Tag: Wes Ball

Movies, Reviews, Sci Fi

The Evolution of a New Era Begins in ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’

Michael Lee

Any director would find it challenging to follow up on the highly underrated Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy, especially when said trilogy was perfect from start to finish. Each successive film from the legacy started by Rupert Wyatt and completed by Matt Reeves, with Andy Serkis’ motion capture performance as Caesar, was better than the last. So rather than just pick up where the trilogy left off, Wes Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes marks the beginning of a new era that takes the conflict to new places while deepening the mythology created by its predecessors. 

Continue reading “The Evolution of a New Era Begins in ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’”
Movies, Trailers

Final ‘Kingdom of the Planets of the Apes’ Trailer Teases Evolution and Revolution

Michael Lee

The first Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy followed the rise, dawn, and war of ape-kind against their human oppressors. Though Wes Ball‘s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes isn’t a continuation of the trilogy, it’s an extension of the franchise that takes place many generations after Ceasar’s passing. And now a final trailer reveals how the first elder’s words were lost to the passing of time, and how one ape’s journey reminds us about the importance of preserving history and the dangers of perverting it.

Continue reading “Final ‘Kingdom of the Planets of the Apes’ Trailer Teases Evolution and Revolution”
Movies, Sci Fi

How Andy Serkis Helped Wes Ball with ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’

Michael Lee

Andy Serkis has done it all. The prolific actor has changed the way we see motion-capture performances by disappearing into each of his roles. One character he brought depth and emotional nuance to was Caesar of the Planet of the Apes trilogy reboot. The actor wasn’t imitating a chimpanzee, he was was putting on a suit to become the chimp would would lead an uprising against their human oppressors.

Continue reading “How Andy Serkis Helped Wes Ball with ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’”
Movies, Sci Fi

Wes Ball on How ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Preserves Caesar’s Legacy

Michael Lee

Wes Ball is no stranger to telling stories set in dystopian worlds. His newest film Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is set long after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, and focuses on a new character named Noa (Owen Teague) who goes on a journey of self-discovery and learns how one vile a powerful bonobo ruler has perverted Caesar’s teachings to enslave other clans.

Continue reading “Wes Ball on How ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Preserves Caesar’s Legacy”
Movies, Sci Fi

‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ is an Adventure Marching Towards the Original

Michael Lee

The new Planet of the Apes trilogy redefined the franchise with its focused social commentary, more robust exploration of the relationship between animals and humanity, and respect for what the 1968 original did. Now, Wes Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes the franchise into new territory by shifting its tone away from war aspects seen in the prequel trilogy and focusing on an adventurous coming-of-age story while honoring Caesar’s legacy.

Continue reading “‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ is an Adventure Marching Towards the Original”
Movies, Trailers

‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Trailer Teases What Happens After

Michael Lee

After Caesar passed in War For the Planet of the Apes, Earth was on the path to healing itself, with humanity reverting to a feral and primitive state, while ape-kind gains dominance. Set in a far future, a new Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes trailer teases how one chimp named Noa (Owen Teague) sets off on a adventure all the while finding himself in the middle of a conflict led by Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) a bonobo intends to rule by perverting Caesar’s teachings and through the use of human technology.

Continue reading “‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Trailer Teases What Happens After”
Movies, Sci Fi

‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Teases Concept Art and Release Date

Michael Lee

It’s been five years since the release of 20th Century Studios’ post-apocalyptic sci-fi film War of the Planet of the Apes. While the finale closed the book on Caesar’s story, it still left plenty of room for more stories to tell and an expansion of the mythology that started back in 2011. Now, we are getting a first tease of what’s to come in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

Continue reading “‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Teases Concept Art and Release Date”
Movies, Sci Fi5 Comments

The White Runner

Sun Yung Shin

One of my hobbies is to look at movie posters and just insert the word white into any movie featuring a white protagonist, which is something like 90% of all movies. Or, all “mainstream” movies not starring Will Smith or Denzel Washington.

When my fourteen year old son and I saw Wes Ball’s The Maze Runner in September, I was surprised at how good the production values were. From the previews I was expecting a somewhat cheesy, low-ish budget, formulaic sci-fi teen film like The Host (based on the Stephanie Meyer book; hell yes, I should have known better. And truly, it was three times as bad as any of the Twilight films, which at least had some strengths, although I don’t remember them now… Robert Pattinson’s glitter? Vampire baseball? Rome?).

Caution: spoilers ahead.

Continue reading “The White Runner”