Proximus Caesar Is a Complex Villain in ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’
The Planet of the Apes reboot franchise will continue with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which is currently playing in theaters across the globe.
A major talking point in the film is its antagonist, Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), who has been making waves for his appearance and alleged motives in the film. The director, Wes Ball, recently broke down the character of the intimidating-looking ape in an interview with Screenrant:
What’s interesting as an adversary, I wouldn’t even call him a villain; he’s right. Everything he says in the movie is true, basically. And he is a fan of humans. They were capable of great things. They could level mountains; they could speak across oceans. “They could fly, Noa, like eagles fly.” He’s fascinated by what humans were and how they fell so far, and so he studies them. He’s learned everything about them. He knows more about humans than any ape in any of our stories…
Screenrant
Ball continued:
He has a twisted view of what Ceasar wanted. He’s the other character, with Raka telling Noa who Ceasar really was and this new guy calling himself the new Ceasar, Proximus Ceasar. Ceasar’s become more of a title now…This is a cool concept I think for a villain who is trying to make the first ape kingdom. He’s the first ape King. He dubs himself the King.
Screenrant
Proximus Ceasar is certainly the most unique villain the franchise has offered to date; as it can be said, the bonobo has brawn and brains in equal measure. Ceasar’s motive is to mirror humans and their progress over the years to eventually create an empire, and declare himself the Ape King. Ceasar’s views on mankind stand in stark contrast to Koba ( Toby Kebbell), who was at a crossroads with the former due to his trauma regarding humans.
As Ball mentioned in the interview, it can be unfair to categorize Caesar as a villain. His intentions of mimicking human technology and progress were initially fostered for the betterment of his clan. The film does a great job of depicting the consequences of good intentions transforming into something pernicious.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has mostly received positive reviews since its release, with the critics singling out the visual effects, action sequences, and ensemble cast’s performance. The movie holds an average rating of 6.9/10, and 81% of the 203 critic reviews are favorable.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is currently playing in theaters everywhere.
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