Mae and Noa are not Disney-coded; they are clearly Ghibli-coded. Their journey reminds me a lot of the classic Studio Ghibli films, maybe also because of that wild and nature-filled setting, but mostly because the other day I thought of this scene from "Princess Mononoke" and it's literally them, and you can't deny it. I mean, I need fanart of this scene but with Nomae, someone please make it, that's all I'm asking for, I'm not a very greedy person, lol.
Watched more deleted scenes and it’s so clear that Mae saw Noa as a potential friend. Not just as a tool to use or an inevitable enemy.
During the campfire scene after Mae reveals she can speak, her and Noa were going to have a moment to themselves where they were going to talk about what they saw in the telescope & about the meaning of dreams. It was a very vulnerable conversation of Noa talking about his father and Mae talking about her mother. They were bonding not only over their mutual confusion about stars and space, but also over their parents.
Towards the end of the convo, Noa says something self deprecating and Mae stops him, saying he’s different from the others, before she walks away to sleep.
It was a really nice, touching moment between the two and I don’t think Mae was lying. Even she seemed surprised by her own sincerity. Like she’s still grappling with the idea that maybe Noa is different. Maybe apes aren’t all the same. Like this is the start of a very small seed undoing her preconceptions.
The scene definitely wasn’t them becoming besties, they’re still very far from that if they reach it at all. But I think Mae was beginning to see the POTENTIAL for a positive relationship. Something she didn’t expect traveling with an ape.
Which makes the finale where Mae holds the gun behind her back even more heartbreaking. Because she fears she might have to put down one of the VERY FEW apes she didn’t have to be afraid of. That she might not have had to be enemies with. Raka and Noa are the first apes she’s ever met that treated her with kindness, mercy, and compassion. Raka died saving her life, and now she might have to take Noa’s. It’s excruciating how alone Mae is.
But then Noa reminds her that maybe friendship between apes and humans is still possible. And Mae says she doesn’t know, but then she accepts Raka’s necklace and cries and leaves in peace, and it’s clear which path she subconsciously prefers (co-existence), it’s just going to take her some time to reach the conclusion herself.
While the deleted scene had to be scrapped because the subplots it covers got scrapped, I wish at least another version or rewrite of it had been made so it could’ve kind’ve stayed. That moment of them letting their walls down by the fire was really touching!
Their scenes together have this likable tension. Every time Im like WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHY DO I LOVE IT. There was this super intense scene in a field where Mae called for him and Noa came to her aid like a knight on a horse literally. It got me like- Oh… I want to see where this is going. 😳😳🙈
Their dynamic also complements each other that its cute! How they’re parallels but similar in what they’re fighting for. Both opening each other’s eyes to different worlds. HOW COULD I NOT WANT their relationship to develop in future sequels (even if they’re not endgame the TENSION IS THERE)
and their chemistry-
Its chef’s kiss. Its the Highlight of this film. When you watch it you’ll know. Their chemistry makes the characters sooo rootable and makes you more curious that you want to see how their dynamic flourishes whether as enemies or as besties- which is good and healthy for the franchise!!
Idk how they did it but the writers and Wes Ball knew what they were doing pining us with this tension. GENIUS.
" Ok well, maybe I thought about killing him, but I'm the only one allowed to think about killing him, and if you ever think about killing him too, I'll kill you first, but not before making you want to die desperately" —Mae about Noa.