The recently released Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is generating mixed reviews. While many praised its action scenes, visual effects, and the cast’s performances, others were left wondering why it didn’t hit the same high notes as previous films in the series.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

The latest installment in the rebooted franchise started by Matt Reeves, received a lukewarm B Cinemascore. This platform measures audience reaction on a scale of A (excellent) to F (poor), and historically, films within this franchise tend to perform well with audiences. This has left many wondering what went wrong with the new flick.

Its story is set 300 years after the last film and follows a young chimp named Noa and a human woman named Mae as they navigate the future of apes and humans together.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ CinemaScore Confuses Fans Despite “Worthy Successor” Tag

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Despite the B Cinemascore, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently sits at a solid 80% with critics praising the film’s visual effects, compelling story, and performances by both the human and ape actors.

Some reviewers have even called it a worthy successor to Matt Reeves‘ critically acclaimed trilogy. The gap between what critics think and how audiences reacted to the film is kind of strange. Check out some fan reactions on it:

https://twitter.com/DECObserver/status/1789539735418896446

One idea to explain it is the film’s marketing, which may have misled audiences about the tone of the film. Its trailer (watch on YouTube) leaned heavily into the action sequences, which may have led some viewers to expect a more traditional blockbuster experience. However, reviews suggest that the film is a more character-driven and thoughtful follow-up to the previous films.

Read Also: Andy Serkis Fans are Not Ready for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Update

So, some folks might have been surprised because they were expecting a big action movie, but instead, they got something deeper and more thoughtful. Critics seemed to appreciate this aspect, but it might not have been what everyone was expecting based on the trailers.

Another idea is that people might just be getting a bit tired of the Planet of the Apes series. It’s been rebooted quite a few times now, and some fans feel like they’ve seen it all before. It could also be because audiences are more into smaller, character-focused stories these days instead of big sci-fi blockbusters.

We’ll have to wait and see what effect the B Cinemascore has in the long run. But, despite that, critics seem to think Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is still worth watching, especially if you’re a fan of the series or if you like thoughtful science fiction movies.

Wes Ball Avoided Making a Direct Sequel with Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

Freya Allen
Freya Allen in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Wes Ball, the director of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, didn’t want to just make a regular sequel to the previous movies. Instead, he wanted to create a new story that could stand on its own but still be connected to the old movies in a meaningful way. The 43-year-old stated in an interview with Slash Film:

“We got to explore what has happened to the myth and legend of this great ape that we all fell in love with, and how Noa comes to interact with that story, different versions of the story, and how it changes him into this character that he ultimately becomes by the end of the movie — forever changed.”

Ball and the team wanted to make sure this new movie was really good, especially because there are high expectations from fans of the old movies.

Read also: “Now it is our time”: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Trailer Reveals the Franchise’s Deadliest Villain – Who is Proximus?

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is currently screening in theatres.

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