Movie · 2024 · Science Fiction, Adventure, Action · 2h 25m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 3.8/10 (778.4K ratings)
No one can stop the reign.
Overview
Several generations following Caesar's reign, apes – now the dominant species – live harmoniously while humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all he's known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
Ratings
Curator score: 3.8/10
IMDb: 6.8/10
Letterboxd: 3.31/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Metacritic: 66
TMDB: 7.1/10
Director
Wes Ball
Production
20th Century Studios, Oddball Entertainment, Jason T. Reed Productions
Cast
Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, William H. Macy, Eka Darville, Travis Jeffery, Lydia Peckham, Neil Sandilands, Ras-Samuel Welda'abzgi, Sara Wiseman, Kaden Hartcher, Andy McPhee, Nina Gallas, Samuel Falé, Dichen Lachman, Virginie Laverdure, Markus Hamilton, Benjamin Scott, Nirish Bhat Surambadka
Where to watch
Hulu, fuboTV
Curator Review
Verdict
A visually polished, patient sci-fi adventure that extends the Apes franchise with strong worldbuilding and a thoughtful look at legacy, power, and coexistence. It can feel a little slow and transitional at times, but the craft and scale make it an easy recommendation for franchise fans and viewers who like big speculative worlds with emotional stakes.
Best for
Fans of intelligent blockbuster sci-fi
Viewers who enjoy motion-capture performance and creature worldbuilding
Audiences interested in post-apocalyptic mythmaking
People who like franchise entries that set up future conflicts
Skip if
You want nonstop action from start to finish
You prefer tightly self-contained stories
You are not invested in the Planet of the Apes universe
You dislike slow-burn setup in large-scale blockbusters
Overview
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is less a victory lap than a careful handoff, and that makes it feel both ambitious and slightly restrained. It leans into a new generation of characters and a changed world, using the franchise’s familiar ideas about civilization, memory, and domination to build something that feels respectful of the past without simply repeating it.
Worth noting
The movie’s biggest strength is its scale and texture. The apes are rendered with remarkable physicality, and the production design gives the world a lived-in, post-human quality that keeps the film engaging even when the plot is moving deliberately. It has the patient rhythm of a myth being told rather than a rollercoaster being launched.
Bottom line
That patience is also the main limitation. Some stretches feel like setup for a larger saga, and the emotional payoff arrives more in implication than in catharsis. Still, for viewers who appreciate thoughtful blockbuster craft and a franchise willing to evolve, it’s an absorbing and often impressive chapter.
Top Letterboxd reviews
noen (3★) · 9682 likes
bro heard about the Roman Empire and thinks he's Julius Caesar
mariano (4★) · 9383 likes
they were talking about caesar like he was their lisan al gaib
Framesofnick (4★) · 7306 likes
STOP SPEAKING ON MY GOAT CAESAR YOU DONT KNOW HIM LIKE I DO. THATS MY GUY THATS MY BROTHER THATS MY ALL TIMER. CAESAR IS MY RIDE OR DIE HES MY LIFER. YOU DONT KNOW HIM LIKE I DO
anyways
Give me a thousand more of these to watch pretty please thank you very much
This is why I go to the movies, a full on visual spectacle that is so unwavering in its design that it just leaves your… more