Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

Very disappointed :(

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

This fourth instalment of the "Planet of the Apes" films is a big improvement over the previous one. The above film has a good pace, a fair amount of incident and Roddy McDowall back once again as the offspring of Cornelius and Zira. The emphasis has been placed more upon violence more than anything else but the acting is of note also. McDowall and Ricardo Montoban are both very good but Don Murray is just a wee bit over the top. Seven Darden makes for a rather quirky villain but evil nonetheless. The budget had been reduced further for this 1972 "Apes" film but I hardly noticed in all honesty. I like seeing how Caesar (McDowall) changes from being a frightened and vulnerable character, into a ruthless and determined leader. I would rate this as being the third best from the original batch of "Planet of the Apes."

I am going back and revisiting the Apes films from the original series. I had only seen the first three before and so this is the first time I am seeing it and WOW. 'Conquest' is a violent shift in tone. The 'Apes' films were always sort of political but this one is on a whole other level. The story finds Caesar, son of Zira and Cornellius, grown to manhood in a dystopian future where apes are used as slaves. Over the course of the film he is constantly abused and goes mad and leads an ape revolution. This is a dark and angry film and it's hard to believe Fox didn't get scared and cut the thing even more so than it is (the ending is butchered in the editing room). Its hard not to infer Marxist metaphor in the story of Caesar's revolution and his hatred of slavery. Does it work? Yes and no. Roddy McDowell gets a far more juicier role to the play. He's great. The movie isn't fun though. There's no sense of humor or camp value to anything. It just gets kind of depressing seeing men in ape costumes endure abuse. I suppose it achieves everything it sets out to do but camp fun and self aware humor is what made this series. The original is a very funny and biting satire despite it's political undertones. This one is 100% earnest.

I think that this franchise had gone too far. I can not say that this movie sucks. It is good. Very good indeed. But somehow it's too much. It's good that they stopped here and preserved its cult status, cause even one more step in this direction could have buried this franchise forever.7/10

20 years after the events of "Escape from the Planet of the Apes", circus owner Armando (Ricardo Montalban) is trying to help Caesar (Roddy McDowall), the offspring of the late Cornelius and Zira, attain freedom, knowing full well that his power of speech will mark him as dangerous to the future of man. Of course, things naturally go from bad to worse in a hurry. The story shows how in the year 1983, all cats and dogs died off, and apes replaced them as family pets. But the apes evolved and grew a great deal in eight years, and mans' inhumanity to his fellow creatures has turned many apes into mistreated slaves. Ultimately, Caesar will lead a revolt."Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" is a typically interesting entry in this generally well regarded series. Some people will inevitably be turned off by the grisly violence (which is even more pronounced in the unrated version), but those with stronger stomachs will find this to be a rousing and potent entertainment. It's not exactly subtle about its themes, and messages, but it proves to be utterly compelling just the same. One can't help but side with the apes, and despise human villains such as hard-driving, ape-hating Governor Breck (Don Murray) and his flunky Kolp (Severn Darden). It's very well paced, clocking in at a reasonable 87 minutes (88 minutes in unrated form), and has some well staged action. It gets off to quite an energetic start, and offers little in the way of let-up. The viewer easily sides with the apes, and enthusiastically cheers them on. It may be uncomfortable to witness their ultimate blood lust, but it's still understandable.McDowall is great as usual. His final monologue is pretty powerful. Murray is rather over the top, but is also amusing with the way that he over enunciates words at times. Montalban is so wonderful that you miss the character once he's written out of the story. Hari Rhodes is excellent as a man named MacDonald, who more than anybody understands where the apes are coming from. Familiar faces in small roles include John Randolph, John Dennis, and Gordon Jump. Supporting player Lou Wagner was a series veteran; Buck Kartalian had also appeared in the classic original film.Very well directed by J. Lee Thompson, this is solid entertainment that offers a scathing indictment of human ignorance, bigotry, and fear.Eight out of 10.