Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Theatrical 4K, Alt BD
Score: 88
from 7 reviewers
Review Date:
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes dazzles visually and aurally on 4K UHD Blu-ray, boasting impressive HDR10 and Atmos audio, but some feel it doesn't fully escape the shadows of its predecessors.
Disc Release Date
True 4K
HDR10
Dolby Atmos
Dolby TrueHD
Video: 92
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' 4K UHD Blu-ray excels with native 4K DI, vibrant HDR10 colors, and stunning detail. With excellent black levels and impressive CG effects, the UHD disc surpasses Disney+ in quality, despite missing Dolby Vision HDR.
Audio: 94
The Dolby Atmos track for 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' delivers an impressively immersive and full-bodied experience, with precise LFE, clear dialogue prioritization, rich ambient environmental effects, and exceptional use of the surround and height channels to create a dynamic soundscape.
Extra: 78
The 4K disc lacks extras, but the Blu-ray impresses with a unique 'Raw Cut' featuring unfinished VFX and commentary, a making-of doc, and over 30 minutes of deleted scenes.
Movie: 74
Combining stunning visual effects with masterful storytelling, 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' propels the franchise into a new era, focusing on new characters and conflicts while reflective on past legacies. Set generations after Caesar’s reign, it ingeniously balances engaging action with thoughtful world-building and emotional depth.
Video: 92
The 4K UHD Blu-ray presentation of "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" sets the bar high with its impeccable visual quality. Utilizing a native 4K Digital Intermediate (DI) and encoded in HEVC (H.265), the disc offers a 3840x2160/24p BT.2020 image within a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The disc features HDR10, delivering a wide color gamut and high dynamic range that elevates the viewing experience. The rich, vibrant palette is especially remarkable, from fiery tones bursting against inky black backdrops to the luscious greens of forest environments. The detail is stunningly sharp, bringing out intricate textures and making CGI apes look nearly lifelike. Moreover, black levels are pristine, ensuring that night scenes retain their depth without succumbing to crush or artifact issues.
In terms of visual impact, the 4K presentation delineates shadows and highlights with precision, enhancing depth and dimension across all scenes. The movie's visual effects are integrated seamlessly, highlighting the impressive CGI work that defines individual hairs on the apes and leaves on trees. Scenes captured with Arri Alexa LF, Mini LF, and Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro cameras are virtually free from noise or artificial artifacts, sustaining clarity even in dim lighting conditions. Although the disc lacks Dolby Vision HDR, its HDR10 implementation performs remarkably well, providing a nuanced contrast that competes closely with high-end streaming options but surpasses them in overall fidelity and cleanliness.
The decision to use a BD-66 dual-layer disc for this over two-hour-long film does not hamper its quality. With bitrates often peaking in the mid-to-upper 60mbps range, the data is spread out efficiently, ensuring no visible compression anomalies. The lack of additional features on the disc diverts all available space to optimize image quality. While streaming platforms like Disney+ offer this title in Dolby Vision HDR, this physical release demonstrates a clearer, crisper image quality that truly capitalizes on 4K UHD capabilities. Whether it's depicting intense sunlight or capturing minute details in low light, "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" on 4K UHD Blu-ray is a superior visual feast worthy of any high-definition collection.
Audio: 94
The Dolby Atmos audio track for the 4K UHD Blu Ray of "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" stands as a significant upgrade over its streaming counterpart, delivering a demo-worthy mix that immerses viewers in its rich soundscape. Notably, the dialogue is pristinely clear and effectively positioned in the frontal array, ensuring that even the throaty and accentuated Ape speech remains comprehensible. The surround channels exceptionally capture and distribute ambient environment noises, enveloping the listener in the overgrown landscapes depicted onscreen. Complementary low-frequency effects (LFE) provide a profound, room-shaking presence during action sequences, though some subtle volume leveling may be necessary to match other recent high-caliber releases.
The Atmos mix uses upward-firing speakers to great effect, particularly in outdoor sequences where rustling leaves and birds create a lifelike overhead presence. This attention to height adds an extra dimension to scenes involving falcons or when elements like ocean waves audibly crash and spray overhead. The soundtrack balances atmospherics and panning fills seamlessly, with nothing being missed in terms of movement or placement, resulting in a natural and engaging auditory experience. John Paesano's elegiac score sounds expansive and resonant, enhancing the emotional depth of the film.
Explosions, falcon flights, and even minor movements are captured with impeccable imaging and range. Intense scenes such as Noa’s colony attack are presented with potent LFE support that grows more intense as the action escalates. Sound design elements, from Proximus' smashing strikes to vertical audio movements when apes zip through the brush, are precisely rendered, reinforcing the narrative through auditory means. This immersion extends beyond clarity, making the mix not just effective but exemplary, capitalizing on every audio channel to create an encompassing and vivid listening experience.
Extra: 78
The "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" 4K UHD Blu-ray release is rich with engaging extras on the accompanying Blu-ray disc, though the 4K disc itself lacks supplementary material. The standout feature is "Inside the Lens: The Raw Cut," offering a split-screen showing the final film alongside unfinished VFX and live mo-cap footage, complete with audio commentary by Wes Ball, Dan Zimmerman, and Erik Winquist. Additionally, "Inside the Forbidden Zone: Making Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" is a comprehensive making-of documentary, complemented by 14 deleted/extended scenes with optional commentary by Wes Ball, providing further insight into the film's creation.
Extras included in this disc:
- Inside the Lens: The Raw Cut: Split-screen view of finished film with unfinished VFX.
- Inside the Forbidden Zone: Making Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: Comprehensive making-of documentary.
- 14 Deleted/Extended Scenes with Optional Commentary: Extra scenes featuring director commentary.
Movie: 74
"Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" reinvigorates the franchise with a fresh narrative set generations after Caesar's reign. Directed by Wes Ball, the film skillfully navigates new terrain, showcasing apes living in harmony as the dominant species while humans are reduced to shadows in society. Utilizing cutting-edge VFX technology, the film delivers visually stunning representations of primate characters, surpassing any of its predecessors in terms of digital realism. The storyline focuses on Noa (Owen Teague), a young ape who journeys through a divided world to discover historical truths and challenge a tyrannical leader, Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand). This tale breaks away from the traditional human versus ape conflict, opting instead for inter-ape rivalries and a battle for ideological dominance.
The thematic depth is vibrant and compelling, offering more than just spectacular visuals. Ball's direction capitalizes on showing different ape cultures and their societal structures, each distinct yet interconnected by legends of Caesar. In particular, the character of Mae (Freya Allan) introduces an unpredictable human element steeped in mystery, setting the stage for future story arcs. The screenplay, penned by Josh Friedman, Amanda Silver, and Rick Jaffa, provides a thoughtful exploration of power dynamics and identity within and between species. While the human subplots sometimes feel underdeveloped, they still add layers to the enfolding drama.
Despite its occasional flaws, "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" stands as a strong inaugural chapter in this potential new trilogy. The film's ability to blend thought-provoking themes with riveting action sequences without relying overly on visual effects makes it a robust continuation of the franchise. It sets a promising foundation for future installments, offering both longtime fans and new viewers a fresh perspective on this enduring saga.
Total: 88
Wes Ball's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" attempts to rejuvenate the franchise, providing an exciting adventure distinct from the previous trilogy. Despite being set in the familiar universe, the film introduces fresh narratives and characters, particularly with Noa replacing Caesar effectively. The human characters have minor stumbles, but they do not detract significantly from the overall experience. This installment proves there is still vitality in the Apes saga and lays a promising foundation for future explorations.
The 4K UHD Blu-ray release by Century Studios/Elevation stands out with its impressive visual and audio fidelity. Equipped with an HDR10 transfer and Atmos audio, the film delivers a superior home viewing experience compared to its streaming counterpart on Disney Plus. While the absence of Dolby Vision and BD-100 discs is noted, the disc still surpasses streaming quality. An intriguing feature of this release is the Raw Cut version, showcasing a blend of finished and rough edits, offering a fascinating behind-the-scenes insight. The presentation is technically first-rate, enhancing the vivid imagery and powerful soundtrack that complements the film's storyline.
In conclusion, "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" is a commendable continuation of the franchise, successfully engaging audiences with its new direction while retaining echoes of its predecessors. The 4K UHD Blu-ray edition is a must-have for enthusiasts, delivering outstanding AV quality and valuable bonus content. Though it has minor flaws, the film holds promise for future installments and remains a highly recommended addition to any collection.
avforums review by Casimir HarlowRead review here
Video: 100
excellent Kingdom in 4K is everything you would expect from a mainstream, decent budget Century Studios / Disney release, and looks commensurately superb, affording rich landscapes, impressively integrated...
Audio: 90
Between the effects and the score there's plenty of room for LFE input, gifting weight to the track and further distinguishing it from its also LFE-laden, but far less precisely or gutturally so, streaming...
Extras: 50
There's nothing on the 4K disc itself, but the accompanying Blu-ray provides a couple of additional features, however, frustratingly, reportedly the best extra from the US release - a split-screen 'video...
Movie: 70
Smaller in scale, it's arguably nowhere near the strongest in the Apes saga (the antagonists aren't nearly as well drawn), but with comfortably the best visual effects, frequently utterly stunning at bringing...
Total: 70
an exciting adventure Century Studios/Elevation's UK 4K Blu-ray release of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is technically stunning on the AV front but appears to have dropped a gem of an extra from Disney's...
Blu-ray.com review by Jeffrey KauffmanRead review here
Video: 100
As with some of the previous installments in the reboot, there's quite a bit of minimally lit footage, and this disc's HDR can help elucidate at least some shadow definition that isn't quite as discernable...
Audio: 100
You can hear clear engagement of the Atmos speakers in a glut of ambient environmental effects, and since the bulk of the film takes place outside, or at least away from what might typically be called...
Extras: 80
Inside the Forbidden Zone: Making Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (HD; 23:25) is a decent EPK with some good production information including some training regimens, and quite a bit of candid footage....
Movie: 70
By the time that Tim Burton got around to remaking Planet of the Apes in 2001, special effects wizardry had obviously, well (franchise pun forthcoming), evolved, and perhaps kind of interestingly, the...
Total: 80
You might be able to sense just a bit of lethargy or alternatively desperation to keep this franchise alive, but Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes succeeds more often than not in my estimation....
DoBlu review by Matt PaprockiRead review here
Video: 80
Given some mild, barely notable aliasing on the ape’s fur, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes likely stems from a 2K source, but if so, it’s a near perfectly upscaled one....
Audio: 100
Plus, it’s varied, a small punch for moderately scaled action, with the hefty weight saved for major action scenes....
Extras: 100
Also included is a basic making of and deleted/extended scenes, with Ball’s optional commentary....
Movie: 80
Unlike others, Planet of the Apes is a franchise with stories to tell, and rather than produce mindless sequels, the series continues to prove thought-provoking amid the sensational action sequences....
Total: 90
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
My feeling for Disney+ streaming lately is that the quality just keeps getting worse so if you have a visually exciting feature like Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes the best experience is going to be...
Audio: 80
That opening of the Eagle grabbing a fish out of the water to soar into the remnants of old skyscrapers as our young apes traverse the wreckage is some slick sound design work for subtle but immersive...
Extras: 100
While we get a very good behind-the-scenes making-of doc and over half an hour of deleted/extended scenes, the main attraction is the Inside The Lens: The Raw Cut presented with DTS-HD MA 7.1 audio....
Movie: 60
Knowledgeable on a wide range of social-political issues and classic literature, she’s the kind of character that raises more questions than gives answers and the issue is compounded when William H. Macy’s...
Total: 80
On disc, we also get to enjoy the surprisingly exciting and arresting Raw Cut version showing the final edit in finished and rough form simultaneously - and it's a fascinating watch....
Home Theater Forum review by Todd ErwinRead review here
Video: 100
Disney’s 2160p HEVC encode includes only HDR10 on this BD66 disc release, and while I was at first a bit disappointed that Disney has gone back to using a dual-layer UHD disc on movies exceeding two hours,...
Audio: 100
This is a very immersive experience, with sounds coming from all directions that move sealmlessly....
Extras: 70
Inside the Lens: The Raw Cut (1080p; 144:47): Exclusive to the 4K physical media release, watch the movie in split screen with the completed film on top and storyboards, performance capture footage, and...
Movie: 80
He stumbles upon a rival clan that is infiltrating their territory led by Sylva (Eka Darville), who leads his troops to Noa’s village, burning it to the ground and in the process killing Noa’s father,...
Total: 80
I was surprised how much I enjoyed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and the presentation on 4K Blu-ray is outstanding....
AVSForum review by Ralph PottsRead review here
Video: 92
The film contains a host of sequences that take place in low/limited lighting, and the increased delineation in blacks and shadows is appreciable and noteworthy....
Audio: 94
When present it creates an enriching level of immersion that coincides with the onscreen events nicely....
Extras: 70
Disc 1: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 4K Blu-ray Disc 2: Inside the Lens: The Raw Cut – A Full-Length Alternative Cut of the film on Blu-ray • Inside the Forbidden Zone: Making Kingdom of the Planet...
Movie: 80
As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past, and, to make choices that will define...
Total: 84
Ralph Potts AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews Reference Review System: JVC DLA-NZ7 4K Ultra High-Definition Laser Front Projector (Calibrated with Calman color calibration software and Portrait Displays C6 HDR2000...
Why So Blu?Read review here
Video: 100
The digital characters have a great look to them, almost lifelike a lot of the time, with wonderful depth of field keeping things looking front and center in foregrounds and backgrounds....
Audio: 100
Surround Sound Presentation: Echoes, natural ambience and the lower parts of what we heard in the height speakers present themselves here....
Extras: 80
A making of feature also is along for the bonuses, and while short-ish on time, it is not lost for good information!Inside The Lens: The Raw Cut – 2 hr. 25 min. –...
Movie: 80
Where the original series at times failed to reach the promise of the initial film, the new series has been not only consistent, but built upon each previous film to create a rich world of characters,...
Total: 80
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes gets a strong recommendation from me, and the 4K disc is obviously the way to go for all you collectors out there!...
Director: Wes Ball
Actors: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand
PlotIn a future where humans have largely disappeared and apes have risen to prominence, a young and ambitious ape named Cornelius emerges as a potential leader. Living in a society where apes have their own structured civilization, Cornelius grapples with the ghost of his legendary father, Caesar, while attempting to carve out his own path. As tensions rise between different tribes of apes, Cornelius finds himself caught in a power struggle that threatens to disrupt the fragile peace. His closest ally, Delia, helps him navigate the treacherous political landscape while they uncover remnants of human technology that may hold the key to the past and future.
Cornelius soon faces an even greater challenge as a formidable threat looms on the horizon, one that could upend their entire society. He must unite his people and work with rivals, including the hot-tempered Atticus, to confront this new danger. As they journey into uncharted territories, they encounter creatures and relics that provide clues about the history of both apes and humans. Cornelius struggles with his leadership responsibilities and the legacy of Caesar while coming to terms with his own beliefs and the destiny of his species.
Writers: Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Release Date: 10 May 2024
Runtime: 145 min
Rating: PG-13
Country: United States, Australia
Language: English