There’s big ideas underlying the Planet of the Apes films. There always has been. From the first film in 1968 until the most recent in 2017, the series has remained thematically rich in its exploration of humanity's flaws, touching on nuclear proliferation, slavery and subjugation, religious extremism, and more, depending on the instalment.
The most recent trilogy took us back to the origins of humanity’s downfall from a man-made virus and the rise of intelligent apes in our stead. Those films never seemed to question whether we deserved our fate because of our hubris – of course we did – but rather were concerned with whether our sins could be forgiven, and whether we were worth saving.
The overall story followed Caesar, an ape raised by humans who is the only one alive who saw firsthand the good in our species, becoming our only champion. He believes in co-existence, forgiveness and compassion, and when his story ends, his legacy is a hopeful one for both their species and ours.
In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which picks up centuries later, the memories of the great leader Caesar are all but forgotten. The earth has reverted to forest and jungle, and apes are primarily living in tribe-based societies, living in harmony with the land and each other.
The story begins with Noa (Owen Teague), a young member of the Eagle Clan. We’re following him through his tribe’s coming-of-age ritual: The retrieval of an eagle’s egg from the highest nest, to raise as your own, if you live to tell the tale.
The opening section feels downright utopian, reminiscent of the long stretches in James Cameron’s Avatar films in which we spend time with the Na’vi as they interact with the broader world of Pandora. There’s purity to their existence, a deep respect for the life around them. This makes it all the more agonising when it’s all ripped away, and the apes we’ve spent time learning to care for start being murdered indiscriminately.
Noa survives the initial onslaught, and as he flees, meets an orangutan named Raka (Peter Macon). Raka is the last surviving ape to have been taught their origins, who remembers the teachings of Caesar and wishes to keep his dream of peace and co-existence alive.
Noa’s clan was not killed by humans, in case you were wondering. Instead, there is an ape leader who is calling himself Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), who is inspired not by the ape of hundreds of years ago, but the man of thousands.
He sees the ruins of our world, and wishes that for his own. If he can bend the ape world to his will through whatever means necessary, he believes, that will once again be possible. If they can enslave the remaining humans, and harness their dormant weapons of mass destruction, perhaps they can use them to fuel his terrible rise.
This is when the big ideas of Kingdom begin to crystalise, the film becomes a worthy entry into one of the most consistent ongoing series in film history. The question is no longer whether humanity deserves to continue. The question is, are the apes doomed to repeat our mistakes? Will the same hubris plague them? Or can they maintain their veritable Garden of Eden?
If the film is successful, those are ideas that we’ll continue to ponder in future installments, as it becomes clear quite quickly this is laying the groundwork for another trilogy. And based on the quality of this film, it deserves one. The characters are well drawn and compelling, performed with the same committed physicality and wealth of feeling that made Andy Serkis’s motion caption performance as Caesar so unforgettable, with CGI so well deployed, you never question the film’s constructed reality.
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But, funnily enough, as much as all of this remains a potent metaphor for humanity’s many issues today, including the climate crisis and ongoing conflicts, it’s the human characters here that are the least compelling. Their world feels clunky in comparison, and where the humans' story might lead is less intriguing as a result. Will humanity be able to rebuild the world it lost? Who cares? I'd rather give the apes a chance, at this point.
But this series has earned my trust, as has new-to-the-series director Wes Ball. I’m ready for whatever prefix the Planet of the Apes may add next.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is out in cinemas on Thursday
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
SCORES IN BRIEF
New Zealand 153 and 56 for 1 in 22.4 overs at close
Pakistan 227
(Babar 62, Asad 43, Boult 4-54, De Grandhomme 2-30, Patel 2-64)
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
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How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
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Torque: 340Nm
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Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Hamilton’s 2017
Australia - 2nd; China - 1st; Bahrain - 2nd; Russia - 4th; Spain - 1st; Monaco - 7th; Canada - 1st; Azerbaijan - 5th; Austria - 4th; Britain - 1st; Hungary - 4th; Belgium - 1st; Italy - 1st; Singapore - 1st; Malaysia - 2nd; Japan - 1st; United States - 1st; Mexico - 9th
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Biog
Age: 50
Known as the UAE’s strongest man
Favourite dish: “Everything and sea food”
Hobbies: Drawing, basketball and poetry
Favourite car: Any classic car
Favourite superhero: The Hulk original
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