Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (4½ Stars)

This is the fourth film in the reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise. It takes place many generations after the events of "War for the Planet of the Apes". According to the director, it's 200 years later, but that isn't obvious from the film itself. Humans are rarely seen, because the apes kill them on sight. The apes have now separated into different tribes. We see a tribe that calls itself the eagle tribe, because they train eagles as partners. The young ape Noah is the son of his tribe's leader. Together with two friends they climb to eagle nests to steal eggs, one each, for a ceremony called the bonding. This seems to be a coming of age ceremony. Each ape must find an egg, and when the eagle is born it becomes his own personal eagle.

There isn't peace among the apes. Another tribe is warlike and intends to conquer all other tribes to unite them. Most of the eagle tribe is captured and led away as prisoners. Only Noah escapes. He sets out to find his tribe and free his father. On the way he meets an orangutan called Raka and a lone woman called Nova. Where does she come from? When he finds out that she can speak, he realises that she's keeping secrets.

This film is slower moving than the previous films. Yes, there are scenes of violence, but mostly the film is thoughtful, showing the consequences of the new world and how the apes are managing to deal with it now that Caesar has gone. It's difficult for me to judge the film, because it's so different. It's a film I need to watch again as soon as possible.