In 1999, special effects in movies were given a significant boost with the introduction of motion capture performances. As Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Ahmed Best was a landmark character in pushing the limits of what CGI could accomplish, particularly when creating fully digital characters in film. For most viewers, however, the most significant motion capture performance and the one that gained the most attention from audiences was Andy Serkis’ work as Gollum in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. With the help of the brilliant visual artists and Serkis’ acting, Weta FX achieved critical acclaim for their work, with the trilogy winning the Best Visual Effects Oscar three years in a row. Their work continued with Jackson’s 2005 remake of King Kong, as well as his “The Hobbit” trilogy with Serkis once again as Gollum and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug.
In 2011, with the release of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the movie was a reboot of the franchise started in 1968 and chronicled the story of Caesar (Serkis), a young chimpanzee who is injected with a serum that is intended to be a cure for Alzheimer’s. In turn, this makes Caesar much smarter than any other ape, and later uses the enhanced version of the drug to help other apes start an uprising against human beings, while also searching for a home away from them. The serum has an adverse effect on humans, and results in the spread of the ‘simian flu’, a virus that nearly wipes out the entire human species and drives the survivors underground, as explored in its sequels, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes. The story continues in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, as the franchise jumps 300 years ahead to introduce a new roster of characters who have thrived in the world since the near-end of humanity and Caesar’s efforts to save the apes. In this movie, Noa (Owen Teague) sets out on a journey after a harrowing event takes place, a journey that leads him to discover more of the world and meet new characters such as Raka (Peter Macon) and a human named Mae (Freya Allan), as well as encounter another ape clan ruled by Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), a tyrannical ape who wishes to establish a new kingdom and unite all the apes under his iron grip.
Throughout the previous trilogy, a major talking point among many critics and audiences were the terrific performances from the actors portraying the apes, particularly Serkis’ turns as Caesar in each installment. Other actors receiving credit for their roles included Toby Kebbell as Koba, Steve Zahn as Bad Ape and Karin Konoval as Maurice. Through motion capture and extremely minimal dialogue, the actors conveyed what the apes were feeling and convey their thoughts through the use of sign language and physical actions, as well as facial expressions captured expertly through the filming process. However, what is often forgotten in these processes is there is acting on display from the performers, as they have to convincingly be an ape for the length of the movie. With the three rebooted “Planet of the Apes” movies, this factoid was doubled down upon by Serkis, director Matt Reeves, as well as other members of the cast and crew, with much of the promotion showcasing how the performances are captured and rendered over, while not losing the emotions present in the expressions, nor the nuances in dialogue. It is to be expected then, that despite their contributions to the craft and the work put into creating the characters, they did not receive many major accolades for it, particularly when it came to recognizing their acting.
In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the actors once again are given the opportunity to showcase this talent with a trio of notable motion capture performances from Teague, Macon and Durand. Through Noa, the movie acts as both a tale of finding justice as well as a coming-of-age tale where he learns more about the world, and realizing much of what he has been taught is limited. By encountering Raka, he learns of the legends of apes before, and how society once welcomed an alliance between humans and apes. It also helps him understand the legends of Caesar and how his words have been interpreted by Proximus and his followers since his death, often in ways that Caesar himself would not approve of. With Mae, he understands that humans (called “Echoes”) are not as primitive as they are known to be, while also learning more about how much they have suffered because of the generations affected by the virus. Teague’s performance is exceptionally balanced, and his wonder is captured in spades throughout the movie. As Proximus Caesar, Durand is a commanding and terrifying presence, one that the movie builds to rather well. As he introduces himself to his followers with a booming “what a wonderful day!!!” from a raised platform, his character is shown to be one who wants to bring all apes under his rule, no matter how many clans must be razed to do so. All in the name of Caesar, Durand lives up to the legacy of great villains of this rebooted series such as Kebbell’s Koba and Colonel McCullough (Woody Harrelson), with a standout scene in his throne room talking about ‘e-volution’ and wanting to learn what comes next, in an ominous and noticeably quieter manner than other villains would.
The Apes movies have been instrumental in relaunching the conversations around motion capture performances, and how they are worthy of more recognition than they currently receive. In 2017, many critics and audiences praised the work done in War for the Planet of the Apes and wanted to see the awards circuit reflect that appreciation. While the movie was nominated for Best Visual Effects at the Oscars, eventually losing to Blade Runner 2049, the movies themselves have received more attention in the time since their release, with releases such as Avengers: Infinity War and Avatar: The Way of Water being effective in reigniting said conversations over praise for Josh Brolin and Zoe Saldana’s performances in their respective movies.
After four movies now in this latest series, one of the major calls once again is to give more recognition to motion capture performances and recognize them as acting, not something that anyone is capable of as there is a coating of CGI involved. With King Kong, Serkis had no dialogue to work with, yet despite this, the gorilla’s expressions and his reactions to seeing Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts), or his wonder at seeing a sunrise and sunset quietly, are captured in powerful ways. As Caesar in the Apes movies, he once again brought those talents to the character, and by War, his performance even rivaled many actors who were in consideration for the Oscar in 2017.
With movies such as John Wick: Chapter 4 and The Fall Guy recently shining a light on the stunt teams that make up movies as intricate as those, and making a public call to have the stunt departments recognized more at award ceremonies, it is hoped that it will lead inevitably to them receiving accolades on that level as well. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will hopefully be another example to showcase that a category for motion capture is long overdue as well. Time will tell if the inclusion takes effect.
Watch my review of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes here
still courtesy of 20th Century Studios
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