Is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes OK for kids? Is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes safe for kids? Read the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Review | Safe for Kids?, an honest parents guide and mom movie review of the all-new 20th Century Studios/ Disney Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 film sequel, starring Owen Teague, Freya Allen, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy No spoilers! #KingdomofthePlanetoftheApes #ApesMovies May contain commissioned links.
Parents Guide Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Review | Safe for Kids?
It’s a film that was ahead of it’s time – sparking a science fiction franchise spanning over 50 years of ape fandom.
What started as a 1968 science fiction film phenomenon turned 1970’s film franchise turned 1974 television series turned 2000 reboot – isn’t monkeying around with this 20th Century Fox and Disney merger. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is the 4th sequel to Tim Burton’s 2001 Planet of the Apes remake with multiple Oscar® nominated reboots since including Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014, and War for the Planet of the Apes in 2017, and is the first film sequel since the Disney acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
But can a whole sci-fi franchise withstand another wave of film reboots? Or is this Disney investment just bananas?
In this Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Review | Safe for Kids?, I’m breaking down the visuals, the story, a full PG-13 age rating explanation for violence, adult themes and language, and what kids’ age recommendation is suggested to watch in this new 2024 movie review Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes parents guide to the new Disney/20th Century film sequel. A no-spoiler parent movie review of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024, can another Planet of the Apes film sequel set in the distant future spark another generation of Planet of the Apes fans? Or is this sci-fi franchise on a slippery slope of doomed film sequel banana peels?
The Visuals
Visually Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 is a strong CGI/live action contender. Blending together extraordinary landscapes, a sci-fi world that is dark, mysterious yet eerily familiar, and fine details down to the the tiniest ape fur – these apes have definitely evolved from the visuals of the last 2017 sequel. I foresee another sequel award-nominee contender in the future.
Photosensitivity Warning. For viewers prone to epilepsy and photosensitivity, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has multiple scenes with dizzying and fast spinning camera movements that could be nausea inducing. With creative angles and apes swinging climbing fighting and everything else – the chance of immersion in a dizzying sequence is quite the possibility – even for a movie vet like myself. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes also has scenes of bright flashing or strobing lights – with taser like lightning CGI effects that include some extreme close ups. Those sensitive should watch with caution especially if watching in IMAX.
The Story
20th Century Studios/Disney’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 is the fourth sci-fi film sequel in the 2011 Planet of the Apes reboot series directed by Wes Ball (the “Maze Runner” trilogy) with screenplay by Josh Friedman (“War of the Worlds”) and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (“Avatar: The Way of Water”) and Patrick Aison (Hulu’s “Prey”). The Planet of the Apes 4 movie stars Owen Teague (“IT”) as Noa, Freya Allan (“The Witcher”) as Nova/Mae, Kevin Durand (“Locke & Key”) as Proximus Caesar, Peter Macon (“The Orville”) as Raka, and William H. Macy (“Fargo”) as Trevathan.
The story is set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign, where the apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and the humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new ape leader builds up his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
Surprisingly, the story was much more watchable than I had expected. With even pacing gripping moments and action/adventure spread throughout I found myself easily immersed into a relatable and believable the Planet of the Apes world – even set generations in the future. Believing in character building of a bunch of talking apes that ride horseback – that’s an ape of a different color. The real question is – is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes for kids?
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes PG-13 Rating Explained
Is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 safe for kids? A Disney Fox merger Planet of the Apes film rated PG-13? Should parents be concerned? It’s no secret that I am highly skeptical of all MPAA ratings (um hello, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker not disclosing any language??). And as we know, not all movie and TV age ratings are the same. As a parent, it’s been rather heartbreaking to witness how ratings have shifted over the years with a G-rating no longer an option to help guide parents.
PG ratings now oscillating between Turning Red intense to Christopher Robin calm, and even PG-13/TV-14 age ratings teetering on the edge of R or MA ratings (Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night, I see you!), there’s a wide range between the age of 0-14 years old for parents to consider. Having fully disclosed parent guidelines can help determine if a movie or show is kid friendly – and safe for the whole family to watch together.
Why is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes rated PG-13? In this Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Review | Safe for Kids?, this Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 20th Century Studios and Disney Planet of the Apes 2024 film sequel is rated PG-13 for “intense sequences of sci-fi violence/action.” With film and TV ratings also unpredictable these days, having fully disclosed parent guidelines can help determine if a movie or television show like Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 is kid friendly. Is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes too violent for kids? Is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes too scary? Is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes for kids? Let’s breakdown that PG-13 age rating in this Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes parents guide.
Violence/Suspense. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 is a science fiction action/adventure film franchise that is known for intense violence sequences. And as expected some of the violent scenes can be pretty brutal. There’s a beastly brutality with the Planet of the Apes style of fighting – with multiple chase scenes (insert dizzying effects), hand-to-hand combat, and use of a variety of weapons from spears to knives to taser-like spears to slingshots to guns. But the center of the violence is mostly CGI ape to CGI ape (I would say about 95%)- cutting down on the scary factor for kids who can grasp that the “characters are not real” concept. Animal violence is minimal but present including tasering and whipping horses, hitting birds, and scenes of dead gutted fish.
Blood and gore are overall moderate for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Stab wounds to bloody gunshot wounds to dead ape bodies to open wounds on the face this 2024 sequel does not hold back on the violent images used to convey a savage war-like state. Human violence is also present. And there is an overall scared “survival mode” violence that could be conveyed as scary and dangerous. Death is seen throughout – with some harrowing scenes of perilous falling, drowning, choking, and being dragged. Kidnapping, imprisonment, slavery-like treatment, and being bound is also a common theme.
Peril and suspense are used throughout – with enhanced music and sounds to increase the possibility of jump scares. Overall, on par with previous Planet of the Apes and sci-fi film iterations
Adult Themes. There are no drugs, smoking, or alcohol consumption in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024. Thankfully there is also no toilet humor in this Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sequel.
There are multiple scenes in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes that refer to death, mourning, and grief that could be triggering for some – including funeral ceremonies where bodies are lit on fire. And the whole premise of the film is built on this sci-fi notion that humans have reverted to a caveman-like primitive state due to a “virus” and that has also made apes evolve and become smarter. But this is explained pretty well in the film.
Does Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes have sexual innuendo? There might be a little romance in the ape world. Sensual innuendo in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 sequel include visuals of hugging and holding hands. There is also an innuendo verbal reference to “liking” another ape.
Language. Does Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 have language? While not disclosed, there are a couple of choice words parents should be aware of. Foul language phrases and swear words in the new 2024 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes film sequel include: 3 “sh-t” and 1 sign language “implied” swear word – where an ape is signing while his back is turned to the camera.
Milder bad language phrases and insults in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 include: “hate” and “stinking.” Overall language is very mild for the new Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes movie – BUT STILL PRESENT EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT DISCLOSED.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Age Rating for Kids
With a runtime of 2 hours 25 minutes, this 2024 Planet of the Apes film is actually one of the shorter movie sequels since the 2011 reboot (the shortest being Rise of the Planet of the Apes at 1 hour 45 minutes). The added sci-fi action/adventure elements bring a gripping series of events to keep the story pace moving and the audience engaged.
However there are slower heavy dialogue parts that may be too boring and some heavy sci-fi/adult theme elements that may be too scary for younger kids. Kids would have seen and enjoyed previous Planet of the Apes films and sequels will adapt well to this newest release.
The 20th Century/Disney sci-fi Planet of the Apes 2024 film sequel is most like Planet of the Apes 2001, Rise of the Planet of the Apes 2011, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 2014, and War for the Planet of the Apes 2017.
This Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 20th Century Studios and Disney Planet of the Apes 2024 film sequel is rated PG-13 for “intense sequences of sci-fi violence/action” by the MPAA.
No, no end credit scenes in this Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 film sequel.
Based on my Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 parents guide and mom review above, I would not recommend Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes to kids younger than the age of 10-11 years old.
With dark sci-fi and violent themes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 is a sci-fi CGI/live action film that is the next level above more milder sci-fi films like Star Wars. I advise parents to prescreen the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes movie for intense, scary scenes, violence, and mild language.
Considering the full PG-13 age rating breakdown above, this parent reviewer would not recommend the new 2024 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes film sequel to kids younger than the age of 10-11 years old. This Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 PG-13 rating is overall on light and easily comparable to previous Planet of the Apes movie franchise ratings – with less human violence. 
The Overall
Will there be another Planet of the Apes sequel? Definitely. There’s a slippery banana peel slope here with the Disney/Fox merger and the future of the Planet of the Apes franchise.
Surprisingly watchable, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a world that you can easily swing into – even without watching eleven-ty billion iterations of sci-fi fan-based reboots. And honestly that’s the one thing that this 2024 reboot has going for it. Set generations beyond the interwoven backstory of over 50-years, a casual movie goer can pop in and enjoy an easy to digest action/adventure sci-fi film for the summer and appreciate it for what it is – an easy to watch summer flick.
Don’t think too hard about it.
Follow Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes on social media:
- Website: https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/movies/kingdom-of-the-planet-of-the-apes
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ApesMovies/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ApesMovies
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ApesMovies/
- #KingdomofthePlanetoftheApes #ApesMovies
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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the all-new 20th Century Fox and Disney original 2024 Planet of the Apes film sequel is swinging into theaters starting Friday May 10, 2024. Will your family be watching?
I was invited to screen the all-new Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2024 film sequel in exchange for this Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide. All photos courtesy of Disney/20th Century Studios. Be sure to follow Raising Whasians for more movie reviews, television updates, celebrity interviews, entertainment, and behind-the-scenes info!
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