Film Review: The Planet Of The Apes Saga

With Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes hitting cinemas next week, and the Blu Ray box set tumbling in price, I thought I'd look back on the simian saga. Don't expect in depth reviews, what more can be said about some of them, especially the original. But what did strike me was how dark they all were. Escape and Conquest in particular, almost depressing in places. And it goes without saying that I won't be discussing Tim Burton's attempt at a remake...oh dear.



Planet Of The Apes (1968) still remains the benchmark. We all know the story - Charlton Heston plays Taylor who along with 2 other astronauts, end up on a mysterious planet in the future where apes can talk, and humans cannot and are enslaved. Taylor fights to escape, and then happens on THAT statue in THAT ending. It's a very slow paced affair, but an undoubted classic.

*****



Beneath The Planet Of The Apes (1970) is almost a complete copy of the first, with different astronauts landing on the planet, and Charlton Heston clone James Franciscus ends up looking for Chuck himself who has vanished on the planet. A race of mutant humans are introduced, but it's all pretty dull stuff save for the ending which has the lead being shot in the head and the planet exploding. Told you it was dark!

**



Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971) has the main apes Cornelius (Roddy McDowell) and Zira (Kim Hunter) just escaping the Planet Of The Apes in time as it is destroyed, and they are sent in the past back to Earth, present day, well 1973. Cue much culture shock stuff, which is the lightest material in all of the films, and still retains a charm to it. Not long before the darkness returns, though. A pretty bleak conclusion again, but with a nifty twist at the end.

***



Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes (1972) benefits from a new cut on Blu Ray, reinstating some violent scenes, and possibly the bleakest ending yet. But that ending works well with the rest of the film, which has Cornelius' and Zira's child Caesar all grown up, but in the early 1990s where, after cats and dogs have been wiped out by a disease in the 80s, apes are treated as pets. Then slaves. This leads to an ape uprising led by Caesar, which gets pretty nasty. In fact, I was surprised to see it get a 12 rating still over here. And the ending was harsh, but it was the original planned ending, before a change was requested. Now, in this new cut, this is the best sequel of the Apes.

****



Battle For The Planet Of The Apes (1973) is set 10 years after the ape uprising (and obviously based on the theatrical ending) and ape and man just about live together in a shell of the Earth, after the war got a bit out of hand. Cracks are showing though, as ape must battle ape, as well as the race of human mutants living in  what is left of New York. It's still a bit grim in places, and by no means light but it seems lighter after the onslaught of the previous films. But it's on a level with Beneath for holding my interest.  The ending seems to point to ape and man still co-existing but it's quite ambiguous.

**