1st Reviews

  Apes. Together. Strong. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is another strong addition to the iconic franchise, and a worthy follow-up to Caesar’s trilogy. While it doesn’t quite reach the level of Dawn or War, this new chapter offers a thrilling, emotionally driven story with great performances and groundbreaking visuals.  Kingdom smartly differentiates itself by moving the timeline forward a few centuries. This allows Caesar’s story to be left untouched, while having his actions and beliefs still echo through the new world. It’s both a continuation and somewhat of a soft reset, which keeps it from feeling like it’s treading ground covered in the previous three films. It takes some time to establish new characters and lore, struggling just a bit with pacing in the first act. That was perfectly fine with me, though, because it does a wonderful job setting up the potential future of the franchise.  I really liked the new characters, and while they aren’t quite as compellin...

  When it comes to major franchises, the Planet of the Apes series has proven to be one of the most consistent and reliable. Since the franchise began in 1968, each instalment has served as a highly intelligent exploration of humanity, examining different themes from environmental destruction to our treatment of animals. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes occupies the same universe as Matt Reeves beloved trilogy. Taking place many generations following the death of Caesar, the apes rule the planet and have dispersed into numerous clans. The film is told through the eyes of Noa, a young chimpanzee from a peaceful Eagle-raising clan who prepares to come of age in his clan by collecting eagle eggs a top a mountain, alongside his two closest friends. However, when a mysterious human and a violent tribe of apes show up, it disrupts the peace of the village and Noa is forced to embark on a journey to save his clan. When Matt Reeves retired from the franchise to work on The Batman, many we...

Definitely a MUST WATCH film from 2019, this Palme d’Or winner of Cannes Film Festival sure does not disappoint with it’s hard hitting themes and exceptionally crafted story. The great use of space in the film coupled with well executed direction is what makes the film flow with such ease and keeps the audience engaged and emotionally invested from start to finish. With awards season in full swing, and the Academy yet to release their nominees, we still expect Parasite to take the Best International Feature Film Oscar home for South Korea after taking the Best Foreign Language Film award at the Golden Globes. See our category breakdown below for more details on our review of the film: Plot: 9/10 A highly engaging story about class warfare involving two families, the Kim’s and Park’s, whose paths interconnect in a seemingly innocent way, then proceeds down a path with shocking twists and turns, not being afraid to take a deep dive beneath the surface of such r...