Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

Genre

Action | Sci-Fi

Director

J. Lee Thompson

Country

USA

Cast

Roddy McDowall, Don Murray, Ricardo Montalban, Natalie Trundy, Hari Rhodes, Severn Darden, Lou Wagner, John Randolph, Asa Maynor, H.M. Wynant, David Chow, Buck Kartalian, John Dennis, Paul Comi, Gordon Jump, Dick Spangler

Storyline

In a futuristic world where apes are turned into slaves, Caesar (Roddy McDowall), the son of Cornelius and Zira, leads his chimp brothers in rebellion against the human oppressors.

Opinion

If "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" was just an excuse to bring talking apes back to the screen, "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" is just a pathetic attempt at making something out a lemon that has already been squeezed. The lemon is the idea of the talking apes, of course.

Obviously lacking of any sort of idea, the filmmakers found themselves in the situation to continue the storyline of the previous film. So here we are, twenty years later, where Milo, Cornelius and Zira's son, has been renamed Caesar, and apes have been enslaved as servants by mankind.

I don't know if that sounds ridiculous to you, but it sure is while watching the film that despite being only an hour and a half long manages to be extremely boring. Other than that, there are so many plot holes and inconsistencies, it's hard to even start.

The worst part, however, is how the apes are treated by humans. They are treated at first like pets and then like slaves and so brutalized, that you'll find yourself rooting for the apes. They kill humans, and try to destroy humanity, but all you can do is root from them. Can't you see what is wrong with this?

But it isn't complete garbage. The action is over the top, but it kind of works, and the scenes towards the end are quite well done - it feels like two different people directed this though. The music isn't half bad, and the acting is quite good, especially from Roddy McDowell in the role of Caesar.