“Do you not remember… ‘Ape Together Strong'”?: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Gets Compared to Legendary James Cameron Film for Having ‘No Lasting Impact’ in Hollywood

James Cameron’s Avatar, and the rebooted Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes series, which kicked off in 2011, have a number of obvious similarities. Both the series featured some groundbreaking VFX, grossed billions at the box office, and impacted popular cultures in multiple ways.

While fans may argue that the two series represent some of the best original fantasy works that have come out in the 21st century, one Twitter user does not seem to agree, bringing forth considerable debate on the matter. The fan in question compared the impact of the two franchises on popular culture, claiming that despite the success, they found it ‘weird’ that the IPs did not leave a ‘lasting impact.’

It led to a range of users rushing in to have their say on the matter, bringing forth opinions from both sides of the debate.

Fans are divided over claim that Avatar and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ‘did not have lasting impact’

The original poster in itself had no doubt regarding the box office success of the two movies. However, they thought that the franchises have not had a ‘lasting impact’ on the industry. While James Cameron’s Avatar in itself was a global phenomenon when it first released, the series has till date grossed more than $5 billion, via only two movies. (Box Office Mojo)

At the same time, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has grossed a total of over $2.5 billion, with the latest movies still running the number up. (Box Office Mojo) Still, the fan claims that the franchises in itself have not managed to become a part of the overall popular culture, and were quickly forgotten, considering the kind of hype that existed when the movies first came out.

As one would expect, a range of fans used the opportunity to have their say on the matter. While some seemingly agreed with the take, quite a few thought that the impact that the two movies have had is grossly underrated. 

Both are symptomatic of a culture feeling deeply unsure of itself. A replay of the 70s. I’m hoping it will pass soon and we can get back to films featuring humans being essentially good and ok to root for

— Neil (@NeilCParkin) May 18, 2024

Making over $2 billion, its last movie was from 2009. Made the annoying CBM fans realize their movies could look 200x better with proper production. “No cultural impact” referring to The Way of Water is crazy talk

— Cinema Collector (@DeWiCSGO) May 17, 2024

I actively hate the Avatar movies but they do have lasting cultural impact. In fact that’s one of the things I find more annoying about them, how much people talk about Avatar.

— Contaliarg (@Contaliarg1) May 17, 2024

Avatar might have had greater cultural impact. Michael Mann would agree.

— Bobby Castro (@BobbyCastro1994) May 11, 2024

Sorry but “Avatar left no cultural mark” is maybe the most tired take on the internet. The story may appear straightforward and not inspire debate, but its filmmaking has influenced pretty much all films of the last 15 years. It’s had an impact on the medium itself.

— Macroblock (@sainimatic) May 11, 2024

Do you not remember how many people were quoting
“Ape together Strong” after the 1st movie dropped

— Thatoneguy (@I_am_that_one_) May 12, 2024

Some fans believe the two series did not show ‘human beings in good light’

Perhaps the most interesting take to come out of the debate remains the fact that both the series did not show human beings in good light. One user talked about how they hope that movies in general will get rid of this troupe, and again start focussing on stories that showcase people in characters they can ‘root for.’

While Avatar in itself sees human beings try to exploit the planet of Pandora for resources, the Planet of the Kingdom of the Apes franchise looks at an Earth that has already been ravaged by a plethora of human actions. The user believes that the reason these franchises did not stumble into popular culture is that they simply focus on the negative side of humanity.

Both are symptomatic of a culture feeling deeply unsure of itself. A replay of the 70s. I’m hoping it will pass soon and we can get back to films featuring humans being essentially good and ok to root for

— Neil (@NeilCParkin) May 18, 2024

While fair enough, the best movies, and stories in general, tend to have elements drawn in from actual society. While the fan is right in their claim that the two series focus on humanity’s negatives, perhaps it must be noted that stories are a reflection of society, and not vice versa.

That is in addition to the fact that the filmmaking and imagery in the two franchises in general proved utterly groundbreaking for the industry. Further, with both franchises staking proof of success via their earnings, fans might be better off not questioning the overall impact of two groundbreaking pieces of cinema.