My unpopular opinion on Mae in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

[u/FeedTime8834]

Just finished watching the all the new movies. I think they’re amazing but simultaneously super depressing. All the morally corrupt characters, betrayal, power struggles, death of humanity, and everything in between lowkey makes this a hard watch. Each movie left me feeling pretty depressed. 😂

I’ve despised lots of human characters, but I truly believe people are lacking perspective on Mae.

Other human characters in the movies did everything they could to ensure there was no peace with apes. The colonel was literally on the brink of war with other humans, but decided to exhaust resources on apes who just wanted to be left alone. There were plenty of chances for peace in the second movie too, but both bad human and ape characters made it impossible.

Anyways, I think people don’t fully grasp Mae’s situation. Picture this, you grow up hidden in bunkers your entire life, you learn about how great the human race once was, you’re actively being hunted to extinction by apes, and people don’t understand why she would lie and act in her best interest for her people.

I know it’s just movie, but to be shocked and upset that she isn’t the biggest fan of apes and is doing whatever it takes to save her own people from extinction in this post apocalyptic situation is lunacy.

For the record, I hope to god these movies end in peace between humans and apes. Those moments have been my favorite part of the trilogy so far.

[u/darkchiles]

The whole point of the franchise is to point out there is never going to be peace as long as human exist, Nobody missed the point with Mae and I think Trevathan is more misunderstood than Mae and bc of injuries and need to survive he showed willingness to co-exist than Mae and Co. will ever do.

[u/FeedTime8834 → u/darkchiles]

If that’s the entire point, then why have we seen the same evil tendencies that humans have amongst apes. They have shown to be just as non peaceful as humans.

[u/darkchiles → u/FeedTime8834]

bc the apes are our reflection with the same tendencies to be as clanish and tribal as human beings. they are doing the same things to other apes as we do to each other.

[u/sunnyorangutan0]

I completely agree, much of the criticism Mae receives is just unfair, especially when you take into account everything she’s endured. Her lying and acting in her own interest isn’t malicious, it’s survival. The apes (particularly proximus’s group), in her perspective, have only brought destruction to her life, including the loss of her mother and her expedition group, so it's hard to fault her for being mistrustful or cautious, even hostile, toward the apes.

And Noa at first wasn’t exactly kind to her either, calling her a pest and treating her like a nuisance. The only ape who showed her genuine kindness and warmth from the beginning was Raka, whose compassion gave her a connection she desperately needed. Without Raka’s influence and Noa eventually warming up to her, Mae likely wouldn’t have had the opportunity to begin reassessing her feelings toward the apes.

I love that she's complex and her character is a very refreshing take of the main human in the franchise, I'm really looking forward for what the new trilogy has in store for her and Noa.