Phyllis Alexius

If you're a fan of the original or the more recent series of POTA movies you should enjoy, "The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." I did feel the beginning was a bit slow, although it does improve later on in the show. In this chapter, the story takes place many years after Cesar's reign. Audiences finds Noah and his tribe living in a remote location somewhere in the California mountains high above the ground in tree house dwellings. This community of apes has a main focus, to raise eagle hatchlings for sport and for possibly hunting purposes. Noah's father is the head tribal leader and he is the foremost expert on training these powerful birds. Noah spends most of his free time with two of his best friends. I enjoyed the character development between his two best friends throughout the movie. It helped to create an emotional attachment to the characters. At one point Noah is forced to leave his home after an aggressive ape faction destroys his home and kidnaps his ape family and friends for slave labor. During the raid, Noah's father is killed. In the quest for revenge, and to free his ape companions, he meets and orangutan. I loved this fella, he brought levity to a serious situation. His humorous personality, and reverence for passing on Cesar's old ways was quite entertaining. The wise old Orangutan shares stories about Cesar's love for humanity, and encourages Noah to embrace forgiveness in his travels. Perhaps this is to encourage Noah to initiate peace between the two species. Along the way Noah is followed by a woman named May, who seems to be keeping her distance. They learn later on that May can speak, and she has her own hidden agendas. Honestly, I didn't feel her character development was played out well, because I never felt a real connection to her. I do however feel the story was compelling enough and captured the essence of the other POTA movies. I especially liked how they tied Cesar's legacy into the storyline. I think writers have setup a great segway for the continuation of Noah and his clan, and I look forward to seeing their next adventure. Thanks.