A Review of the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

To wrap up our summer honeymoon week, my wife and I decided to go out and see a movie in the theater. I've always enjoyed the movie theater experience more than my wife has, but since it's so rare that we go out to one, I wanted to make it part of our week. We both happen to be Planet of the Apes fans. More so of the original films than the ones that started in 2011, but Amanda is very much a completionist and I have liked the newer movies well enough.

This one has been out for a little while as I post this, so I won't go into too many plot synopsis or spoilers here. Mostly I intend to give my overall impressions. Admittedly, the film isn't super fresh in my mind. I saw it over a week ago at this point. However, how much a movie sticks with you upon an initial viewing can often be telling in itself.

Enough excuses for my laziness and lack of professionalism (haha irony and self-awareness makes it better!), how was the newest Apes movie for Joe?

The thing I expressed to my wife first is actually the element that sticks out the most to me as I type this and attempt to recall my impressions. It's the visuals. The movie looked rather good. I know that in heavy CGI ladden epic action movies like this, which are rather common nowadays, that's kind of expected. Anything that doesn't look expensive is going to stand out as shoddy computer effects. As someone who typically prefers practical effects (there's just something about the idea of people handcrafting something and using resources at hand), I think the CGI here was pretty good. I think there are some really good examples of heavy CGI that do look pretty and can be marvels in their own way. The problem is, a really good practical effect tends to age better. CGI that blew me away 20 years ago often looks a little tacky. Even when I push nostalgia aside, as with most aspects of movies, I think you should consider a film in the context of when it was made as well as asking, "does the story hold together well?"

I feel like I'm ranting more here than usual. I'm not sure if this is my desire to seem more experimental or an attempt to capture my stream of consciousness while also trying to make a written piece more polished. Probably a bit of both. Is such a thing possible? Is the pretentious level over 9000? You tell me. Are we having fun yet? 

Amanda just asked, "How's it going over there?" I guess it's going good. Maybe I should go back to trying to write about this movie. This is the  Manduke Movie Blog, is it not?

Anyway, I think the visuals of the film were pretty impressive, particularly everything involved with the setting. The jungle looked vibrant and lush. It was one of those instances of something being very digital but it was so detailed and pretty I didn't care. There can be true artistry in CGI too!

The apes themselves looked good as expected, although there is one area where I felt they may have done better in previous films of the series. It was the eyes. There is kind of a creepy lifelessness to them that I found distracting at some points. Beyond that, they looked pretty darn good. 

Despite the visuals looking appealing, this movie didn't really show off as much in the action. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as this one tries to focus a little more on character, plot and general world building. All these particular areas are relatively simple, straightforward and familiar. You've got the classics revenge/find my family arc all tied into a very primal plot. Despite the simplicity, I kind of appreciated the tropes found within those sort of early man/prehistoric narratives which use these basic formulas. They tend to take some of the most basic formulas of plots and strip them down to their purest form. 

While I find it refreshing in a way (it's kind of why I like games like Far Cry: Primal or the stories of Robert E Howard due to that foundational universal sort of tale), it is extremely simple. I kind of found myself wishing it would delve a little more into some of the themes it teased a bit. The Apes movies in the past at least attempted to be cerebral sci-fi asking societal questions. The biggest idea this one touted was how history and religious/philosophical ideologies can be misinterpreted or twisted by different groups over time. We've seen the character of Caesar and what his beliefs were, but enough time has passed that he's become a legend, a fragmented story and simply an idea. The characters in the film didn't truly know Caesar or his experiences or perspectives, they just have ideas. The parts of these ideas the have power, for good or ill. 

You've got so many classic elements of the hero's journey here, most prominent to me being the mentor orangutan figure (why are they always the wisest ones?). He gives our hero, Noa, the teaching of Caesar based around peace among apes as well as acceptance of humans. I liked the pendant he gives Noa, which was  based on Caesar's memories of his human home, now a symbol much like a cross. The specifics of the origins of this symbol are unknown to these followers, but the idea permeates. Meanwhile we of course have our baddies, who latch onto the hatred and fear Caesar had toward humans. Once again, they don't have the full story, but there is some truth to the foundation of their particular ideology.

It's kind of a small thing, but my favorite aspect of the film, beyond the general presentation and some visual/auditory references to the older films I thought were pretty well integrated, was the villain. Proximus is just a fun bad guy. At first glance he seems like he'd be written as pure evil or some sort of brute. He's actually a student of history and fully believes he's doing what his best for his kind, using the Roman expansion as his inspiration for his persona and military ambition. Of course, he sees himself as an inheritor of ape leadership. His ego feeds into this visage of bombastic theatricality, much in line with one who wishes to rally his troops as a figurehead. He was over the top in some ways, but behind this was kind of a sort of everyman (or everyape in this case) who took an opportunity and went with it. He was scary but in a believable sort of way. I appreciate the subtlety.

There were some things we didn't like though. Gary Oldman is the obligatory well known human actor in the movie, who  plays a character who reads to Proximus and sides with him after being captured. He is sort of a defeated person, but we don't really know who he is or what truly motivates him. He's just seems to be there more for exposition. Even worse is the main human, the girl named Nova (naturally) who turns out to be part of a group of humans who have retained their intelligence and use of technology. While I kind of appreciated the twist, this woman just seems to know everything and be able to do everything. Without her, the apes would have not been able to accomplish much, at least not without a more complex plot and perhaps a whole other movie. Her motivations also weren't entirely clear. I appreciate that there is a level of mistrust the humans have of all apes, but she's another character who wasn't fleshed out enough.

Those issues aside, Amanda and I both did enjoy the movie. Maybe this was due to lowered expectations but it was a good viewing experience. I settled on giving this one a B and Amanda gave it an A-. So I guess you could say we collectively gave it a B+. If you're not a huge Apes fan, maybe wait to give this one a rent or see if it available for free, but its a nice watch for some good simple storytelling. Until next time, thanks for reading!

Joe

The Manduke's Summer Honeymoon Adventure (Hershey, the Poconos and a Movie!)

 

With the school year over, Amanda and I were able to take our honeymoon week vacation. We decided  to do something a little different each day, encompassing our trip to Jim Thorpe. This trip didn't exactly go as planned but we'll get to that. 

On Monday we started off our week with a day at the pool. We're still getting to know the area and were not familiar with every public pool. We opted for one by a park I had frequented once or twice and it turned out to be a very nice pick. It wasn't too crowded and we got pretty good use of the available space. Our attempts to read/sunbathe were interrupted by an older gentleman who kept inciting conversation with us. He was friendly enough, but it prompted us both to go back into the pool a bit sooner than we intended. Not really a bad thing. It was a beautiful day. 

We then had dinner at a local Italian restaurant I'd never heard of before. Fabio's had wonderful decor and was surprisingly busy for a Monday night. It turns out the food was one of the main reasons why (in addition to speedy and friendly service). The atmosphere was something between fine dining with an air of homestyle you'd expect from a family-run establishment. The portions of the appetizers and entrees were so sizeable that dessert was simply out of the question! Amanda had a great pick and I hope to go back soon!

The whole week was hot. So, while we remained mostly pretty cool on our Monday, Tuesday we ventured outside again without the assistance of water-related activities to keep our temperatures down. It turned out to be somewhat fortunate that we would be leaving town for a few days, as our air conditioner stopped functioning properly around this time. Our apartment was pretty muggy to put it mildly. Our diversion on the second day was mini-golf at Adventure Sports. This was only our second time at mini-golf (surprisingly). It was a good time. The course wasn't too difficult and we went at a pretty decent pace despite the groups of teenagers ahead of us. We had to deliver one of their bags to them since one of them kept leaving behind. Alas, we earned our Good Samaritan badges for the day (I suppose/is that a thing?). I'm not being cheeky when I say I'm not sure who won the game. I think Amanda did though, as revenge for my defeating her the first time. I'm interested to go back and check out the arcade at some point. 

Wednesday we set forth on our little trip to Jim Thorpe. Our initial plan was to take a day or two to see a few of the recommended sites in the town, sprinkling in a day at the lake with a trail or two in there. Before reaching town, we decided to stop at Mauch Chunk Lake Park and check out one of the trails. We opted for an easier one. Switchback Trail is mostly shaded and goes well around the lake itself. There were many deep greens and tiny tributaries around us and along much of the trail which comprised most of the dense forest. I hadn't been up that way in a long time and don't think I ever went to Poconos specifically. The forested mountains there seemed so green and full compared to the valleys of Central Pennsylvania I'm used to. The roundness of the peaks seemed more pronounced to me. I was surprised but there did seem to be some differences. 

This next part was the result of my lack of experience with the area, a lack of research, and perhaps just a simple misunderstanding of the layout of our primary destination. While I suspected that Jim Thorpe was a small town in which one could walk to all the major points of interest, I underestimated perhaps how small. I guess pictures just don't do it justice. 

For anyone who would like to go to Jim Thorpe, parking is pretty limited. The whole town is along one road which is tightly interwoven between the mountains. It's very cool visually, but the heavy traffic combined with the heat made us rethink how much we really wanted to check out the several points of interest recommended. After some deliberation, we decided that Jim Thorpe may be a day trip at some point, perhaps when it's a little cooler. 

To break up the time before heading closer to where we would be staying, we decided to find a place to stay cool. Naturally, we made our way to the library in Lehighton. It was a small library but cozy. Amanda finished a community puzzle and we each started a book we'd never read. Amanda went for Lolita and I went for the novelization of Attack of the Clones. We both enjoyed what we read and expressed interest to continue reading them. Never before would I have thought that particular novelization would have piqued my interest. It was a pleasant surprise brought on by a very specific circumstances. It's interesting how things work out that way sometimes.

Our next destination was the Bear Mountain Butterfly Sanctuary, which I'm confident to say we both found pretty adorable. It's deceptively bigger than it appears from the outside, although the butterfly room is only a small part of it. There is of course a gift shop and an educational wing where the employees give presentations on butterflies. There are also some fun activities for the family which we partook. I enjoyed the coloring myself. 

Amanda was extremely popular with the butterflies, as she had three on her at one point. One of them rested on her hand and just would not leave! As one of the young ladies working there put it, "It must be because she's so sweet."

To be honest though, my favorite aspect of the place had nothing to do with butterflies. It turns out the sanctuary was home to some reptiles and amphibians. There were a pair of turtles, many different frogs, and an axolotl, which neither of us had ever seen outside of textbooks or online images. It was a very cool (and cute) creature! 

We had booked a few nights in this house in Albrightsville, where I've seen more deer in the span of five minutes than at any other point in my life. Seriously, on the way back to the home one of the nights there must have been ten deer acting as obstacles to prevent us from getting back. It was a nice place, though maybe not well designed for a couple, as it was set up more for a bigger family to place their belongings in between excursions. Amanda and I liked the idea of watching a movie at night, but the furniture wasn't set up the best for that. It worked out though, since (although watching options were limited) we did end our evenings with some Steven Seagal films. This has become something of a tradition and running joke since we've gotten together.

Unfortunately, the lack of AC and just getting acclimated to sleeping in new surroundings meant neither of us slept super great during the trip. Also, trying to find places suitable to eat proved to be its own adventure. 

The journey to Jim Thorpe became an exploration of the Poconos near Albrightsville. We primarily went to Hickory Run Park and spent some time on the beach at Sand Spring Lake. The water was nice and healthy, as indicated by the many tiny fish that swam in large clusters near the shore. There weren't too many people so it was relaxing and felt nice and tucked away. I kept trying to get a picture of the birds as they swooped by. Every time they landed, they had flown away before I could get a good shot. They were pretty cool though.

Amanda also humored me by picking a local winery. This was Mountain View in Stroudsburg. It's been a while since I've tasted some new wines. Mountain View is also a brewery and distillery, so there were even more options for samples. The view was absolutely lovely. It felt quiet, secluded, and peaceful. The food was excellent as well. For me, it's one of the best winery experiences I've had and one of the high points of the trip for both of us. I highly recommend it to those who are interested!

We spent the nights there playing some party games provided by the host. These were Spot It!, I Wish I Didn't Know, We're Not Really Strangers, and Guess the Gibberish. These were fun to pick up and we both enjoyed them enough that I made a note to remember them all. As someone who really has to be in the right mood to play any sort of card game, I did pretty well and enjoyed all the games more than I thought I would. These were quiet moments, but we had some laughs and some good discussions with them. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Of course, as I was starting to feel comfortable in the new area, it was time to go.

Before we left, we went for a little hike up to Hawk Falls. It was a pretty short hike, therefore a popular one. Getting to the waterfall revealed a pretty sight. It was awesome how being in relative proximity to the falls made us immediately cooler. I was a wonderful site to behold. I'd like to check out some similar ones. Maybe we'll have to make that another little goal!

Our last stop before returning home was to check out the No. 9 Coal Mine and Museum. Anyone who is interested in history or geology would probably find this fascinating. The museum is filled with so many artifacts from early 20th century mining and beyond that you could probably be there for hours if you examined every individual piece. The real highlight is the tour itself, where you are transported by rail 1600 feet into the mine, where the tour guide gave us extensive information as to the working conditions of the miners. It was chilly in there and we even got to experience what it was like with no lights on. I must admit, I really looked forward to getting out of the mine before the tour was over. Overall though, it gave me a major appreication for the struggles of the miners of Pennsylvania's mountains. I have a great respect for these people. 

Upon our weekend return we made a point to make more excursions out, as our air conditioning still wasn't working properly. We went out to eat at a few places and on Saturday we went to the Pirate and Fairy Festival in Pottsville. This festival didn't have the biggest turnout, probably due to the heat. We were able to see the actors perform and sing at several of the events. It felt like a much more personal gathering of a community which added its special charm. The actors were dedicated and Amanda had several interactions with the Pirate Librarian, who seemed to be running the show. It was a nice time although I'd be curious to see what it will be like in the future. I'd love to see this festival grow. 

We wrapped up our honeymoon week with a movie and an ice cream. Both were simian in nature, as we decided on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Ice cream was had at King Kone. We both liked the movie (more than I think either of us were expecting). It's been a bit since I've written a movie review, so I'll expand more on that later. I'll just say here that it was a good time and a nice way for us to end our week of honeymoon celebration. The ice cream was good too!

This was a pretty eventful week for us and I admit that it was stressful at times for two homebodies like us. Even so, as I've taken the time to look back and document this trip, I realized that it was pretty fun and often interesting. It didn't work out exactly as we planned, but we still had a really good time together. I'm looking forward to more events like this in the future, as discussing and analyzing the aftermath with Amanda is often the best part of these trips. I'm happy we made some good memories this past June and we plan to make many more!

-Joe