Pat Cappiello

First off, I just saw the movie tonight and wanted to read a few reviews before writing mine. I am not as eloquent or educated as many other reviewers seem to be but I like to get alternating opinions on movies, both good and bad, to appreciate what I have just watched more fully. Now, I haven't watched all the previous POTA movies since the reboot, except the one with Will Franco, I believe it was called Rise. However, even if I had not seen them, this movie stands on its own in several ways. I also want to mention, that I understand some people want to pick a movie apart in the context of our present-day world, with racial overtones or stereotypes, but I just try and watch a movie for what it presents. If you are sensitive and easily offended, you can spin a movie into whatever you want. I choose not to go in that direction. What I liked about the movie besides the production values, which are so far beyond the original movies in the late 60s and 70's, and even more captivating than the Mark Walberg version (which I liked), is how the message of "Why can't we all get along" theme. Apes and humans are basically a representation of the racial divides of our modern world and the movie gives us the same divisions, yet the overriding theme still projects a sense of hope. Yes, there are good apes and bad ones! Some want power, some want to just co-exist. The movie showed both aspects. A power-hungry Proximus, who fools his lesser apes with both strength and words of wisdom, that he twist into his own agenda of creating a "kingdom". He uses both people and other apes to this end but ultimately, he pays the price as most dictators do, when he is exposed as a fraud. Sounds so much like many of the leaders we have today. All, in all, the movie does a good job. The female lead wanted into the cave to destroy it, with all the weapons of mass destruction kept out of the hands of someone like Proximus. Noa, the Ceasar in the making, doesnt understand or trust Mae at first, but eventually sees that she does want a peaceful co-existence as does he. They are both elevated thinkers. Yes, there were a few spots in the movie that didn't make sense to me, (like how does an underground facility still have electrical power after 300+ years and how did those electrical spears get powered), yet I let that slide for the overall experience of this decent, not great movie. My experience of watching a movie is not so much for the messaging or social relevancy, but the entertainment value. Sometimes, being too analytical can spoil the fun.

As soon as I saw the black female at the beginning, I knew it was going to be bad. What are the odds a black female would exist in a world like the one in this movie? ZERO. It simply is a woke Hollywood trying to not be too white. It's a ridiculous premise and just gives the movie a bad feel right from the start.