143 reviews
This final installment in the series may be a bit corny, but it sure as hell does provide us with some action. Humans and apes are again at war, and as a result a lot of stuff explodes, that's pretty much the summary. The usual philosophic remarks are thrown in, but they just work up to the battle the title promised. The action scenes are pretty chaotic but still look good, especially the scene early in the movie where they enter the forbidden zone/undergrond parking lot works out well. By this time the actors knew what they were making and seemed to be loving it, Claude Akins hams it up like crazy. His portrayal of man-hating general Aldo has one dimension, and that dimension is really built to last. We meet Aldo and he's angry, we see him again later and he's angry, and then finally he's well what do you know, angry. His best scene comes near the ending though, you'll know it when you see it. You can say a lot of negative things about this movie, but boring it ain't.
- Sandcooler
- Jun 5, 2009
- Permalink
In my opinion this film is underrated it is not a great film by any means but is better than Beneath The Planet Of The Apes and Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes. This is the fifth and final chapter in the ape saga and in my opinion it didn't disappoint the planet is a desolated place, Ceasar wants apes and humans to live together however ape has the edge over man as leaders and the humans fight back... This film stars Roddy McDowell, Claude Akins & Natalie Trundy this film was directed by J.Lee Thompson i recommend this film even though it has a low rating on IMDb it is an enjoyable film so watch and enjoy THE FINAL CONFRONTATION
***/*****
***/*****
- veryape-887-913905
- Jan 3, 2014
- Permalink
A point raised by Caesar's enemy, Kolp (Darden in a mustache-twirling snidely elegant turn at maddened villainy), in this 5th and final Apes film. But a king usually has more than one enemy, as Caesar finds, to his grief. A predictable and mostly logical follow-up to the previous "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes," this one, like "Beneath the Planet of the Apes," stresses sci-fi action rather than any deep themes related to slavery or culture shock. Several years after a nuclear war, we find a surprisingly peaceful yet primitive village occupied by both apes and humans, governed by chimp Caesar (McDowall), who began a revolution in the previous film, as a young radical. Now much older - either about 10 or 30 years older, depending on various sources - he projects a benign fatherly personality. It's not quite paradise: though not the slaves as apes were previously, humans have shifted to 2nd-class citizens, despite an image of equality, and tension escalates due to local bully gorilla Aldo (Akins - 'call me by my proper rank, General, huh!'). Then Caesar himself opens the door to other possible problems by visiting a nearby nuked city (obviously the same one from the previous film). There, the human governor from "Conquest..." has been replaced by his security chief, Kolp, who was bad enough as 2nd in command - now he's bored just sifting through the rubble with his few mutated followers - time to work off the doldrums and teach a clever ape how to show respect.
This entry is generally regarded as the worst of the 5 films, if most fans had to pick one, but it's not a complete waste by comparison. There really is a battle at the end, a mini-war between the invading mutants and the village - but then the final confrontation between Caesar & Aldo is slow going. This film is almost like a precursor to all of those post holocaust sci-fi pieces in the eighties ("Steel Dawn," etc.). The biggest weakness is that nothing really new is added to the saga. The new character, Virgil (Williams), for example, is a genius orangutan, but he's a retread of the genius chimp from "Escape..." What this film does, really, is bring things full circle for the 5-film saga, though not in a very creative way. As with the previous film, "Conquest...", events that should occur over the course of decades or centuries are depicted in the span of days. The filmmakers got all the old costumes from the first 3 films out of mothballs and outfitted the apes here the same way, against logic. The mutated humans from the bombed out city are the ancestors of the mutants we've seen in "Beneath..." - they even show the alpha-omega bomb which, though almost detonated here, remains as is until it supposedly destroys everything in two millennium. However, a prologue and epilogue set about 600 years from now with the orangutan Lawgiver (Huston) shows that the future is not set, so now we're left guessing. This movie was followed by the short lived TV series, which took place about a thousand years in the future.
This entry is generally regarded as the worst of the 5 films, if most fans had to pick one, but it's not a complete waste by comparison. There really is a battle at the end, a mini-war between the invading mutants and the village - but then the final confrontation between Caesar & Aldo is slow going. This film is almost like a precursor to all of those post holocaust sci-fi pieces in the eighties ("Steel Dawn," etc.). The biggest weakness is that nothing really new is added to the saga. The new character, Virgil (Williams), for example, is a genius orangutan, but he's a retread of the genius chimp from "Escape..." What this film does, really, is bring things full circle for the 5-film saga, though not in a very creative way. As with the previous film, "Conquest...", events that should occur over the course of decades or centuries are depicted in the span of days. The filmmakers got all the old costumes from the first 3 films out of mothballs and outfitted the apes here the same way, against logic. The mutated humans from the bombed out city are the ancestors of the mutants we've seen in "Beneath..." - they even show the alpha-omega bomb which, though almost detonated here, remains as is until it supposedly destroys everything in two millennium. However, a prologue and epilogue set about 600 years from now with the orangutan Lawgiver (Huston) shows that the future is not set, so now we're left guessing. This movie was followed by the short lived TV series, which took place about a thousand years in the future.
- Bogmeister
- Jun 3, 2006
- Permalink
So the final entry in the Planet of the Apes series takes liberties with the timeline and the plot wanders through other prior installments, but I feel the movie delivers a degree of pathos seldom seen in a sequel. The bookend scenes involving the Lawgiver, John Huston in heavy make up, speaking to a group of schoolchildren--apes and humans--tie up the saga nicely, leaving open the future for more sequels.(Tim Burton in his dreadful remake should have filled in the blanks instead of "reimagining" a different world of apes. Only my opinion.) Things I like include the character Mandemus, keeper of the armory(Caesar's conscience), the trek to the radioactive city, Caesar's viewing of his dead parents in the Hall of Records and the final ambiguous shot of the movie. The money allocated to Leonard Rosenman's impressive score was well spent. The pop singer Paul Williams display a deft touch for acting in his debut. Try and catch this screen gem on Fox Movie Channel and you will be treated to additional scenes involving the always looming doomsday bomb. And special praise to J.Lee Thompson for delivering more with less.
One decade after a worldwide series of ape revolutions and a brutal nuclear war among humans, Caesar must protect survivors of both species from an insidious human cult and a militant ape faction alike.
Screenwriters John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington were brought in after the success of their film "The Omega Man", although prior to that neither one of them had written any science fiction films and, indeed, Joyce Carrington later admitted they had never seen any of the Apes films prior to being hired to write the script for "Battle".
Roger Ebert gave the film a negative review, stating, "Battle looks like the last gasp of a dying series, a movie made simply to wring the dollars out of any remaining ape fans." As usual, Ebert is spot on. This feels nothing like an "Apes" movie at all, and the continuity starts to get a little strange. Even ignoring the paradox of the time loop, there is no explanation of how the apes became able to speak and so forth. If Caesar had a mate and this was 500 years in the future it might make sense, but apes simply do not have the ability to speak!
Screenwriters John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington were brought in after the success of their film "The Omega Man", although prior to that neither one of them had written any science fiction films and, indeed, Joyce Carrington later admitted they had never seen any of the Apes films prior to being hired to write the script for "Battle".
Roger Ebert gave the film a negative review, stating, "Battle looks like the last gasp of a dying series, a movie made simply to wring the dollars out of any remaining ape fans." As usual, Ebert is spot on. This feels nothing like an "Apes" movie at all, and the continuity starts to get a little strange. Even ignoring the paradox of the time loop, there is no explanation of how the apes became able to speak and so forth. If Caesar had a mate and this was 500 years in the future it might make sense, but apes simply do not have the ability to speak!
A limp way for the original franchise to finish.
Its predecessor, 'Conquest of the Planet of the Apes', was a weak entry too but remained watchable, though 'Battle for the Planet of the Apes' kinda straddles the other side as it's uninteresting. I didn't dislike it and it is very short at around 82 minutes, which helps. Roddy McDowall is the pick of the cast, though even his performance feels weary at this point.
A 'strong' 2½* rating from me, if such a thing exists. It was the right time for them to end this (very good, all in all) series.
Its predecessor, 'Conquest of the Planet of the Apes', was a weak entry too but remained watchable, though 'Battle for the Planet of the Apes' kinda straddles the other side as it's uninteresting. I didn't dislike it and it is very short at around 82 minutes, which helps. Roddy McDowall is the pick of the cast, though even his performance feels weary at this point.
A 'strong' 2½* rating from me, if such a thing exists. It was the right time for them to end this (very good, all in all) series.
- incognitoami
- May 22, 2006
- Permalink
The last of the original series takes place a decade or so after its predecessor. There's an Ape City, run by Caesar, the benevolent ruler played by Roddy McDowall, and its human denizens are servants to their simian cousins. Caesar's aide tells him of a place in the Forbidden City, now decimated by nuclear strikes, where video footage of Caesar's parents exists. Caesar has no memories of his parents, who were killed when he was a baby, so he, his aide, and the wise Virgil (Paul Williams) travel to the city and encounter a band of now-mutated humans who live in some squalor and are led by Kolp (Severn Darden). Kolp, learning of the apes' arrival, decides to launch a preemptive strike on Ape City to exterminate them all. Meanwhile, there's dissension among the apes - particularly, the combative General Aldo (Claude Akins), who wants to take over because he likes making war and being the Man. Anyway, the movie isn't as good as those earlier in the series, but it's passable. McDowall is very good, and in fact the ape costumes are still top notch. This is a fitting coda to the series.
- dfranzen70
- May 27, 2019
- Permalink
- planktonrules
- Jul 10, 2006
- Permalink
- mark.waltz
- Jan 26, 2020
- Permalink
Here is the final chapter in the PLANET OF THE APES series, and it's one of the most unjustly maligned sequels in film history. Sure, it's easily the least of the five movies, but it's still entertaining and has something to say, which is a quality that's usually missing with most fifth entries of a long franchise, and definitely in science fiction films in general these days.
It's now some years after the events of CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, and we learn that much has happened in the interim; most importantly, man must have pushed a panic button during the subsequent ape wars, as much of the Earth (or at least the North American section of it) has become radioactive wasteland, thanks to the detonation of some kind of bomb. BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES centers on one small community of survivors - who are not necessarily supposed to be considered "the entire world population," as so many detractors mistake when they like to condemn its small budget - but just a relatively modest group of apes and humans in one specific area who try to re-build their lives in peace. Can it ever be done?
Roddy McDowall returns as Caesar, who is more benevolent than he was in CONQUEST, but still has trouble completely trusting humans at this point in time - and even, as he grows to learn, some apes! Probably due to that plague that befell the world decades ago, the simians are still increasing in speech and intelligence at an incredible rate. While apes are the dominant species in this particular neighborhood, humans are treated with at least a moderate amount of respect, except by self-appointed gorilla general Aldo (Claude Akins), who would prefer to exterminate all of mankind instead of tolerating them.
There's still a point to the series, although by now it has reached the level of repetition -- "will man and ape ever be able to survive together as equals"? Not only do Aldo and his gorillas despise the humans of their own village, but a group of mutated human survivors from the old city are still alive and vow to wage war on Caesar's tranquil little town. It should also be noted that there was a very poignant subplot originally filmed which involved the mutants and their devotion to an Alpha/Omega bomb (making these beings the likely ancestors of the ones we'd later see in BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES). Without these scenes, the film isn't as intelligent as it might have otherwise been, and as of this writing the footage has only been made available on a Japanese laserdisc.
I think the casting was wonderful this time around. I mean, was Claude Akins perfect for a gorilla general or what? And Paul Williams was a natural for his part as Virgil, the wise little orangutan. John Huston as the Lawgiver and Lew Ayres as Mandemus were also interesting choices.
Yes, again the money was still tight for this chapter, so those expecting a huge blown-out, full scale war should be advised that it's more along the lines of ... well, a "battle". The movie is supposed to take place in a barren, scantily populated wasteland; why so much more money was thought to be needed under those circumstances is beyond me.
As a big fan of the APES films, I waited almost 30 years for Twentieth Century-Fox to revisit this series. There were still plenty of possibilities that could have been explored: what other forms of life and civilizations still existed in other locations throughout America? Whatever happened to apes and people over in the other countries? Apparently, none of that mattered to Fox. Like many, I guess they just don't "get " this saga. Instead, when they finally got around to making another film it was yet another needless "re-imagining" that was rushed out with no idea as to what made these films so engaging to those who liked them in the first place. *** out of ****
It's now some years after the events of CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, and we learn that much has happened in the interim; most importantly, man must have pushed a panic button during the subsequent ape wars, as much of the Earth (or at least the North American section of it) has become radioactive wasteland, thanks to the detonation of some kind of bomb. BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES centers on one small community of survivors - who are not necessarily supposed to be considered "the entire world population," as so many detractors mistake when they like to condemn its small budget - but just a relatively modest group of apes and humans in one specific area who try to re-build their lives in peace. Can it ever be done?
Roddy McDowall returns as Caesar, who is more benevolent than he was in CONQUEST, but still has trouble completely trusting humans at this point in time - and even, as he grows to learn, some apes! Probably due to that plague that befell the world decades ago, the simians are still increasing in speech and intelligence at an incredible rate. While apes are the dominant species in this particular neighborhood, humans are treated with at least a moderate amount of respect, except by self-appointed gorilla general Aldo (Claude Akins), who would prefer to exterminate all of mankind instead of tolerating them.
There's still a point to the series, although by now it has reached the level of repetition -- "will man and ape ever be able to survive together as equals"? Not only do Aldo and his gorillas despise the humans of their own village, but a group of mutated human survivors from the old city are still alive and vow to wage war on Caesar's tranquil little town. It should also be noted that there was a very poignant subplot originally filmed which involved the mutants and their devotion to an Alpha/Omega bomb (making these beings the likely ancestors of the ones we'd later see in BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES). Without these scenes, the film isn't as intelligent as it might have otherwise been, and as of this writing the footage has only been made available on a Japanese laserdisc.
I think the casting was wonderful this time around. I mean, was Claude Akins perfect for a gorilla general or what? And Paul Williams was a natural for his part as Virgil, the wise little orangutan. John Huston as the Lawgiver and Lew Ayres as Mandemus were also interesting choices.
Yes, again the money was still tight for this chapter, so those expecting a huge blown-out, full scale war should be advised that it's more along the lines of ... well, a "battle". The movie is supposed to take place in a barren, scantily populated wasteland; why so much more money was thought to be needed under those circumstances is beyond me.
As a big fan of the APES films, I waited almost 30 years for Twentieth Century-Fox to revisit this series. There were still plenty of possibilities that could have been explored: what other forms of life and civilizations still existed in other locations throughout America? Whatever happened to apes and people over in the other countries? Apparently, none of that mattered to Fox. Like many, I guess they just don't "get " this saga. Instead, when they finally got around to making another film it was yet another needless "re-imagining" that was rushed out with no idea as to what made these films so engaging to those who liked them in the first place. *** out of ****
- JoeKarlosi
- Feb 15, 2005
- Permalink
After the thrilling conclusion to "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes", it seemed as if the Apes tale had come full circle. Yet, for whatever reason, a final sequel was made on a shoe-string budget, featuring a plot that, while still interesting, was not worthy to end such an epic series. Sadly, then, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" sends the series out with a whimper, not a bang.
For a basic plot summary, "Battle" sees a society some years down the road where Caesar (Roddy McDowell) rules a rather primitive Ape City. Humans are basically just workers in this society, yet are treated generally kindly by Caesar. As usual, however, gorilla General Aldo (Claude Akins) proves to be a war-monger who challenges the "ape must not kill ape" supreme law. When a pocket of human survivors (after the fallout of their first usage of nuclear weapons against the apes) decide to challenge Ape City in one final duel, the future of human/ape relations lies in the balance.
There are many people who think that "Battle" is a terrible entry into this series and not even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the others. I won't go so far as to say that. It is easily the weakest sequel, but that isn't to say that it doesn't have some redeeming value. McDowell gives another marvelous performance as Caesar, while the "ape politics" stuff is pretty good as well.
The trouble with "Battle", however, is that it is just so cheaply made. Whereas the other films had an "epic" feel to them, this one (right from the very beginning) seems not so much a labor of love as just a plain labor. There are no interesting visuals, the cinematography is dark/bleak, and the plot is stretched thin even with just an hour-and-a-half runtime. Like many other reviewers have said, "Battle" seems like a TV pilot more than something one is used to seeing up on the big screen.
Thus, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" is a very conflicted film. It deals with many vital themes central to the "Apes" canon, yet at the same time does not provide nearly the type of heading that Ape-heads (the only ones watching by this point) were looking for. Watch it for what it is, but expect to be let down after the emotional high of "Conquest".
For a basic plot summary, "Battle" sees a society some years down the road where Caesar (Roddy McDowell) rules a rather primitive Ape City. Humans are basically just workers in this society, yet are treated generally kindly by Caesar. As usual, however, gorilla General Aldo (Claude Akins) proves to be a war-monger who challenges the "ape must not kill ape" supreme law. When a pocket of human survivors (after the fallout of their first usage of nuclear weapons against the apes) decide to challenge Ape City in one final duel, the future of human/ape relations lies in the balance.
There are many people who think that "Battle" is a terrible entry into this series and not even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the others. I won't go so far as to say that. It is easily the weakest sequel, but that isn't to say that it doesn't have some redeeming value. McDowell gives another marvelous performance as Caesar, while the "ape politics" stuff is pretty good as well.
The trouble with "Battle", however, is that it is just so cheaply made. Whereas the other films had an "epic" feel to them, this one (right from the very beginning) seems not so much a labor of love as just a plain labor. There are no interesting visuals, the cinematography is dark/bleak, and the plot is stretched thin even with just an hour-and-a-half runtime. Like many other reviewers have said, "Battle" seems like a TV pilot more than something one is used to seeing up on the big screen.
Thus, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" is a very conflicted film. It deals with many vital themes central to the "Apes" canon, yet at the same time does not provide nearly the type of heading that Ape-heads (the only ones watching by this point) were looking for. Watch it for what it is, but expect to be let down after the emotional high of "Conquest".
MORD39 RATING: **1/2 out of ****
For starters, it's true that this film is the least in the series. But it's still enjoyable and it's got values (something we could really use these days).
The missing scenes involving the nuclear missile were essential to the intelligence of the film; without them, it suffers. I'm basing my review on the full, uncut edition (as a major APES addict, I have it). If there is a real problem with BATTLE, it's mostly due to the lack of a great story and new blood. Each of the previous films gave us some kind of new direction to explore, whereas this fifth movie is more of a rehash.
I disagree about the casting of Paul Williams as Virgil. I mean, was that guy born to play an orangutan or what!? Similarily, I think Claude Akins as gorilla general Aldo was also an inspired piece of casting.
BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES should be a film anyone can enjoy somewhat, and especially by someone claiming to be a fan of the series. Can anyone tell me what film series has an exceptional fifth chapter?
For starters, it's true that this film is the least in the series. But it's still enjoyable and it's got values (something we could really use these days).
The missing scenes involving the nuclear missile were essential to the intelligence of the film; without them, it suffers. I'm basing my review on the full, uncut edition (as a major APES addict, I have it). If there is a real problem with BATTLE, it's mostly due to the lack of a great story and new blood. Each of the previous films gave us some kind of new direction to explore, whereas this fifth movie is more of a rehash.
I disagree about the casting of Paul Williams as Virgil. I mean, was that guy born to play an orangutan or what!? Similarily, I think Claude Akins as gorilla general Aldo was also an inspired piece of casting.
BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES should be a film anyone can enjoy somewhat, and especially by someone claiming to be a fan of the series. Can anyone tell me what film series has an exceptional fifth chapter?
Horrible. What exactly gets this disaster started? There's a conversation that goes something like this: "Hey, Caesar. You wanna see and hear what your mother and father used to look and sound like? There's a forbidden city not too far from here that has an archive, and in that archive is some footage of your mom and pop doing some interviews and stuff. Wanna check it out?" Caesar: "Cool, let's go!" And it's all downhill from there. Two major cities less than a days ride apart and no one knows that the other exists or is populated? Give me a break. When the forbidden city "army" came rolling out of their ruins in an old dilapidated school bus and a couple of jeeps left over from the old Rat Patrol series I just about keeled over in hysterics. Did those cool goggles, man. I suffered so much brain damage from this film that I find it difficult to continue. An "armory" made of sticks "protected" by an elderly ape who administers logic tests to separate the riff raff from the honest weapon seeking populace? A mutant club whose only requirement is that you have a scar? Any scar. Anywhere. Any size. And don't forget those ruby goggles. When the mutants first open fire on a pair of apes it reminded me of something out of Monty Python. The shell explodes right between the two guys who are about 6 feet apart and when the smoke clears they're still standing! A quick follow up shot takes care of those pesky apes for good. The battle, such as it is, is a dismal failure. More of a squad of soldiers trying to secure a choke point than a battle for a planet. Things do go boom, there's some dirt flying in the air and a lot of extras running around screaming but that's about it. There's an extremely heavy handed comeuppance of a murderous ape and even a weeping statue at the end but not one shred of redemption for the time you just wasted watching this piece of trash. I can only wonder why Roddy McDowall agreed to participate in this tragedy unless he was forced to do so under contract with penalty of execution by firing squad if he refused. Here's a suggestion: Grab your kid's dolls, dress 'em up like apes and make your own final ape movie. It's gotta be better than this.
- rfrenzel2002
- Jan 20, 2008
- Permalink
The fifth and final of the original Planet of the Apes series. In between the last film and this one, there's been a nuclear holocaust and the remaining humans are slaves of the apes. Caesar (Roddy McDowall) tries to rule in peace but gorilla General Aldo (Claude Akins) wants to eradicate all humans. While searching the ruins of a city for recordings of his parents, Caesar comes across mutant humans who attack the apes. This leads to inevitable conflict between Caesar and Aldo as to how best to deal with this new threat.
The least of the Apes movies is still quite good. It has solid acting and a script with good ideas, although it crams in a little more than it should. This was such a good series and it is, I believe, under-appreciated. Yes the first movie is widely praised but the sequels are rarely given their due. They're all smart, entertaining movies that tell a very interesting saga.
The least of the Apes movies is still quite good. It has solid acting and a script with good ideas, although it crams in a little more than it should. This was such a good series and it is, I believe, under-appreciated. Yes the first movie is widely praised but the sequels are rarely given their due. They're all smart, entertaining movies that tell a very interesting saga.
Again the Apes along with an underground civilization of mutated human beings living on remains of a nuclear catastrophe . Average and stirring science-fiction movie with a first rate Roddy McDowall and special intervention of John Huston as the Lawgiver who literally disappears in the beginning and re-appears on the ending . This known story is the last and inferior of the primates sequels ; it starts on a culture where simians rule over humans and they are divided in three lineage : gorilla , chimpanzee and orangutan . Humanity has gone awry and Earth has been reduced to a wasteland . Militaristic General Aldo (Claude Akins) wishes humans to be treated as animal of burden and regarded as scum . A couple of chimps formed by the chief Caesar( Roddy McDowall) and his wife Lisa (Natalie Trundy replacing the usual Kim Hunter) think otherwise and even agree a peaceful existence with humans .Caesar is son of Cornelius and Zira from ¨Escape from the planet of apes¨ and was the leader in the ¨Conquest of the Planet of the apes¨ Caesar attempts to ease disputes between apes and men . Meanwhile, an expedition commanded by Caesar , Virgil (Paul Williams) and MacDonald (Austin Stoker ) sets out the forbidden zone where live human mutants ( Seven Darden, France Nuyen among them) who survived a nuclear explosion several years before . The group finds an underground civilization in the ruins of a bomb-blasted city and the battle begins . Meantime , mean gorilla Aldo is itching a coup de état and take over from Caesar and murder every human in sight . At the ending happens a spectacular confrontation between a human army ruled by governor Kolp and the simians commanded by Caesar .
This is an average , lackluster sci-fi flick plenty of metaphysical significance with thoughtful reflexion about origin of human being , racism , atomic danger and nuclear catastrophe , though also packs action, adventures, intrigue and entertainment. The performers , particularly Roddy McDowall, Natalie Trundy and Claude Akins are pretty good , the characters are well drawn and in spite of makeup they are still oddly convincing . In spite of time and being mostly a mediocre follow-up of the former stories , some moments of energy remain and turns out to be a B movie full of action, battles and suspense . Writing credits by habitual Paul Dehn from Pierre Boulle novel , however his screenplay is not just clever and was cut , eliminating the violent scenes and obligated to happy end . Acceptable production design with passable sets and great visual effects by means of matte paintings reflecting the ruined city inhabited by mutant survivors . One of the important attributes of this work, is the magnificent and luminous cinematography by Richard H. Kline . Phenomenal make-up by John Chambers, a first-rate expert, such as proved in 'Blade runner, Ssss, Island of Dr Moreau' among others . Sensational musical score by a top-notch Leonard Rosenman though imitating sounds from the great Jerry Goldsmith .The picture is lack budgeted by usual Arthur P. Jacobs , producer of whole saga, in his last film because he suffered a stroke . It's regularly directed by J. Lee Thompson , using sometimes a nice visual sense. It's followed by a short-lived TV series, again with Roddy McDowall .
This is an average , lackluster sci-fi flick plenty of metaphysical significance with thoughtful reflexion about origin of human being , racism , atomic danger and nuclear catastrophe , though also packs action, adventures, intrigue and entertainment. The performers , particularly Roddy McDowall, Natalie Trundy and Claude Akins are pretty good , the characters are well drawn and in spite of makeup they are still oddly convincing . In spite of time and being mostly a mediocre follow-up of the former stories , some moments of energy remain and turns out to be a B movie full of action, battles and suspense . Writing credits by habitual Paul Dehn from Pierre Boulle novel , however his screenplay is not just clever and was cut , eliminating the violent scenes and obligated to happy end . Acceptable production design with passable sets and great visual effects by means of matte paintings reflecting the ruined city inhabited by mutant survivors . One of the important attributes of this work, is the magnificent and luminous cinematography by Richard H. Kline . Phenomenal make-up by John Chambers, a first-rate expert, such as proved in 'Blade runner, Ssss, Island of Dr Moreau' among others . Sensational musical score by a top-notch Leonard Rosenman though imitating sounds from the great Jerry Goldsmith .The picture is lack budgeted by usual Arthur P. Jacobs , producer of whole saga, in his last film because he suffered a stroke . It's regularly directed by J. Lee Thompson , using sometimes a nice visual sense. It's followed by a short-lived TV series, again with Roddy McDowall .
In this final installment of the Planet Of The Apes quintology, Roddy McDowall has emerged as leader of the Ape civilization and is now trying to create a new simian dominated world. His task not unlike George Washington as our first president. But he's got both human and simian opposition to consider.
Severn Darden leads a race of humans in an underground city to which McDowall goes to find out about his own origins. He's quite mad, suffering the effects of radiation, no doubt human kind went nuclear to stamp out the ape revolt.
On the homefront a militant and thug like gorilla played by Claude Akins is challenging McDowall for leadership of the simians. Akins is a ruthless opponent, but when he breaks the first new simian commandment, that's his downfall.
I have to say I enjoyed seeing both John Huston as the profound lawgiver in the prologue and epilog and Lew Ayres as keeper of the simian armory in heavy ape makeup and costume. Their voices are unmistakable as is Paul Williams playing McDowall's confidante.
Battle For The Planet Of The Apes is a fitting end to a grand set of science fiction films.
Severn Darden leads a race of humans in an underground city to which McDowall goes to find out about his own origins. He's quite mad, suffering the effects of radiation, no doubt human kind went nuclear to stamp out the ape revolt.
On the homefront a militant and thug like gorilla played by Claude Akins is challenging McDowall for leadership of the simians. Akins is a ruthless opponent, but when he breaks the first new simian commandment, that's his downfall.
I have to say I enjoyed seeing both John Huston as the profound lawgiver in the prologue and epilog and Lew Ayres as keeper of the simian armory in heavy ape makeup and costume. Their voices are unmistakable as is Paul Williams playing McDowall's confidante.
Battle For The Planet Of The Apes is a fitting end to a grand set of science fiction films.
- bkoganbing
- Aug 25, 2013
- Permalink
- wadechurton
- Nov 25, 2011
- Permalink
This fifth and final entry in the initial theatrical "Apes" series is the weakest of the bunch. It seems as if it was limited by budgetary considerations. After "Conquest" set up the rise of the simians, this story is rather small in its scale, focusing on one ape / human community, the woodsy "Ape City", that doesn't seem to have that many residents. The apes and the people peaceably co-exist, but trouble is on the horizon. First, ape leader Caesar (the always great Roddy McDowall) decides on an expedition to the "Forbidden City" to seek out audio and video of his long deceased parents, incurring the wrath of humans suffering radiation sickness. Second, a fanatical, aggressive gorilla general, Aldo (Claude Akins), is just itching to start something.
Even at its worst, this series was never completely without interest, and this entry does have some good dialogue and moments. It also has some pretty decent action sequences towards the end, with lots of gunfire (but virtually no gore) and lots of explosions. Unfortunately, story author Paul Dehn and screenwriters John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington just couldn't come up with a tale that was particularly compelling. Still, director J. Lee Thompson, who'd also directed "Conquest", keeps things watchable and reasonably entertaining. The main value lies in the performances of old pros like McDowall and Akins. They're ably supported by Lew Ayres, Paul Williams, Natalie Trundy (who was in four of the "Apes" films), Severn Darden (as the crazed villain, Governor Kolp), Austin Stoker (who plays the brother of the Hari Rhodes character in "Conquest"), France Nuyen, and Paul Stevens. A young John Landis has an acting role as one of the apes; the great actor-filmmaker John Huston appears in wraparound segments as the wise old Lawgiver.
Watchable for its duration, but it has to rate as something of a disappointment.
Available in both a theatrical version and an extended version which runs about 10 minutes longer.
Followed by a TV series.
Six out of 10.
Even at its worst, this series was never completely without interest, and this entry does have some good dialogue and moments. It also has some pretty decent action sequences towards the end, with lots of gunfire (but virtually no gore) and lots of explosions. Unfortunately, story author Paul Dehn and screenwriters John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington just couldn't come up with a tale that was particularly compelling. Still, director J. Lee Thompson, who'd also directed "Conquest", keeps things watchable and reasonably entertaining. The main value lies in the performances of old pros like McDowall and Akins. They're ably supported by Lew Ayres, Paul Williams, Natalie Trundy (who was in four of the "Apes" films), Severn Darden (as the crazed villain, Governor Kolp), Austin Stoker (who plays the brother of the Hari Rhodes character in "Conquest"), France Nuyen, and Paul Stevens. A young John Landis has an acting role as one of the apes; the great actor-filmmaker John Huston appears in wraparound segments as the wise old Lawgiver.
Watchable for its duration, but it has to rate as something of a disappointment.
Available in both a theatrical version and an extended version which runs about 10 minutes longer.
Followed by a TV series.
Six out of 10.
- Hey_Sweden
- May 29, 2017
- Permalink
- poolandrews
- Dec 26, 2009
- Permalink
This is a very good film, not anywhere near as good as the first four of the series, but for only one reason. 10 minutes.
The Japanese release of 'Battle' contains an extra 10 minutes of footage that I feel is not only important to the storyline, but it completely changes the feel of the film. Without those crucial 10 minutes of footage, the viewer is thus given a somewhat watered down t.v. series type version of the film, originally done to attract a more younger audience. I personally love this film either way, Trust me, before critisizing 'Battle For The Planet Of The Apes', seek out the Japanese release (I have it on laserdisc) and see for yourself just how different (and better) a decent film can become with only 10 minutes of added storyline.
The Japanese release of 'Battle' contains an extra 10 minutes of footage that I feel is not only important to the storyline, but it completely changes the feel of the film. Without those crucial 10 minutes of footage, the viewer is thus given a somewhat watered down t.v. series type version of the film, originally done to attract a more younger audience. I personally love this film either way, Trust me, before critisizing 'Battle For The Planet Of The Apes', seek out the Japanese release (I have it on laserdisc) and see for yourself just how different (and better) a decent film can become with only 10 minutes of added storyline.
- cornelius-7
- Oct 9, 2004
- Permalink
"Battle for the Planet of Apes" is not the worst of the original five. It's obviously not the best. However, it is a satisfying watch for me. It pulls very high on the nostalgia scale. I grew up watching the original five. "Battle..." is not a lazy effort. It's just a kind of low budget one. It's a pretty ambitious movie (as were the previous four "Apes" movies). It deals with some serious subjects. The clash of cultures, the rule of law and militarism. Maybe the actual battle is a bit of a letdown but I think that more to do with the budget than anything else. As far as the entire series goes; I rank "Battle..." ahead of "Escape..." but behind the others.
Battle For The Planet Of The Apes is quite simply, brilliant. A tour de force of great make up, special effects, performances and dialogue. Battle is far superior to Schaffner's original in the sense that is is more entertaining, better made and with a starrier cast. This film grabs you by the balls and never lets go. Roddy McDowall as Caesar tears at your emotions. The cinematography is gorgeous. The score by Leonard Rosenman surpasses Goldsmith's original. This movie will have you gripped to your seat, taking you from tears of joy to tears of tragedy.
PS- I am insane.
PS- I am insane.