Director Wes Ball, best known for The Maze Runner trilogy, takes us back to a post pandemic world where apes have become the superior species with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

The story takes place almost three hundred years after the death of Caesar in War of the Planet of the Apes. Since then, the ape species has grown more intelligent and have become the dominant species in the food chain. Humans have reverted to their primitive forms. They are unable to speak and think due to a virus (humans created) that almost eradicated all of humanity in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. In this latest installment, we are introduced to a new protagonist, Noa (Owen Teague), who is a part of the Eagle Clan. Noa has never ventured outside the parameters of his home until it is attacked by a group of apes that work for a ruler named Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand). Noa’s clan is captured and taken to Proximus’s kingdom to work as slaves. This forces Noa to leave his home and save his clan. Along the way he meets an orangutan named Raka (Peter Macon) who teaches Noa about Caesars’ reign as leader of the apes and his relationship with humans. That’s when a human, Mae (Freya Allan), comes into the picture. She is being sought after by Proximus’s men. We learn that Mae is the key to accessing a vault Proximus is trying to open. It holds human secrets that could help him further his knowledge and reign over ape kind. Mae refuses to help, but still needs to access the vault for a reason that isn’t explained until the very end of the film. Both Mae and Noa will need each other’s help if they want to take down Proximus.

This is the first film out of the rebooted Planet of the Apes saga, and the story line now matches the first movie that came out back in 1968. So, there is a vintage vibe to the overall style and theme throughout that pays homage to when Charlton Heston was squaring up apes. I was a bit disappointed that this story did not follow Caesar’s family lineage and what it could be three hundred years after his death. It seemed Ball wanted to create a new protagonist that had no relation to the previous three ape films. That’s okay, but Noa’s character wasn’t all that interesting, and he bogged the film down. The character I enjoyed the most was Proximus Caesar, and he was barely in the film. I would of really loved it if we had more of a back story for him. He calls himself “Proximus” due to the Roman Empire and “Caesar” because he believes he is a reincarnation of “Caesar.” Even though Proximus is doing the opposite of what Caesar believed in, he convinces his followers that he is “Caesar.” As for Mae, I wasn’t extremely invested in her story because little was shared about her. She was there to serve a purpose for one thing and that was it. I don’t know if she’ll return for future movies, but it seemed like her story just ends with this film. The special effects and action sequences were well done and the continuity from the previous ape films in those areas felt flawless.

Overall, this film was somewhat of a letdown from the previous ones. I didn’t feel the same emotions I had when watching the other films and that was a bit of a bummer. If you do see this in theaters, go for the special effects and action. Don’t go if you’re looking for an exciting plot.

Rating: 3 out of 5

A love letter to all stunt performers in the movie business comes from The Fall Guy. Directed by David Leitch, former stunt man, best known for directing Deadpool 2 and Bullet Train.

Our main character Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is the stunt double for one of the most popular actors on the planet, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). At the beginning of the film we are introduced to Colt’s love interest, cinematographer Jody Moreno (Emily Bunt), who Colt is working together on a film. That’s when one of the stunts he attempts goes horribly wrong taking him out of the stunt game for a year. Then he gets a phone call from producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) to come out of retirement because they need an experienced stunt guy for a new film that happens to be Jody’s directorial debut. It’s been almost a year since the incident and Colt has not reconnected with Jody. This makes it awkward when he shows up and finds out that she did not want him to be in her film. As Colt tries to rekindle his relationship with Jody, Gail tasks him with finding the lead actor Ryder because he has gone missing. What seems to be a simple task turns out to be a deadly mission and he will have to use his stunt man skills to survive. As the mystery of Ryder’s disappearance unfolds, all the puzzle pieces start connecting. This ends up giving the title of the film two different meanings.

We have finally reached our first Summer Blockbuster of the year with a fun, comedic, action-packed film that has a lot of heart. Leitch did a great job of both showing how important stunt men are in the film industry and creating a story that lets you relate to the main character. Even though the story is a bit bonkers and is somewhat unrealistic it makes for a great time. The action and stunt sequences were shot so well that it was smooth like butter. Gosling and Blunt’s relationship was very genuine and not cheesy. There was heart and passion between these two characters, and that made their relationship believable. Some sequences did use CGI which wasn’t as polished, but I’ll give it a pass because I really did have a lot of fun watching this film. Other than that, it’s hard for me to pinpoint any specific issues I had with the plot, acting, or special effects.

If you want to start your Summer off with a fun and explosive film, make sure you head to theaters to see The Fall Guy. It is the perfect film for action, romantic, and comedy junkies.

Rating: 4 out 5