“WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY!”
In 2017, moviegoers were treated to the rousing and deeply rooted character drama of War for the Planet of the Apes, the follow-up sequel to 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of Apes and the closing third installment in the planned Planet of the Apes recent rebooted storyline, which is now to be presented as a trilogy. Directed by Matt Reeves, the film, which starred Andy Serkis, Karin Konoval, Terry Notary, Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller, and Woody Harrelson, takes place two years after the events of Dawn and follows the continued conflict between apes and humans as it escalates into a full-on war, while Caesar sets out to avenge those he has lost at the hands of Colonel J. Wesley McCullough (aka “The Colonel”). Debuting in July that year, War for the Planet of the Apes was met with critical acclaim from both critics and moviegoers everywhere, with many praising the film for Reeve’s direction, the visual effects, themes, emotional weight, the cinematography work by Michael Seresin, the score by Michael Giacchino, and the cast, including the incomparable and well-deserved performance from Andy Serkis. The film also was considered a commercial success with the feature grossing over $490 million at the box office worldwide (listed as the #20 of the highest grossing movies that year) and did receive numerous awards and nominations at the award season. Now, seven years after the release of War for the Planet of Apes, 20th Century Fox (under Disney-owned era) and director Wes Ball present the start of a new saga within this established cinematic universe of a post-apocalyptic world of humans and apes with the movie Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Does this new chapter warrant the return to dystopian new world in a post-Caesar cinematic era or does if fail (thematically and emotional weight) in comparison to is high caliber Planet of the Apes predecessors?
THE STORY
Three hundred years have passed since the death of the beloved Caesar, ape kind has flourished across the once populated and dominated human world, with many factions and clans forming across the land. Noa (Owen Teague) is a member of the peaceful Eagle Clan, a village of apes that hone their skills with the usage of such winged birds, and is the child of their leader, Koro (Neil Sandilands) and his wife, Dar (Sara Wiseman). Noa is trying to find his place in the order of things, joined by longtime friends Soona (Lydia Peckham) and Anaya (Travis Jeffery) through adolescent mischief and ritual upbringings. Venturing on the outskirts of their lands, Noa suddenly stumbles upon the ferocious group of apes that are under the rule of Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), an ape who’s made himself king and perverted the teachings of Caesar to enslave others for his nefarious ways, with the simian enforcers attacking the young ape’s village, plundering, killing, and kidnapping anyone who gets in their way. As the sole survivor of the attack, Noa vows to rescue them, venturing forth into a world unknown to the youthful ape. He then soon meets Raka (Peter Macon), a wise orangutan who’s happy to have company, as well as the unexpected Mae (Freya Allan), a human on the hunt for her own kind. The trio form an unlikely alliance as they cross the dangerous terrain, eventually find their way into Proximus’s kingdom by the coast, where the leader seeks to understand the secrets of the humans who once ruled the land.
THE GOOD / THE BAD
There is no doubt about it that I love the two Matt Reeves Planet of the Apes films. I did see Rise of the Planet of the Apes when it came out, but, while it had a good origin story for everything that would later play out (Caesar’s upbrings, the creation of the simian flu, the ape uprising, etc.), I felt that didn’t care the same type of thematic charge nor cinematic integrity that Reeves was able to achieve with both Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes respectfully. Following how much I liked Dawn, I was quite eager to see where the narrative of Caesar would take in the next installment and sure enough War did exactly that. With Reeves back at the helm, I definitely knew that the feature was going to carry the same type of bravado and gravitas and indeeed it did. Reeve uses the same type of approach that he did with Dawn and gives War plenty to like about, including an emotional and weighed story for Caesar and his companions to follow, while also further showcasing the main narrative background set piece of apes vs. humans. At its core, Caesar’s character arc is perhaps the emotional crux of the entire feature, with steely determination of vengeance within the old simian, while actor Andy Serkis gives an incredible performance in the roles….perhaps the best in the entire trilogy. No one can deny that….regardless if they didn’t care for the feature or not. Other personal stands out would have to be actor Woody Harrelson in more subdued (yet still effectively cold) role as the main antagonist the Colonel, while actor Steve Zahn brings some much needed comedic levity within his character of Bad Ape. All almost aspects of the movie (story, themes, presentation, visuals, cinematography, score, characters, etc.) work together in unison to create such a powerful (almost sophisticated) endeavor that proved both that blockbuster films don’t have to be dumb and mindless and that an old franchise can be new again with the proper guidance. In the end, War for the Planet of the Apes did (and still stands) as a crowning achievement in both its own Planet of the Apes series as well as filmmaking storytelling.
Of course, this brings me back around to talking about Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, a 2024 sci-fi action film, the fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes rebooted series, and the tenth overall film in the franchise. While War for the Planets of the Apes sort of gave a definitive end to Caesar’s story arc, the door was left open-ended for the possible continuation of a new saga in a post-Caesar era. While Reeves expressed some ideal interest in potential sequels (some following immediately after and some taking place hundreds later after War), the manifestation of a possible Planet of the Apes sequel seemed to be limbo, especially with Disney’s elongated timeline acquisition of 20th Century Fox Studios (and their properties) and the eventually globally effect that the COVID-19 pandemic would generate for several years. After all that, Disney (who now owned the rights to the Planet of the Apes franchise) expressed interest in building a new saga with what was previous established in the recent trilogy. It was then announced that director Wes Ball would take the reins of this new film, with Reeves offering his blessing to a new director for such a cinematic continuation. After that, I really didn’t hear much about the upcoming project….until the film’s movie trailers began to appear both online and in the theater “coming attractions” previews. From the marketing campaign alone, I was immediately hooked. There were a few bits and pieces that felt a bit different, but (as a whole) the preview trailers looked quite fantastic and intriguing, carrying on what the previous trilogy did, but also speaking to a new story and new characters. In addition, the visuals looked to be quite impressive and enticed viewers (myself included) with such new heroes and villains throughout.
Thus, it goes without saying that I was pretty excited to see Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. So, I did go see the movie during its opening weekend, but, due to my work schedule and trying to complete my 2023 “leftover” movie reviews, I had to delayed of getting my review done for this latest Planet of the Apes feature. Now, with all that done and complete, I am finally ready to share my personal thoughts on the film. And what did I think of it? Well, I really liked it. Despite having some slow-moving parts in a few areas and some formulaic bits, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a great expansion to the previous rebooted Planet of the Apes series with a narrative (though familiar in its trajectory) that’s solid with its world-building aspects, amazing visuals, and strong character performances. I will get it out of the way….no…this movie doesn’t match the same type of high level complexity of storytelling and characters that Matt Reeves was able to do with both Dawn and War, but it sure does a great job in expanding upon what those this cinematic universe with an interesting and still very much engaging feature film from beginning to end…..and that’s a great thing.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is directed by Wes Ball, whose previous directorial works includes the entire Maze Runner trilogy (2014-2018). Given how much those films were received for their dystopian action and engaging YA flourishes from their source material, Ball does seem like a suitable choice to helm such a project as a new Planet of the Apes picture. On the other hand, I was bit leery about Ball taking over directorial works for this film, especially since the director last film was 2018’s Maze Runner: The Death Cure (quite a large gap from then to now) and how could he (Ball) could follow up against Reeve’s legacy on the franchise. It was quite a big feat to tackle, but, for the most part, I felt that Ball did a great job in laying the foundation for a new narrative within the already established movie world from the previous trilogy. A wonderful aspect that Ball does with Kingdom is the overall world building that he sets up within the feature’s narrative. Yes, the movie is set within the recent Planet of the Apes trilogy world, but Ball gives the feature a necessary understanding of bringing us (the viewers) up to date on the film’s cinematic world and within this new story arc. The remnants of the old world lingers on (and their film’s narrative) and acts as the foundation for Kingdom’s plot, including Caesar’s legacy, but it never gets distracting or overstays its welcome, with Ball establishing the ways of culture and society that the apes have now as well as mankind. The best example of this is found within Noa’s Eagle clan, which builds their entire way of life around the usage of such winged birds for their rite of passage and their way of life within the community. Such ideas were not exactly necessary for a Planet of the Apes movies, but it gives plenty of welcomed context on how their lives are shaped and that’s just one faction of apes. The same goes with characters like Raka and Proximus, with the former acting more like historian scholar (protecting the knowledge of Caesar’s teachings), while the latter rules as a ruthless monarch, craving more power and understanding of human technology. Such idealism and virtues are added into the mix, with Kingdom’s deep narrative showcasing the variety of individuals and how the “rules of the land” work within this new timeline period. It’s wonderful and terrific and clearly shows that Ball and his team did great job in creating story with a solid world building attribute. In that regard, while I do think that the movie can’t outshine Dawn and War, I do believe Kingdom is the superior film to Rise as both as a whole and a first installment.
Naturally, the film’s action takes centerstage for some highlighted moments throughout Kingdom’s runtime and Ball gives quite a great representation for such moments. Taking the knowledge of what he learned from the Maze Runner films, Ball stages moments that are both large in scale as well as personable, which provides some exciting moments, which is aided by some terrific cinematography working (more on that below). There could’ve been a bit more, but the action in the movie works well and effective ups the stakes for some intense scenes of combat. Also, I do have mention that the movie does set up potential storylines and scenarios for future installments. Of course, there is no guarantee that a sequel to Kingdom will come to light, but just an idea of what Ball and his team set up the film’s ending for gives us (the viewers) something tantalizing and intriguing for what the future may hold for Noa, Mae, and the rest of their companions. Yes, there is indeed a conclusion to Kingdom’s main plot, but the door is left open a further adventures and I like that idea.
There is a lot of thematic nuances thrown into the mix, with Ball and his team shaping the feature for a more philosophical underlay within its story (similar in fashion to the previous trilogy) and helps create the message and themes that Kingdom perceives throughout (more on that below). What Ball carries over from the other Planet of the Apes movies is the fundamental question is that can apes and humans coexist together, a practice that has always come close, but never fully realized towards its ultimate fruition. Kingdom toils around with an such idea in the movie, especially in the narrative journeys of both Noa and Mae. Each one has their own beliefs and goals for personal reasons and their bond with one another is strung together based on that notion. Yet, each one still harbors sometime uneasiness towards each other, with Mae not fully revealing her secrets and Noa (though naïve to the world around him) is uneasy to trust a human. Such a colliding force of two people brings up some great conflict and thematic tension and, while I won’t spoil what happens in the end, the conversations between Noa and Mae (in the end) bring some great dialogue moments of whether or not apes and human could coexist in this new post-apocalyptic world.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects (thematically speaking) is in the legacy of what Caesar, the main protagonist in the previous Planet of the Apes trilogy, left behind and how his teachings can be interpreted by individuals. Like history itself, archaeologists, historians, and scholars examine the past to help better understand a particular time period era, acutely educating themselves on society, culture, and the people by piecing together the knowledge that have summarized from their studies. Sometimes evidence is concrete and solid, while other times its ambiguous and vague, with term “open for interpretation” come into play and given a hypothesis of what might have been. Ball presents Kingdom with that shade of ambiguity and given to guesstimate as to what Caesar’s legacy meant for both apes and humans….depending on the viewpoints. This can be clearly seeing through the characters of Raka and Proximus and how each perceives Caesar teachings to ape-kind. Raka doesn’t fully understand the meaning of Caesar’s ways, but practice it with a more scholarly approach, with sense of sincerity, curiosity, and nonviolence with the bridge between humans and apes coexisting. Proximus, on the other hand, takes a vastly different approach towards Caesar’s words, perverting the legacy and teachings of the great simian figure for the usage of a ruthless conquest and forceful dominance over not just the remnants of mankind, but also to his own kind as well. Even Caesar’s famous words “Apes together strong” is taking differently from the two apes, with Raka expressing solitary and unification (as what Ceaser meant it to be), while Proximus takes it for a more literal meaning of strength and might. This also can be seeing as symbolism of religion and how it can be distorted over time and by certain individuals. Raka showing a more peaceful and pacified nature towards Caesar’s beliefs, while Proximus twists his words towards his own will and ambition in his dominion; a clear indication of how religion (and their deity figures) can be viewed, change and altered through by both the passing of time and those in power. Overall, while the movie doesn’t have the exact same type of high caliber of complexity and gravitas as the two Matt Reeves Planet of the Apes entries, Kingdom surely does carry the same type of philosophical bravado and sophistication within this cinematic world for some excellent (and rather poignant) themes to be woven into this tale.
In the end, Ball does a fantastic job in bringing an exciting new chapter to the rebooted Planet of the Apes series, honoring its predecessor and keeping that very same cinematic integrity, but also captures its own identity through the usage of a solid world building and relationships with its characters.
For its presentation, Kingdom is exceptionally well-layered and well-done throughout the entire feature, with the movie boasting the same type of high caliber quality of visuals and background layout from its predecessor installments. As mentioned, the film’s world building is quite fantastic to behold, giving the narrative plenty of depth and believability from start to finish, so it would come as no surprise that this picture has an equal measure of physical “look and feel” that carries the bravado of its forebears cinematic tales. The opportunity that Ball and his team are given is quite profound and creative, with Kingdom weaving layered details of the old “human” world of buildings, roads, ships, and landmarks that were once thriving with life and modern day sleekness that are now overtaken by the uncontrollable growth of nature. The juxtaposition of such nature and the human world is almost like the destruction of the old and the creation of the new, with Kingdom showing life moves after human civilizations have dwindled. Almost a bit reminded of Final Fantasy VII in its thematic tones and overtures. The background setting in the movie acts as a character unto itself throughout the entire feature and gives such an intricate layer visual cinematic detail that looks just incredible. Thus, the film’s “behind the scenes” key players, including Daniel T. Dorrance (production design), Ken Chocolate, Beverley Dunn, Blake Muir (set decorations), Mayes C. Rubeo (costume designs), and the entire art direction team, for their efforts in bringing this movie’s world to life with such vibrancy and organically real / life-like.
In addition to this, the visual effect team should also be mentioned as well as being highly praised for their work on Kingdom. Much like the previous Planet of the Apes movies in the past rebooted trilogy, the usage of motion capture performance plays a paramount importance throughout the undertaking and create such incredible performances from the cast. This also extends to the film’s visual effects, which renders such mo-cap performances in such details that it makes the ape character really and life-like. Thus, the combination of such usages motion capture suits from the cast and the visual team that brings these characters to life should be highly praised for their endeavors. It’s beautiful, rich, and quite impressive visuals, which helps excel Kingdom’s appeal and believability. I also have to mention that the sound editing, design, and mixing for Kingdom is solid across the board. Every sound usage hits hard and the way it was intended to, with plenty of gravitas and force to make many of the actions drive home the pulse-pounding effect. Big kudos to that entire team as well. Also, the cinematography work by Gyula Pados is quite striking, bringing plenty of dramatic and cinematic moments throughout the proceedings, which certainly does help elevate the film’s boisterous actions scenes, sweeping wide-angle shots, and character close-up sequences. Lastly, the movie’s score, which was composed by John Paesano (who had previously worked on all three of Ball’s Maze Runner films) does great a very powerful and moving composition throughout the feature, cultivating a sense of blockbuster flair of excitement and dramatic action, while also creating softer built cues and melodies for quieter character driven scenes and dramatic ones.
Unfortunately, there are a few gripes that I had with Kingdom that, while not derailing the entertainment value or engagement that the feature brought, still weighed the project down to a certain degree. How so? Well, for starters, the movie is a tad bit long….the longest Planet of the Apes movie of the entire franchise since its inception back in 1968, clocking in at around 145 minutes (two hour and twenty-five minutes). Such longevity in a film certainly needs to be warranted and, while there is a lot to unpack in the film, I don’t think the feature needed to be that long. Maybe trimming down the movie here and there and shaving off ten minutes off the final cut of Kingdom would’ve been beneficial for a tighter presentation. Moreover, the movie’s first act does have some pacing issues, which comes from Ball’s direction and how it presents stuff in this portion. While I do absolutely love the film’s world building, the first act of Kingdom is a bit slow and does take a while for everything to get moving. Such pacing problems does cause the film to have a bit of tiresome moments in opening first act and would’ve helped if the director (Ball) would’ve added a bit more finesse of staging everything in this part of the feature. Additionally, the film’s action, while I mentioned is quite good, lacked the intensity that the previous Planet of the Apes trilogy were able to achieve in their own tales. Given Ball’s past work of action scenes in the Maze Runner installments, I would’ve liked to seeing a bit more.
Another slight problem that the movie faces is that Kingdom is (for better or worse) a little bit predictable in some areas and does play up the formulaic nature of a “hero’s journey” character arc as the main narrative thread. That’s not to say that this is a bad thing as Ball and his team do a good job in establishing this new timeline era of the cinematic world as well as honoring what had come before in the previous installment, but the fact is that there is missing that special “it” factor of what made Reeves’s Dawn and War both fantastic and memorable at the same time. Don’t get me wrong ….Kingdom is great on its own rights and merits, but there does seem to be lacking a storytelling elements here and there, especially when it examines its own narrative path. If you’ve seem one Planet of the Apes movies, then you’ll get what I mean. The story here is quite compelling, yet the script, which was penned by Josh Friedman, struggles to sort of “break the mold” of a somewhat formulaic hero’s journey with some familiar tropes and cliches that are sprinkled throughout the plot. Yes, it works, but there could’ve been more to it….more substance, more time with certain characters, and some big (and unexpected) twists that could’ve been implemented to the final product. This also extends to some of the characterizations here and there and how the story presents them throughout. I can’t go into specific details in such nuances, which would ruin the movie, but certain characters could’ve been fleshed out a smidge more and have more screen time.
What definitely helps aid in overlooking some of the criticisms can be found in the cast for Kingdom, which may not boast a star-studded / A-lister grouping of talent, but manages to select the right individuals to play these fictional characters in a way that definitely works for both the movie and roles that they were hired to play. To that effect, most (if not all) of these actors and actresses give exceptional performances from their roles, which definitely adds to the story’s deeper understanding of his / her character development, bonding, and relationships. Leading the charge in the movie is actor Owen Teague, who plays the central protagonist role of Noa, a young chimpanzee hunter and the son of a falconry ape clan. Known for his roles in IT, Bloodline, and You Hurt My Feelings, Teague isn’t much of a ”household” actor name amongst many, but has appeared in numerous projects throughout the years, with Kingdom acting as his biggest and most ambitious project to date. Thus, Teague certainly makes the most of it as being the primary lead character in fourth entry of the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise, which is certainly a big challenge to take on, especially following in the footsteps of Andy Serkis’s performance as Caesar. For his part, Teague tackles such a role head on and makes for a compelling young hero and does quite well when handling a lot of the film’s more “meatier” parts. Plus, he does handle himself well in the movie amongst his fellow co-stars, carrying the movie on his shoulder in a way that cause the film to strain from it or feel too embellished because of it. It’s even tone to match Teague’s performance, which does capture quite a range of emotion that progresses throughout the movie.
The character of Noa is one that something would expect for a story, with atypical narrative path of a wide-eyed youth “hero” character that’s a bit naïve goes off on a journey, while discovering more about himself and the world around him. It’s a tried and true method of storytelling (one that has been proven to work on hundreds of occasions), so it can be a bit of a predictable character arc for him to go through. Still, it helps (and is aided by) the story being told as an introduction lesson for this new entry in the reboot Planet of the Apes series, so it didn’t bother me much. In the end, while he may not outshine Serkis’s performance nor the complexity of Caesar’s character arc, Teague does make for a great and likeable protagonist for Kingdom’s story, following a hero’s journey that is filled with the same type of discovery and revelations that we (the viewers) are afforded while viewing the film.
The movie also sees a few prominent side characters that play a part in the movie’s narrative or bolster Noa / Mae’s character arcs. A prime example of this group can be found in the character of Raka, a wise and virtuous Bornean orangutan who befriends Noa on his journey as well as being a scholar in the teachings of Caesar, who is played by actor Peter Macon (The Orville and Shameless). The character of Raka is an interesting one as it opens the eyes for Noa of the world outside his village as well as being introduced to the teachings of Caesar. Again, I love how the movie created a scholarly ape that holds onto the educations and knowledge from Caesar, sheltering such wisdom by trying to carry on the ways from such a revere ape that passed on long ago. In addition, Macon’s low and baritone sounding voice carries plenty of weight and authority, which makes dialogue scenes so intriguing and interesting, especially since the character speaks of knowledge of the past. The other two characters that play a part Noa’s personality / growth come in the form of Soona, a young female chimpanzee / Noa’s love interest, and Anaya, a young male chimpanzee / Noa’s best friend, who are played by actress Lydia Peckham (Only Clouds Know and Take Home Pay) and actor Travis Jeffery (Unbroken and Love Child) respectfully. While both these two are to be considered “side characters” in the grand scheme of things, Soona and Anaya help define the friendship and camaraderie that they feel towards Noa (and him to them), showcasing the bonds these young apes have with each other. Plus, both Peckham and Jeffery, who aren’t well-known acting talents, are quite solid across the board in their roles throughout the film.
As for the feature’s main antagonist, the role of Proximus Caesar, a ruthless and ambitious bonobo ape monarch who leads a costal clan of apes in search of human technology while also preaching a perverted version of Caesar’s teaching, who is played by actor Kevin Durand (Robin Hood and X-Men Origins: Wolverine). Much like Koba from the previous Planet of the Apes trilogy, Proximus is a wonderful villain to see play out in the main story and to be pitted against the heroes of the tale, with the character having such a cunning and magnanimous bravado about him (something befitting a tyrannical ruler) as well as spewing out Caesar’s words in a twisted manner. Durand plays up those moments quite well whenever he’s on-screen and does a terrific job in encapsulating the character’s mindset of a somewhat Machiavellian bad guy persona, which I do love. Perhaps the only downside to him is that I wish that there was a little bit more of the character in the movie. He was an interesting villain and is intelligence to manipulate those around him to obey his word as law (under the guise of a ruler), but I think that the movie (and the script) could’ve added a lot more of Proximus in the film with several more scenes. Overall, I felt that the role of Proximus Ceasar was a great villain for Kingdom to have, with Durand making the character stand out as both brutish and sophisticated antagonist.
The main “human” character that is featured in Kingdom comes in the form of Mae, a young woman who joins Noa on his journey while having her own agenda, and who is played by actress Freya Allan (The Witcher and The Third Day). Like all the Planet of the Apes endeavors, there is usually one or two (or sometimes several) human characters that the narrative follows, with Mae acting almost as the co-lead character for the feature alongside Noa. For her part, Allan handles herself quite well and does make for a strong co-lead character throughout the film. Plus, she certainly does stand out against her other characters, especially since performance is rendered underneath a mo-cap suit. As for her character, Mae is enigmatic one throughout the movie, with the story introducing her as a simple human young woman that is slowly peeled away as the plot unfolds. There’s a lot of mystery to her and is far more intelligence (and resourceful) that what she leads on to be, leaving the question of whether she can be trusted by Noa and his companions on their mission to save their clan. Such dubious notions to Mae makes her quite a layered individual as the story moves forward and ultimately reaches a climax towards the young woman’s endgame goal. Thus, the character of Mae, along with Allan’s solid performance, makes for a compelling individual that left me wanting to see more of her, which I certainly do hope to see in the next installment.
Perhaps the only character (human or ape) that is a bit clunkily handled in the movie would have to be the human character Trevathan, who is played by actor William H. Macy (Shameless and Fargo). While I can’t go into a whole lot of detail about who or what the character does, it’s clear that the movie didn’t know what to exactly do with Trevathan. Perhaps let me rephrase that….the movie “might have” known something to do with the character, but it seems something is missing from the final edit of the feature. Whether the role was supposed to be larger in the film or have more substance is quite clear and something is wonky in how Trevethan is presented in the movie. Of course, Macy, who is gifted actor, is able to put his screen presence within the role, but his performance can only carry the thinly sketched character for so long. Thus, Trevethan comes up flat in the movie and a bit wooden in the grand scheme of Kingdom’s story.
Rounding out the rest of the cast, includes actor Eka Darville (Jessica Jones and Tell Me a Story) a western lowland gorilla and chief commander of Proximus’s army named Sylva, actor Ras-Samuel Weld A’abzgi (The Clearing and Black Gold) as a chimpanzee soldier of Proximus’s army named Lightning, actress Sara Wiseman (A Place to Call Home and Rake) as Noa’s chimpanzee mother named Dar, actor Neil Sandilands (Sweet Tooth and News to the World) as Noa’s chimpanzee father / leader of the falconry ape clan named Koro, and actor Andy McPhee (High Ground and Sons of Anarchy) as the Honored Elder ape, for some minor supporting players in the movie. While their screen time is kept to minimal for small side characters in the feature, the acting talent behind this group are up for the task and do have one or two moments to shine in their simian characters.