Summary

• The Planet of the Apes series stands out as a rare, critically praised reboot in Hollywood's crowded landscape of franchise reboots.
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is receiving rave first reactions, proving the series to be one-of-a-kind as it is a universally praised rebooted franchise that Hollywood regularly struggles to create.
• Director Wes Ball's vision for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sets the stage for a potentially successful new trilogy in the rebooted franchise, furthering its impressive feat.

Planet of the Apes movie timeline is somewhat confusing, given Kingdom's sequel and prequel status.

While Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ cast of characters is mostly fresh, it is connected to the three films that began with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. As such, the fourth film is part of a rebooted Hollywood franchise, something that has become ever more common in the modern industry. From franchises like Star Wars, Alien, Terminator, and Ghostbusters to name a small handful, older franchises being made anew is a frequent trend. With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, however, the series has solidified itself as a singular rarity regarding Hollywood reboots of iconic franchises.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Is Receiving Rave First Reactions

Planet Of The Apes' One-Of-A-Kind Aspect Is Linked To Kingdom's First Reactions

Firstly, it is worth exploring exactly why Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has secured a one-of-a-kind status for the franchise. This became clear with the first reactions to the film, with critics sharing their first thoughts on social media before its release on May 10, 2024. Like Rise, Dawn, and War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom is being widely praised for a variety of aspects. Naturally, the standout area for praise for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the CGI on display.

From the motion capture of the titular apes to the realization of a dystopian United States, it seems Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is continuing where its predecessors left off. Although the CGI by Wētā is receiving expected approval, critics are also citing the film’s strong story, themes, and characters as equal factors in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ success. The characters receiving praise include Noa, the central ape, the human character Mae, and the film's antagonist, Proximus Caeser.

According to the reactions, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes also succeeds in feeling like a continuation of the previous three films. Kingdom reportedly explores the legacy of Andy Serkis' Caeser perfectly, showcasing how a deity-like figure such as the central character of the preceding three films can be honored, changed, and even manipulated. From these thematic elements to how director Wes Ball has tried to evoke the original 1968 movie, it is clear from the reactions that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes succeeds as a continuation of a rebooted franchise, linking back to its one-of-a-kind record.

Hollywood Has A Shaky Track Record With Rebooting Franchises

Rebooted Franchise In Hollywood Tend To Garner Mixed Critical Results

The first reactions to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes prove that the franchise is one-of-a-kind in that it is a rebooted series that is universally praised. Since the concept of reboots, sequels, prequels, re-quels, and spin-offs of popular franchises became increasingly common in the 2000s and 2010s, Hollywood has struggled to craft such stories to a consistent quality. One of the more prevalent franchises that consistently faces new installments is Terminator. Since 2009, three movies have been made in an attempt to reboot the Terminator franchise, with each one having varying degrees of critical success.

The Alien franchise is another that suffers a similar "endless reboot" problem, like Terminator. Since 1986's Aliens, only two of the six installments in the series have received a positive critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Other reboots of iconic franchises with lackluster critical ratings of late include Star Wars, Star Trek, Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park, Halloween, The Exorcist, and Friday the 13th to name only a handful. As evident, none of these franchises have been universally praised since being rebooted.

The Planet Of The Apes Reboots Are Universally Praised

Planet Of The Apes Is A Rare, Rebooted Franchise With All Films Being Critically Successful

As evidenced by the aforementioned reboots, it is unheard of to have four movies in a rebooted franchise that are all well-received critically.

With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' positive reaction, it becomes clear why the franchise is one-of-a-kind in modern Hollywood. Most Planet of the Apes movies are highly ranked, though what makes Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes all the more impressive is that they are reboots/prequels. Unlike the other franchises mentioned, each installment in the rebooted Apes films is critically acclaimed via Rotten Tomatoes:

• Rise of the Planet of the Apes - 82%
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - 91%
• War for the Planet of the Apes - 94%

Based on the initial reactions to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, it is highly unlikely the film will ruin the reboot timeline's hot streak regarding critical reception. As evidenced by the aforementioned reboots, it is unheard of to have four movies in a rebooted franchise that are all well-received critically. With Planet of the Apes, though, this has been accomplished due to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, proving the franchise to be a rare, one-of-a-kind series of reboots in modern Hollywood.

Planet Of The Apes’ Future Could Make The Reboot Franchise Even More Impressive

Planet Of The Apes Movies Could Continue This Impressive Streak

While four universally praised movies belonging to one rebooted franchise is impressive enough, the future after Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes could further this success to an unbelievable degree. It has been confirmed by director Wes Ball that there are plans to continue the Planet of the Apes franchise beyond Kingdom, should the fourth installment be financially successful. With several of the early reactions to the film mentioning that the film leaves off in a tantalizing spot for sequel stories, it seems Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will be the jumping-off point for a new trilogy.

Should Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes be successful at the box office, this perceived trilogy could easily come to fruition. If Ball returns as director alongside his writing team, it is logical to assume that future movies will retain the quality of Kingdom, War, Dawn, and Rise before them. Therefore, it is a distinct possibility that the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise eventually has six critically acclaimed movies. As evidenced by the continued woes of Hollywood's reboot attempts, this would make the franchise all the more incredibly rare, spearheaded by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' positive reception.