Tag: Wes Ball

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Review

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, for starters, gets its name right. Arriving seven years after War for the Planet of the Apes, a common criticism (not an especially important one) of the preceding trilogy was that their titles were a bit misleading. 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes should’ve been Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Yet that one came three years later and a more appropriate moniker for it would be War for the Planet of the Apes. However, War was in 2017 even though Rise of the Planet of the Apes would’ve fit better. Apes are indeed ruling the planet in the fourth entry of this Apes run and the tenth overall in the franchise. Climb of the Planet of the Apes might’ve stuck as well since the plot needs the creatures to use their upward mobility to get them out of jams.

Ultimately Kingdom gets more right than its name. A brief prologue reminds us where we left off in War. In its climax, simian leader Caesar (played iconically by Andy Serkis in probably the greatest motion capture performance ever) stopped being an Earthbound dweller and belonged to the ages. “Many generation later” (like 200-300 years), there are groups who study and honor Caesar’s work. Others are agnostic. Young ape Noa (Owen Teague) is in the latter bunch. His clan is more preoccupied with their birding activities which involve coming-of-age rituals that Noa is primed for. This is interrupted by human contact in the form of Freya Allan’s character Mae. All members of that race have been rendered speechless (as we started to witness in War). By Kingdom‘s coming, they’re also undomesticated and homeless and rare to come across.

This interaction inadvertently brings harm to Noa’s loved ones and sets the young ape on a course of discovery and retrieval of kidnapped family members. The abductor is Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand’s superb and complex villain), whose mission involves bringing all clans together where he can rule with an iron paw. While that ape bends the teachings of Caesar to his own twisted ideology, others succeed in extolling the virtues. This includes orangutan Raka (Peter Macon) who joins Noa on the journey and first exposes him to the dominant force in Rise, Dawn, and War (or more appropriately… Dawn, War, and Rise but’s let not get hung up on it).

Raka is maybe my favorite character in a screenplay (by Avatar: The Way of Water scribe Josh Friedman) filled with promising new ones. I say promising because Kingdom is clearly world building to more installments. In that sense, comparisons to Rise of the Planet of the Apes from 2011 are apt. That tale explained Caesar’s childhood upbringing and eventual imprisonment that created the wide divide between apes and human. The movie itself was lean and efficient with a short runtime compared to Dawn, War, and this. Parts of Kingdom could’ve used a shave and tighter edit. The end result, though, is similar to 2011’s reboot in that I look forward to what’s coming while valuing what I just saw. Wes Ball takes over directorial responsibilities from Matt Reeves, who excelled at making the darker Dawn and War. Ball’s contribution may not be quite as distinctive, but it’s well-executed in reintroducing the audience to its visual landscapes and consistent tug-of-war between species coexisting in them.

This is smarter summer blockbuster sci-fi than any other franchise going and the series has been pulling that off for nearly 60 years. There’s been dips in quality (hi Tim Burton and various portions of the 1970s sequels). These past four Apes sagas have climbed to the top in terms of overall quality.

***1/2 (out of four)

Oscar Predictions: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

20th Century Studios is back in the monkey business this weekend with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Wes Ball takes over the directorial reins for the 56-year-old franchise with Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy among the cast.

This is the 10th feature in the series and the previous nine entries netted six total Academy nominations. Three of them went to the 1968 original with nods for its Score and Costume Design as well as an honorary Oscar for its revolutionary makeup artist John Chambers.

Following that, there was a long break between awards mentions. None of the four sequels to Planet (Beneath the Planet of the Planet, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Battle for the Planet of the Apes) contended in any races. Neither did Tim Burton’s 2001 re-imagining of part 1.

It took Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011 and sequels Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) to get back in the Oscar mix. All 3 were up for their fantastic Visual Effects. The win tally was 0 for 3 as they respectively lost to Hugo, Interstellar, and Blade Runner 2049. Despite high praise for Michael Giacchino’s score and Andy Serkis’s lauded motion capture work as Caesar in that trilogy, VE was the only derby that the Apes ran in.

Kingdom (set many years after the events of War) is perched at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s just ahead of Rise‘s 82% while a bit behind War‘s 94% and Dawn‘s 91%. Some reviews say its visuals don’t quite match what we witnessed in the previous decade. Yet this seems poised for a fourth nomination in a row in that competition. Like its predecessors, a victory seems unlikely as Dune: Part Two may already have it wrapped up. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Box Office Prediction

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes marks the tenth franchise feature overall that began in 1968 and as a follow-up to the acclaimed and profitable trilogy from 2011-17. Out May 11th, Wes Ball (best known for The Maze Runner pics) takes over directorial duties from Matt Reeves. Set 300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, the cast includes Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy.

Originally set for Memorial Day weekend, it was pushed up mainly to avoid a head to head with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. As mentioned, the last three Apes adventures were a success story for 20th Century Studios. Thirteen summers ago, Rise of the Planet of the Apes exceeded expectations with a $54 million start and $176 million overall domestically. 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes reaches a series apex with a $72 million premiere and $208 million eventual haul. 2017’s War was a slight letdown compared to its predecessor with a $56 million debut and $146 million stateside tally.

We have seen a recent example of a creature centric surpassing guesstimates in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. The seven year break could hurt Kingdom, but I suspect this will manage a beginning very similar to Rise and War and not Dawn.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes opening weekend prediction: $55.2 million

For my Not Another Church Movie prediction, click here:

Not Another Church Movie Box Office Prediction

Maze Runner: The Death Cure Box Office Prediction

Concluding a trilogy started in 2014, Maze Runner: The Death Cure races into theaters next Friday. Based on the James Dashner series of YA books, the sci-fi action pic stars Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Walton Goggins, Barry Pepper, and Patricia Clarkson. Wes Ball, who directed the first two installments, returns behind the camera. Reviews are so so thus far with a 40% Rotten Tomatoes score.

The reported $83 million production was originally scheduled for release in February 2017 until an injury suffered by star O’Brien on the set delayed production. The nearly two and a half-year lag time between sequels could be a hindrance to its potential.

In September 2014, the original Runner opened to $32 million with an eventual $102 million domestic haul. Sequel The Scorch Trials arrived one year later to diminishing returns – a $30 million debut and $81 million overall take. Enough of the fan base may stick around, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Death take in about 25% less out of the gate than its predecessor in 2015.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure opening weekend prediction: $22.8 million

The Maze Runner Movie Review

The Maze Runner is another film that can thank its existence to the YA… Hey, that’s the little kid from Love Actually!!! The one that played Liam Neeson’s son!! The kid that played the drums while his elementary school crush sang Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” and broke numerous airport protocols with the help of Mr. Bean so he could get a kiss on the cheek from her!! Yes, that was my honest first reaction during about the first 15 minutes of this movie as I saw actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster all grown up. Let it be known: I adore Love Actually and I’m not afraid to say it.

Where were we? Ahh yes. The Maze Runner indeed is another film, like Divergent, that can thank its existence to the recent YA boom made largely popular by the Hunger Games and their movie adaptations. This, too, is based on a popular series of novels by James Dashner and deals with teenagers put in perilous situations where they must learn to work together. We open with 16 year old Thomas (Dylan O’Brien, who was 22 when this was made) waking up in a strange land where he has no recollection of who he is or how he arrived there (and not like a blacked out college kid that drank too much the night before way). The large field he finds himself in has been dubbed The Glade by its inhabitants, who are all also young boys in the same predicament. Including Love Actually dude!! Thomas soon learns that he’s the latest arrival in a series of men that arrive like clockwork every month. They’re surrounded by an enormous maze and the field dwellers have spent considerable time attempting to figure out how to get out of it with no luck.

There are rules in the community. Only men tasked as “runners” are permitted to enter the maze for investigatory purposes. If you don’t make it out by a certain time of day, you’re a dead man and scrawled names on the maze wall serve as their memorial. Thomas is understandably confused but also intrigued and his tenacity to solve the maze riddle is not totally met with approval, especially from Gally played by Will Poulter (the dude who sang TLC’s “Waterfalls” in We’re the Millers). There’s also Alby (Ami Ameen), who’s the resident OG (Original Glader). And Chuck (Blake Cooper), Thomas’s portly sidekick who is basically the community’s Chunk from The Goonies. And then a girl shows up (Kaya Scodelario), who actually knows her name and also seems to know Thomas. She’s not given a whole lot to do and I’m assuming her role becomes more pronounced in the sequels. There’s also that kid from Love Actually!!

Once Thomas and his cohorts enter the maze after he jumps the line to become a Runner, we soon discover it might be the gigantic robot spider creatures (or Grievers) causing a good deal of the problems. These creatures (who frankly look quite CG) contribute to the action sequences, which are handled fairly well but are nothing special or new whatsoever.

Eventually Patricia Clarkson shows up to explain the plot and also because it’s a rule that at least one Oscar nominated actor appear in these pictures, a la Woody Harrelson and Kate Winslet. As far as acting is concerned, O’Brien gives a serviceable performance as our lead, but 16? I don’t think so. Poulter stands out a bit, proving he can play a jerk after only knowing him as a virginal sweetie from We’re the Millers. And Love Actually kid is just fine.

Ranking The Maze Runner among the first editions of these YA novel based adaptations is rather simple. It isn’t as good as The Hunger Games but it’s better than Divergent. The plot is somewhat ridiculous once we are apprised of it, but director Wes Ball moves things along and it’s mostly entertaining while it lasts (though it kind of loses steam as it goes along). It sets itself perfectly up for a sequel (which is currently #1 at the box office) and there’s just enough in this original that I’ll likely watch its follow up like I did this one. On the couch and less surprised at seeing that Love Actually drummer boy kid.

**1/2 (out of four)

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Box Office Prediction

Premiering one year after its predecessor, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials hopes to built upon the solid grosses the franchise began with and perhaps surpass them. The dystopian series, based on popular YA novels by T.S. Nowlin, brings back original stars including Dylan O’Brien and Patricia Clarkson along with some other recognizable faces like Giancarlo Esposito, Barry Pepper and Lili Taylor.

Some prognosticators have Scorch Trails debuting considerably higher than the first film. I’m just not convinced. The original opened on the same weekend last year to the tune of $32.5 million with an eventual domestic gross of $102M. Predictions reflecting a belief that this will manage mid 40s or higher seem a tad lofty for me.

For comparison sake, a similarly themed franchise that began with Divergent made $54 million out of the gate and its sequel this year Insurgent rolled out with a slightly smaller $52 million. I do believe Scorch Trials will outdo the first, but not by much at all.

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials opening weekend prediction: $33.8 million