Review of the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

 

Kicking off an intended second modern trilogy, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a movie that appears to start small and builds towards a big climax. Yet there’s more to it than that, a real craftsmanship to every frame, a sense that this is a deeper, broader movie than the title may suggest. People might scoff at such a thought but regardless of whether you get the story or even the concept this is a very well posed movie that easily betters most other films in any iteration since the classic 1968 debut to which it owes a certain debt.

Maze Runner - The Death Cure review

Towards the end of this breathless movie a city is being attacked in as chaotic a manner as you’d expect. Vehicles exploding, people running, buildings collapsing and so on. Having been in the midst of all this our point of view is slowly yanked skywards allowing us to view the wider extent of it in a memorable tableaux. This is just one of a myriad of moments from director Wes Ball that propel what should be a simple action film into something better. It’s typical of how The Death Cure , the third and final part of the Maze Runner series, never stops moving in exciting and interesting ways pulling the maximum thrills from what is ostensibly a thin narrative. 

The Scorch Trials

Superior sequel to The Maze Runner piles on the thrills.

If I were actually the age at which this film is targeted it would probably be my favourite of last year. Even though I’m not I still think it’s a terrific movie which manages to tick all the boxes that a big action film should. Having recently seen a certain two superheroes battling it out I have to say this is a far superior film. The Scorch Trials rarely stops to draw breath and its range of inventive perils is realised by director Wes Ball using balletic cameras and horror movie scares.