Daily Debate: Having Seen Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Are You More Hopeful About the Zelda Movie?

As we discussed this past weekend, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes just recently hit theaters. For many, fairly or unfairly, the film represents more than just another installment in a storied film series. With franchise newcomer Wes Ball at the helm, the movie is already in the daunting position of following after one of the most beloved film trilogies of all time. Add on top of that the news that Ball is set to direct the live-action Legend of Zelda movie – suddenly, Kingdom also represents a sort of proving ground for his ability to tackle such a grand-scale story.

Now that the weekend has passed, many of us have presumably had a chance to see the film. With that said, I’m curious: how has Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes affected your enthusiasm – or lack thereof – for the Zelda movie?

Some brief context regarding my own anticipation for the Zelda movie prior to seeing Apes: As Nintendo’s first modern-day game-to-film adaptation, the recent Super Mario Bros. Movie didn’t instill a ton of confidence in me. Despite its faithfulness to the series’ iconography, the movie felt more like a by-the-numbers commercial than a story with legitimate heart. Coupling that with many of producer Avi Arad’s recent film credits – Morbius and Uncharted, especially – my anticipation for the Zelda movie has definitely been one of cautious optimism.

Having seen Kingdom myself, the needle has moved ever so slightly in a more optimistic direction. I definitely still have questions about how much creative ownership Ball will have amidst the dual-production machine of Hollywood and Nintendo, and his Apes movie is a step down from the previous trilogy. That said, its heart is in the right place in that it feels far less cynical than your average legacy-sequel. And though I wish the movie had given more screen time to some of its most charismatic characters, Kingdom generally seems more concerned with its world than getting to the next action set-piece.

Again, I’d love to hear from those of you who have seen the film. Does Wes Ball seem like a solid choice for the Zelda movie, or are you less enthused about his trip to Hyrule? Let us know in the comments below!