WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY!!!!!
Last summer, I wanted to load up Mo's Media with an exploration on film franchises/series, simultaneously beefing up the portfolio and my pretentiousness of having watched all of The Lord of the Rings, The Godfather, Twilight, Rocky, The Ring, Scream, and so! many! more! Alas, chasing the bag of a summer gig won over the creative endeavors, but here I am just a summer later to get back on the horse (unemployment).
For my History and Theory of Film Remakes class last semester, my class and I studied the ever-relevant question of WHY so many reboots, sequels, and remakes have, are, and always will be hot to the film industry. With or without taking this class, you can come to a few of your own hypotheses: money, nostalgia, cultural appropriation, modernization. Yes to all of these, and through discussions of all things Robin Hood, Alien, and the complexity of sub vs. dub in foreign films, there came a hidden gem in the form of conscious apes.
Although I could dive in from its first look on the silver screen in 1968, along with my classmates' and I's shared hope that these newest installments will inevitably bring us back to it, but for the sake of your time and my GENUINE interest in the franchise, I'm going with the 2010's and above in the wake of the release of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes last month. What follows are my initial Letterboxd reviews (follow me @lunchmoneymomo if you're not already hip with it), and additional notes and observations. Enjoy!
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
I think I really liked it. I was led pleasantly askew from my overwhelming positivity towards this story with such an intriguing start.
It's a bit campy to me, but I'm okay with being alone in that. Anybody willing to take sides with me would be greatly appreciated. It takes its time, I'm blown away by performances of those less evolved in this, and I can earnestly say I kinda wanna watch the rest before Kingdom. We'll see!!!!
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
So...it's Lion King, but epic and awesome and uses beautiful nuances of American Sign Language. Why is the daughter always Sarah, though?
THANK YOU MATT REEVES THANK YOU MICHAEL GIACCHINO THANK YOU ANDY SERKIS!!! Decided (was heavily influenced by many of my friends doing it too) to dive into this trilogy before Kingdom is among us, and talk about a sequel that does NOT let you down!
It's more intentional in setting itself up for another, and while I enjoyed the semi-completion from Rise, this one held itself up more consistently to where the credits roll and I'm READY for the next. No excuses for big budgets to mess up their CGI when these films exist. They're amazing to gaze upon and I only had issues with some pacing. It's long, but it's rich with what it needs to be. GET INTO IT!!!!
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
I was shown love, I was shown patience, and now I handle my pain.
From those NASTY opening credits to that very very end, it just keeps getting more epic, and my only qualm is the way this DRAGGED me at points. It just knocked itself down for me. I'm still beyond stoked for Kingdom so soon and to see where this story prolongs. APE FAN I'M AN APE FAN NOW!!! WATCH EM ALL YOU WILL SURPRISE YOURSELF!!
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Followed its own formula, had its moments but couldn’t compete with any of its predecessors and a not-so-confident start to this new trilogy. Let’s set ourselves up STUPID purposefully and hold no progressive character building in anyone but the lead and give the antagonist a disappointing amount of screen time. Now, here’s to RIGHTFULLY finishing what they started as this franchise continues to grow. Give it a shot!
That last statement is truly what I carry towards recommending another person to this franchise. It's not just about animal testing to cure Alzheimer's, it just starts that way. Caesar is praised as one of cinema's most iconic protagonists, and his story has traveled decades upon decades to reach audiences in lessons of perseverance, legacy, and all around badass-ery. Going through these films unapologetically showed me a different side to my perceptions of judging a franchise by its cover, and I will now be that person who interrupts someone to say "they're not monkeys, they're APES."
Quite the start to the Summer O' Series. Normally my watching habits are controlled by the Almighty shuffle feature on my Letterboxd watchlist, but I will steer towards series for my cultural enlightenment and for your obedient readership. Happy summer days, and keep skimming!
Cheers,
MO
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