The most incredible thing in any Planet of the Apes film is the good mixture of humorous and serious storytelling, and Wes Ball created exactly what the audience wanted. In fact, 20th Century Fox requested it from the filmmaker.
The original installments were a delight to watch, while the more recent ones were somehow a bit political and mature, but Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes just had the right balance of both.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Blends History And Humor
While speaking with SlashFilm, filmmaker Wes Ball talked about how he incorporated fun and serious stuff in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. As it turns out, it was a major requirement from the studio.
“That was the only thing that the studio asked, was could we find a tone that was a little lighter, I suppose, without compromising all the things that made these movies great — which is mature storytelling and real stakes and real drama and conflict, all that stuff.”
Ball admitted that he believed he would go in this direction as they progressed with the filming. After all, this is an adventure movie, and adventures should be enjoyable. Still, the important elements of the story remained intact and they blended well with the humor.
“I was happy to go there because my instincts naturally go there anyway. We thought of this more as an adventure movie. It’s a young character this time. He’s very innocent, and that’s probably where the humor comes from, is that innocence. Or that sense of being behind on the knowledge of things.”
He revealed that there was actually more that they had to cut because of the limited time, but he hopes to be able to use them in the future. Overall, his goal is to give the audience a good time.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ B CinemaScore Isn’t a Bad Thing For the Movie At All – Here’s Why
For years, the Planet of the Apes franchise has always dealt with the criticism of racism and classism. There’s also the age-old man versus ape dynamics, all tackled within a few hours of the movie’s runtime.
Wes Ball On The Allegories Of Mature Themes In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wes Ball did not shy away from discussing the relevant societal judgment of the movie. He told Film Hounds that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is “more of a historical epic than it is a sci-fi futuristic thing.”
The films have always been viewed through the lens of the apes. They look at humanity and all the problems that need resolution. The movies serve as mirrors that reflect the real, even cruel situations of the world.
“We’re not necessarily passing judgment on them, but we’re certainly presenting them to be judged or to have your own interpretation of,” Ball quipped. For him, each movie poses interesting questions that make people stop and reflect for a while.
So far, the film is currently performing quite well. It opened with an impressive $55 million on its debut weekend, as per Forbes. It also holds a rating of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now showing in theaters worldwide.
