Planet of the Apes Reboot Movies Ranked After Kingdom

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Planet of the Apes is one of those franchises that won’t go away. The first entry hit theaters like an atomic bomb in 1968 and spawned four sequels, two television series, and a remakesteered by director Tim Burton in 2001. More recently, the Planet of the Apes reboot movies kicked off with 2011’s successful Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which paved the way for Matt Reeves’ critical and commercial smash Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014 and War for the Planet of the Apes in 2017.

Now, nearly 60 years after the original, Wes Ball continues the saga with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, chronicling a new generation of apes long after Caeser’s death in War. Yes, you can believe the critics. Kingdom is really good. How good? Well, check out the list below to see where it ranks alongside the other Planet of the Apes reboot movies, then feel free to check out the original 1968 classic (and the entertaining, though campy sequels) to determine how it stacks up.

Let me preface this by saying none of the Planet of the Apes reboot movies are bad. War drops below the others mainly because it doesn’t land as well, but Matt Reeves’ third installment (and the Ceasar trilogy capper) is still a damned good film, if not a little too slow for my liking. The special effects and Andy Serkis’ performance as the world-weary Ceasar continue to dazzle. There’s plenty to admire here, particularly in the first hour, but a lengthy middle section set in a labor camp knocks the pic down a peg. Reeves goes a little too hard with the drama but manages to end his finale on a powerful note, finally allowing our beleaguered hero, Ceasar, to rest in peace.   

Director Rupert Wyatt gives the Apes franchise a much-needed facelift with this requel that focuses on Ceasar’s ascension from domesticated chimp to full-blown leader/warrior. While the story sticks to the formula established by other reboots of the era, Rise sticks out thanks to some truly incredible visuals and Andy Serkis’s