Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the Story of Empires in Decline | The Backdrop

Darren Mooney explores the themes and presentation of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
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[@Ech_The_Sentiant]

Rise of the barony of the empire of shogunate of the church of the kingdom of the planet of the apes

[@pulloutchamp3219]

: A song of apes and fire

[@TaeyxBlack]

rise of the dawn of the war of the frog on the log in the hole at the bottom of the sea of the planet of the apes

[@Ech_The_Sentiant]

@@TaeyxBlack those apes are getting rather busy

[@Ech_The_Sentiant]

@@pulloutchamp3219 I hear the apes got up to some wacky shit

[@henryglennon3864]

Watching a ghost bottle of Caesar salad dressing float across the screen is like looking into a pun event horizon.

[@fissionist2158]

CAESARRRRRRR!!!

[@unavezms8167]

Dune is primarily about the danger of the chosen ones. The fact that there are people who seriously support Paul kinda proves the point.

[@TheKeyser94]

That I would say about the books, about Lynch vision of Dune and the miniseries, but not the Villanue Dune, they were so barren in terms of world building that you barely knew the factions if they were any, and barely substance, is Dune in a diet, is trash food for massive consumption, there is no philosophical conversation or political commentary, maybe that why people fall so easily on the Paul saviour of Arrakis narrative, because movie speak nothing about how the noble houses, the Bene Gesserit and the Space Guild abuse their power in favour of the spice, and abuse the Fremen, nothing.

[@murasaki848]

@@TheKeyser94 I would argue that the Lynch version also failed to bring to life the pitfalls of the messianic cult of the Fremen, the fanaticism of the Bene Gesserit, etc. The Harkonnen in Lynch were cartoonishly evil just like Villanue, not the Machiavellian, feudal, fully human schemers of the miniseries. MacLachlan's Paul is way too pure and clean, and brought "peace and love" to the imperium, not the out of control jihad of the books/miniseries. All in all, it was a superhero move a la Superman without any illustration of the downsides of zealotry, blind deification of peoples/causes, and abuses by vengeful downtrodden that themselves gain power.

[@RexiconJesse]

Top-tier cutaways this whole episode.

[@JanjoZone]

Thanks fam

[@mesektet5776]

Audience: “Can we watch the originals any more?” Darren: “Why of course you can?” Audience: “Well I didn’t before!”

[@memeweirdguyn.0019]

I'm truly glad this new saga of the Planet of the Apes is turning out to be as good as it is, sure Kingdom is not as perfect as the other two that came before but it's still an enjoyable ride and I like how the series is explaining the rise of the apes but also the "failings" that ultimately humans had from old tribes to kingdoms to later modern civilization (ngl seeing a reinterpretation of how the original movies were technological would be awesome)

[@Ekolation]

Agreed, I liked the previous trilogy and was worried this new one would decline and start just being a cash-in. I was pleasantly surprised with Kingdom

[@claytonrios1]

That Man vs Food clip takes me back to the days of a better Travel Channel.

[@nicklager1666]

I will say if you havent seen the first film in the series go into it blind. Dont read any summaries or watch any retrospectives. It will give you a much richer experience.

[@V742]

Monke (It's late, but the algorithm never sleeps)

[@tadamsedits]

I really really loved the first three movies in the new apes series. I was worried about Kingdom, as War ended the story very well I thought. That being said, I did enjoy Kingdom quite a bit, not as much as Dawn, but maybe a little more than War. Great video as always!

[@Captainflake99]

There were at least two points in the film that I honestly thought the actors playing rakka and silva weren’t cgi and that they had an incredibly details face mask on due to the depth of their expressions they were able to convey. This one always one of the draws for the trilogy is how well the actors could betray the emotions of the apes and serkis as a master at this. Sure it’s not always possible to do this throughout the movie, it’s expensive, but when it mattered it added depth, showing the growth and evolution of the characters and their species. And Darren I’m sure you had a good dozen or so more monkey puns you wanted to put in as well😂

[@CassidyBooks]

Thank you for taking your Patreon column and putting it into video Darren💖

[@SignoftheMagi]

The central theme of Dune is "Beware Your Heroes". The two films cover the beginning of an empire that lasts 10,000 years, and exists for the sole purpose of forcing humanity to socially evolve via conflict. It is not about the decline of empires, but a study of tyranny as a social development tool and why you should not trust messiahs.

[@srdjan455]

Yes but he said that Dune part 2 ended with the decline of an empire and an emperor falling. Which is what happened because the emperor was dethroned, all because he was afraid of a house that could rival his power. So the subtext of an empire in decline does exist in Dune

[@carlbutcher2268]

The central theme of a story is not the only thing that happens in it.

[@digitaljanus]

Where other classics of Golden Age Science Fiction have one or two weighty ideas, Dune is a book that stands above them because it has at least a score of them. And one is what happens when the Byzantine aristocracy of the Imperium of the Faufreluches is replaced by the theocratic dynasty of an immortal god-king. The supplanting of one empire limited by human ambition and lifespan with another unbound by those constraints.

[@Krona-fb4dn]

Honestly my only problem I had with Proximus was that we didn't get a ton of actual time with him. Silva is a much more prominent threat and "rival" to Noa. Although this video makes me appreciate Proximus much more.

[@excusezmoi9823]

I honestly think Proximus was my favorite villain in the franchise so far, Guy just had charisma. But I do agree there should have been more time with him. I think Silvia on the other hand was bit under cooked as an antagonist. I didn't even know he had a name till now, and thought that he was pretty much forgotten once Proximus shows up.

[@FranciscoAreasGuimaraes]

Excellent video Darren! You got me interested in watching Kingdom. Curiously, I started rewatching the original movies. Just watched Beneath this weekend

[@reizak8966]

I did, too! They are a trip. Beneath is the weirdest one. You can really see all the inspirations the original trilogy took from them, and even what kingdom took from them.

[@CrispyGFX]

Oh yeah, juicy content just in time for my lunch break!!

[@MariaVosa]

I was just thinking it's been a while since we got a Darren video on the channel. 🍿🍿🍿

[@Raziel312]

"The only thing we learn from history, is that no-one learns a thing from history."

[@PhoenixGodwin]

That last line is such a great encapsulation of what I love about this era of PotA storytelling.

[@9seed.]

Always a treat to hear Darren’s analysis, alongside his wonderful, terrible puns.

[@TBrius88]

A nice review of both the movie and current times

[@Dschonathan]

I can't get over the fact that they actually named a movie "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes".

[@someman8772]

I had no idea the new movies were in the same universe as the original(s?) until just now watching this video.

[@rmath176]

“Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Winston Churchill

[@bogbupog]

Loved the humor; got me excited to check this movie out

[@TheRIsForRizzo]

2:57 If you have a moment, could you please let us know where you got this clip? I've been laughing at it all day

[@Gnomable]

They did a great job of continuing the story and evolving the legacy of humans and apes. I do hope they bring back some time travel shenanigans at some point.

[@preciousroy6079]

Darren letting his freak flag fly in the edit and I am here for it.

[@ianalvord3903]

6:25 can I get a source for this?

[@alexanderwizardjar9540]

Top tier video

[@Denariix]

I really enjoyed the most recent Planet of the Apes trilogy! Kingdom wasn't as great as those ones but I still enjoyed it a lot.

[@alexbayswood4847]

Silva coconut gunner

[@shytendeakatamanoir9740]

I don't know what it does with the themes that the original movie's ending was the big change from the book's original. Does it adds anything thematically, or just muddies the point?

[@CornishCreamtea07]

I wish they had numbered these, I hear a title and have no idea if any title came out 10 years ago, or 50 years ago.

[@thetruemandalorian2637]

Dangit! Now I need to go see it so I can finish the video! I'm thinking date night idea....

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

"The story of empires in decline." It may also be the story of franchises in decline, depending on your interpretation and feelings about it's quality

[@andyb281]

Ape together strong

[@claytonrios1]

The Legend of Zelda movie seems like it's in good hands with Wes Bell.

[@DMBLaan]

This is why we need a leader like an Ape named Ape (now let's see who all gets this reference)

[@DanVanDammeRHP]

John Cleese, is that you?

[@JustJulyo]

Maybe we were the monkes the whole time

[@khamjaninja.]

Full disclosure: I'm not a huge "Apes" fan - but compared to the others, I thought Kingdom was pretty meh. I feel like the story almost doesn't have a point - and I would argue that's because this film's primary purpose is set up the sequel trilogy, and not exist for its own sake. Spoiler warning from here on - I am certain that "Kingdom" originally began as a story about the rise of ape civilization, with no humans. The entire storyline with Noa and Proximus and the vault - Proximus and his demented twisted vision of the past versus Noa representing the apes' own future, fighting for the destiny of the ape-kind. That plotline basically stands upon itself, and the presence of Mae and the humans changes almost nothing about it. In fact, Mae only becomes relevant in regards to the other plot thread, that the humans have survived and they're planning something. It's not well-woven into the Noa vs. Proximus story - she doesn't really do anything plotwise that couldn't have occurred without her character's presence. If her scenes were removed from the film, it would still hang together about the same. Really, the only wrinkle would be that Noa somehow found a way into the vault before Proximus did (which is a minor plothole anyway, because how could Proximus and his army, who have been crawling all over this mountain looking for a way in, have failed to notice those big-ass vents that provided easy unimpeded access?) In essence, Mae only becomes important to the plot at the end, with the big reveal that human civilization has survived in underground bunkers - as well as the dialogue she has with Noa that foreshadows a future major conflict between Ape and Man - most likely the focus of the sequels. Once the humans organize their plans, thanks to their new satellites, they'll bust outta their Fallout vaults and fight to take back the world from the Apes. I am certain that Kingdom's first draft was about ape civilization - the apes determining their destiny between adopting the follies of humanity's past or embracing their own future, etc, etc. And then - at some point - someone realized that a story about the civilizational transition of primitive ape-kind from hunter-gatherer tribes to agrarian settled societies could be ... a bit dull. So they decided to reintroduce humans and human-ape conflict. But, unfortunately, the end of the last film made clear that all the intelligent humans were about to go extinct. So they had to write themselves out of that corner. Early marketing buzz about Kingdom stated that the film was set 300 years after the previous. And we certainly do see that - the overgrown ruins of human buildings, the more primitive technologies of the apes, the loss of history - it's been so long that Caesar is just a myth to the apes. However, in the actual film, the actual time elapsed is unmentioned. And I'm certain it's because they had to revise the original script to include humans. At the end of the film, when the humans are revealed in their Fallout vaults - those do not credibly look like a human society that's been living in a bunker for 300 years. They look like they got locked up in those vaults a few years ago. And the character of Mae doesn't fit with that timeline, either. Mae has knowledge of guns and computers and other tech like she's seen it personally; meanwhile, the apes have forgotten what guns are and electric lights are. Not only that, Mae is still burning with the fire and passion of a humanity that's been robbed of their world. Her dialogue with Noa, heavily laden with foreshadowing, seem to strongly imply that she has direct, personal memory of what the Earth used to be like pre-Ape. She absolutely does not seem to be the product of 300 years of humanity living off of canned beans. The more I think about it, the more I suspect that these were actually two scripts that got combined. One script was a story about primitive ape civilization story set 300 years into the future - and the other script was a direct sequel, set a few years after Caesar's death, when organized human resistance re-emerges as a threat. And then the two got stitched together in ways that left a lot of the seams showing. The biggest seam being the chronology. But there are other major plotholes. Why did Mae choose to follow Noa around anyway? Mae was supposedly captured by Proximus' forces after her family was killed, and she was kept prisoner by them (why? Proximus doesn't enslave any other humans. He only captures humans who are intelligent. And it's made clear that they didn't realize Mae was intelligent later). Then Mae escaped to the valley of Noa's clan where she then ... what, decided to follow Noa ... back to Proximus? The guy she was running away from? Well, she needed to get to the vault, right? The vault which was her goal all along. But presumably ... the vault was where she was being kept before, when she was Proximus' prisoner? But then she escaped and ran away ... so she could follow Noa and ... come back... That's a plot hole that can only really be explained by "We had to contrive a reason why these two characters, from entirely different stories, would end up together." But let's ignore those plot holes. Because there's another major point that the film spectacularly fails to address: There are humans who AREN'T affected by the Simian Flu. That's a HUGE thing. That was a fundamental cornerstone of the previous trilogy - the Simian Flu is eradicating intelligent humans and there's basically no way to stop it. And then, suddenly, it turns out that there are some humans who are still intelligent. That's a major point that needs to be addressed. It'd be like if in a Dune sequel, it emerged that oh actually, some people can space travel without the Spice. The Spice doesn't need to flow at all. It'd be like "Whaaaaaat. Explain!" It completely turns the canon on its head. But "Kingdom' doesn't really go into it. I mean, I guess humans survived ... so they figured out a cure ? Probably something like that? I'm guessing here, because the film doesn't go into it at all. Probably in the sequel, it'll turn out like "Oh, we designed a cure and that's why our soldiers are now flooding out of our Fallout vaults to fight Ape-kind without all going stupid." Which I guess is my point. I feel like this film ultimately did not get created to stand on its own, but merely to set up plot threads for the future. One of those key plot threads being the retconning of "all the intelligent humans are now extinct" from the previous film.

[@bsmarsch]

Epic

[@leondavis3815]

Thumbs up for the get wrecked joke 😂😂

[@gillesfabbri97]

"I CAN SIIIIIIIIIIIIING!"

[@OverZaEast]

You're right. What I found interesting that even when the Apes has evolved and is the evolved species they are all the same as humans. Caesar wants to evolve the earth to become peaceful but Koba inherit humanity malice that probably cause the chain of event in Caesar downfall and redemption. SPOILER FOR KINGDOM, Even Proximus act like a false and twisted prophet that purposely misinterpreted Caesar teaching just like what humanity does. I love what the new series are heading for in the end of Kingdom. Which are the better living being ? Are the Apes indeed the evolved living beings that will be the next evolution of Earth ? But they now are showing the same cycle of what human does. Does humanity need a second chance ?

[@moltenwood]

Farrokh Bulsara just turned in his grave....

[@ChristianNeihart]

But Mr. Mooney, we're monkeys and we have the ability to ride horses.

[@ComboSmooth]

if only we taught the apes, that humans are also apes

[@geroffmilan3328]

Erm, Zeus is Greek. Jupiter was his Roman equivalent. Might have been easier to go with Caesar?

[@rocko7711]

🍿🎥🎬📀📼🎦🎦📽️🎞️

[@egornashilov5449]

the lack of The Simpsons' Dr. Zaius parody song in this video is criminal and I will not stand it.

[@dextro808]

it's absolutely adorable how Americans are afraid that they may not be the greatest country in the world forever and ever. our little boy is finally growing up, awww

[@reizak8966]

I'm not sure we watched the same movie. 😅 I loved the version i watched though, but didn't get any kind of "empire in decline" "ties to the US" messaging that you're referencing. More like the twisting of religion and its use to either inspire or control. Also, i would say that yes, Proximus is villainous in a lot of his actions, but May seems like the ultimate villain in the end.

[@ng_canadian]

Monke on a Hoers

[@Ravlar84]

Bananas

[@j-4dre]

How can CGI look so bad in 2024? It is so distracting I had listen without looking at the video. CGI done right is when you wonder if it is CGI or not.

[@Renkencen]

Having watched the first triliogy, the film was alright. Very different to the previous film. Not going to spoiled but all I say is I dislike Mae at the end.

[@ReclaimedDasein]

Excellent use of the Simpsons. Also, If gently critique your conclusion a bit. The American empire has been collapsing post world war 2. The strong revisiting of these themes is the fundamental realization that the end of the cold war proved insufficient to avert this. Of course, great work as always.

[@juanmanuelpenaloza9264]

Monke

[@_uncredited]

The whole US analogy is what puts me off this movie. It says nothing that the original didn't cover. I would have liked the writers to really dig into an original vision of what an ape society might be like. "Lol, let's just make it like America" is weak sauce.

[@SignificantOwl]

Not every symbol in a movie is about the US, my man.