand's scene-stealing Proximus Caesar gave the film its most-quoted bit — the booming 'What a wonderful day!' from the trailers became a minor fan catchphrase — and the imagery of a vine-swallowed, reclaimed-by-nature Earth was endlessly screenshotted.
Where it stands
On Letterboxd it lives as the respectable mid-tier entry of a franchise cinephiles genuinely revere — warmly rated, nobody's favorite Apes film, but proof the saga still has legs.
Did you know? As with the Reeves films, the cast went through weeks of 'ape school' movement training before shooting — and lead Owen Teague sought out Andy Serkis, the original Caesar, for advice before taking on the role.
Named by the director
- Apocalypto (2006) — Wes Ball repeatedly described his pitch for the film as 'Apocalypto with apes' — a lean, immersive chase-adventure through a fallen civilization.
- Planet of the Apes (1968) — Ball cited the original as the destination his new trilogy is consciously building toward, drawing on its imagery and mythology.