One particular Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes shot leaves VFX artists floored. Centuries after the death of Caesar in War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes returned audiences to the ape-dominated world. It introduced new characters and a new cast which included Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, William H. Macy, and Peter Macon. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' VFX has gotten praise, even getting it an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects, where it will compete against Dune: Part Two, Wicked, Better Man, and Alien: Romulus.

Now, VFX artists from Corridor Crew break down what they think is one of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' most successful scenes. The scene in question takes place when Raka and Mae are in a river. Niko Pueringer and Jordan Allen discussed how impressive the water effects on the orangutan character's fur are. Pueringer even goes on to say that one particular shot, showcasing Raka in the river with water pounding down on him, was "the best visual effects shot [he's] ever seen in [his] entire life." Check out the full analysis from Corridor Crew below:

Pueringer: I've heard whispers of a monkey in a river scene. I think you need to pull that up.

Allen: Niko, which character would be the most difficult to put in the water?

Pueringer: The orange guy, orangutan. Oh no, that looks completely real. No way. Dude that's just a real ape in the water. How's this a sad moment? I'm so distracted by how good the visual effects are.

Allen: Look at it [the water] coming off the fur, Niko. Look at it pouring off of the clumping hair Niko.

Pueringer: It's insane. That's insane. That one shot is the best visual effects shot I've ever seen in my entire life.

Weichman: We're not even talking about the interaction between him and her.

Allen: Oh yeah, huh. There's a real person! I forgot.

Weichman: And then it cuts to that shot. I'm pretty sure that's a real bridge there with a CG ape interacting with it flawlessly.

[...]

Allen: But it's like look at the animation too, the facial animation and the emotion captured in that close up. Like you know exactly what he's feeling. That's with a full CG character, that's super challenging work.

What This Means For Kingdom Of The Planets Of The Apes

The Corridor Crew Says This Should Win Best VFX At The Oscars

Later in the video, the Corridor Crew discussed what movie they think should win Best Visual Effects at the Oscars this year. They were unanimous in their decision that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes should win. Though Pueringer was tempted to give it to another ape-based movie, Better Man, it ended up being the Raka shot that compelled him to sway back to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The Corridor Crew reviews a lot of VFX sequences, so for any of them to call a moment one of the best of all time is notable.

From their analysis, it is clear that one of the major appeals of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is its photorealism. When Pueringer first saw the shot of Raka in the water, he said "that looks completely real" feeling like "that's just a real ape in the water." Weichman later pointed out how realistic it looks when Mae, played by real actor Freya Allan, is in the water with Raka. Even though most of the characters, including their facial expressions, are rendered with CGI, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes managed to create a believable experience.

Our Take On The Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes VFX

The Film Is Innovative With Its CGI

The more I hear about what went into the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes visual effects, the more I am apt to strongly agree with the sentiment that it should take home the Oscar. The Planet of the Apes movies have been around for years, and have always been pushing visual effects, whether they be practical prosthetic work or CGI effects. Movies like Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes are great reminders of the supreme capabilities of CGI in the current era, and how creators can still innovate.

Source: Corridor Crew/YouTube