(Photo Credit: 20th Century Studios)
(“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” trailer courtesy of 20th Century Studios)
The world has many problems.
Often, people say if different people or groups had the power and control then things would turn out differently and for the better.
However, as “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” shows, no matter what group has control, some will still have the innate desire to abuse power, no matter how much pain and sorrow it causes to those that are more like than them not.
As a result, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” becomes an effective movie with a good storyline that might remind many of the chattel slavery inflicted on those of African descent.
Prior to “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” humans ruled the world, and all beasts were at their mercy.
Humans had their domain, which was basically wherever they wanted it to be.
And everything left over was the domain of the animals.
The only time that humans interacted with animals was when animals like apes were on display at zoos, etc.
Then there was a time before “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” when man and beasts interacted in peace, together.
But despite the appearance of unity, humans were still in control because they were the superior beings, especially intellectually.
The only problem with intellectual superiority is knowing that one has intellectual superiority over the inferior beings of the planet.
That hubris can often lead to one’s downfall.
And in “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” that downfall occurred thanks to a man-made virus that created a role reversal in the universe.
As a result of the virus ravaging the planet, suddenly apes became the superior beings, even possessing the ability to talk like humans.
On the other hand, humans became like the beasts of generations past, living like savages, unable to communicate and losing all their intellectual capabilities.
In all honesty, it really would never matter what species is at the top of the “food chain” if that group treats those unlike them as if they are just like them.
Unfortunately, when a group gets power, they often misuse it and abuse to the detriment of everyone and everything that looks differently than them.
Generations ago, when Caesar the ape took control over the world, he left a code of conduct to live by, which would have ensured that apes throughout the world got along in harmony.
One of the main rules was that apes did not kill other apes.
That sounds good and dandy.
But getting everyone to abide by the law is basically an impossible task.
In “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” all the apes in Noah’s village abide by the law.
The apes in Noah’s village have their own customs, their own way of life and their own hierarchy.
They have learned to live in harmony.
The apes have learned how to use their resources to advance their way of life, specifically their use of eagles to help feed their village and protect them from outside adversaries.
Like in the miniseries “Roots,” Noah and the other apes must complete certain tasks to enter adulthood and earn the respect of their elders.
In “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” Noah and his friends must find eagle eggs, nurse those eggs to birth and then raise their birds so that they can become an asset for the apes and their village.
But even when it comes to finding/stealing eagle eggs, there are still rules and regulations.
If the apes find three eggs, they are only allowed to take two, which would leave the mother eagle with at least one offspring.
And while Noah comes from a respected family in the village, not many, including his father, believe he can successfully complete his mission, which involves steep climbs and outsmarting other animals to accomplish the mission.
In “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” Noah is seen as the privileged youngster who has not yet grown up because he comes from a prominent family.
However, when adversity strikes Noah’s village, the young ape must grow up quickly if he is to save his life and the lives of all those in his village.
While the focus of “Kingdom of the Planet of The Apes” is on the apes and the visuals of the movie, one cannot ignore the parallels to American history and beyond.
When an evil group of apes begin misusing Caesar’s law to oppress other creatures, it parallels to how Europeans misused God’s law from the Bible to oppress people of color.
The ruler of the evil apes desperately wants to gain access to a vault that houses manmade technology that will make his evil empire deadlier.
That storyline parallels to how Europeans used the vast natural resources stolen from African to enrich their kingdoms back in Europe.
The way the apes look down on humans as if they are inferior is reminiscent to the way many Europeans looked down on Africans, thereby justifying their enslavement.
And some of the visuals of apes in chains will definitely look like captured Africans headed to the slave ships or auctions.
Additionally, slaves of African descent often used songs to uplift them or free them from their predicament.
Likewise, the apes in “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” use songs when they find themselves victimized by the powers-that-be.
Furthermore, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” has the sell-out or house slave element in which one captured character has given up on freedom and has begun taking the side of the oppressor even though they are being victimized by the oppression.
Despite the deep parallels to world history with the slavery similarities, many might see that storyline as tiresome and redundant because Hollywood has produced many movies and miniseries with that theme.
That is why the storyline of “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is described as good and not great.
Furthermore, with most the characters being apes, it is initially hard to discern one character from the next.
But the storyline in “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is bigger than just beasts.
The movie is about “man’s inhumanity to man” and how every group can fall victim to that inhumanity.
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