The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Rotten Tomatoes score has been revealed. Continuing the modern Planet of the Apes franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes picks up over three centuries from where War for the Planet of the Apes left off, exploring a world wherein apes have taken over a new ape, Proximus Caesar, has risen to power. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set for release on May 10 and features a leading cast including Freya Allan, Owen Teague, William H. Macy, Dichen Lachlan, and Kevin Durand.

Now, the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Rotten Tomatoes score has been revealed. At the time of writing, the film holds an 86% score on the critics site. This score is subject to change, as there are thus far only 48 critics’ reviews in. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes also does not yet have an audience score, as it does not release widely until Friday.

How Does Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Compare to the Other Films

For Planet of the Apes fans, this initial score is hopeful as to the quality of this next installment. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is taking an immense risk by setting the film so far apart from its predecessors. On the one hand, this could be a good choice as it has the opportunity to appeal to audiences both familiar and unfamiliar with the franchise, and it can expand the lore. On the other hand, it would then not benefit from the continuity of beloved characters like Maurice and Nova.

So far, it seems like this setting choice has paid off for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. If this score remains the same, this sequel will be right in the middle of the modern Planet of the Apes franchise, slightly behind Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (91%) and War for the Planet of the Apes (94%). These films were also beloved by the audiences, who gave them an 88% and 84% approval, respectively.

Looking beyond the modern Apes franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ current score is on par with that of the original 1968 Charlton Heston version of Planet of the Apes, which also has an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. It comes in far above the panned Tim Burton 2001 version of Planet of the Apes, which got a 43% critic score. If all goes well for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, its audience score and box office performance can match that of a high-performing critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes