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Very entertaining sequel

As far as I know, this one usually gets a bad rap, but I've always liked it a lot (but then, it was only the second one I saw, right after "Conquest"). How can you NOT like Severn Darden as the leader of the mutants? (He really walks a line between being serious and funny, being mainly a comedy actor.) And France Nuyen (in probably a smaller part than she'd been used to), as his aide, who's a little like a secretary with a crush on the boss, only in this weird setting. And Austin Stoker (an actor I know from hardly anything else) as McDonald, Caesar's human friend, was very believable. And of course, it was probably the Ape movie with the most well-known actors in ape roles - Claude Akins, Lew Ayres, John Huston, Paul Williams. There's one thing I never completely thought about till the last time I saw it (only days ago) - practically the last moment of the story (apart from the crying statue) does something that almost "deflates" the "message" of these movies - after all the endless strife between the apes and humans in these stories, the last thing you see is the little ape jokingly pulling the hair of the little girl. So even in the sequels (not just the original, which does get credit for this), the writers didn't really take the whole thing TOO seriously.

The quality of the makeup speaks volumes

The Lawgiver tells the children of the future a tale of the planet earth and the influence of two apes who went back in time and had a son Caesar.
Caesar liberated the apes on earth and brought mankind and apekind together after the war. However an exploration into the ruined cities brings the apes into conflict with the mutants and the humans get trapped in the middle.The final of the films is the real low point of the series. The plot here lacks the dark undertones and fatalism of the first two and an attempt to `get deep' at the end doesn't do it alone. The basic plot is a war between the mutants and the gorillas with the peaceful chimps and loving humans in-between. The action is average at best and the dialogue leaves no room for subtexts.Worse still is the makeup which has declined far away from the standard set in the original. Here the actors clearly wear rubbery masks – General Aldo being the worst by miles! The mouths barely move and certainly don't move in time with the words. It's a shame but it does show how the standards of the first two films had fallen so far by this stage.The cast are OK but the majority are trapped behind unhelpful masks. Even John Huston looks trapped behind a mask that almost totally renders him unrecognisable and unemotive. McDowall continues his monkey madness with yet another role and he's actually quite good. The human roles are the best as they are free to talk and the mutant leader (Eastham) even manages to get a few funny lines out before all the fighting kicks off.Overall the quality of the makeup reflects the effort put into the film.
The makeup is shoddy and the plot and subtexts are back of matchbox stuff.
There are a few nice touches and it tries to add insight in the last 10 minutes but by then it's all a bit late......mind you it's still better than the remake of the original!

The worst!!!!

As a child growing up in the height of "Ape Movies", I looked forward to seeing this movie. I fell asleep half way through it. I've seen it a couple more times in the past 15 years to see what I missed,and I still find it just as boring.Remember, with every ape movie released, their budget became smaller and smaller.(Those tightwads!!8^D)"Introducing Paul Williams". He made his mark in movies! Remember "Love Boat"? Need I say more?

FUN AND THOUGHT PROVOKING

In a lot of ways the planet of the apes series is a lot like the old "Star Trek" TV series, some of them are well written, thought provoking, but also, sometimes cheesey and low budget.

PLANET OF THE APES

The first movie, and probably the best, features Charlton Heston (in all of his scenery-chewing glory) as a (1970's!) astronaut on an interstellar mission to do something or other who crash lands on a mysterious planet inhabited by mute humans and talking, dominant apes. Taylor is captured by the apes and when it is learned that he can speak, he challenges the whole social order of the ape society. The apes inhabit a Flintstone-esque city and are divided into three different castes, the Orangutangs, who are the politicans and keepers of the faith, and seemingly the caste in absolute control, the Gorillas, whoa re the workers and the soldiers, and who seem to occupy the lowest position, and the Chimpanzees, who are the scientists and intellectuals. The movie features a lot of veiled and not-so-veiled political and social commentary. It's a fun and well-written movie.

BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES

This and the last movie are probably the weakest chapters. In this second installment, ANOTHER astronaut crashes on the the planet looking for Charton Heston's character. The problem with this movie is that it is both too similar, and way too different from the first movie. There are sequences in this movie involving some mutants that are Mystery Science Theater 2000 worthy. It has some interesting (if not at all subtle) commentary on war and militarism. The ending is quite a surprise and does not set itself up for a sequel.

ESCAPE FROM PLANET OF THE APES

This may be the best of the five. "Escape" is very different from all the other movies, for the most part, it is much lighter in tone and more fun and witty. It has some of the same feel that "Star Trek IV" had. This one finds the two chimpanzees, Vera and Cornelius on Earth in a refurbished spacecraft and their subsequent adventures in Los Angeles before a paranoid government worker senses their offspring will dominate the Earth. In this installment, the two chimpanzees played by Roddy McDowell and Linda Hunt take center stage with their absolutely charming performances. The end is a downer though.

CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

This is the darkest and most overtly political chapter featuring Roddy McDowell as the son of Vera and Cornelius, who leads a revolt among the ape slaves in a futuristic Earth. This is both a sequel and a prequel to the original movie as it shows how the apes came into power to begin with. Once you get past the improbable premise-ape slaves anyone? and the "futuristic" design of the film, this one is the most socially relevant and the most contemporary of all of them. The imagery is straight from the Twentieth Century, rioting, police brutality, torture, war, revolution. And it seems that the revolutionary tone and the violence were toned down from the original cut of the move.

BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES

This is the worst of the five. It's seriously dumbed down and made innoculous from the previos entry. Something about apes and mutants and humans. It would have been better if they had taken a cue from the previous movie and fleshed out the backstory a little, for example explain how the social order in the original film came to be, or how the humans became mute savages. They should have had more fun with the idea of a prequel.

Anyway, this set also come with a great documentary that touches upon all the movies and features interviews with the cast, make-up tests, and everything. This is a great set.

These monkeys are out of the barrel!

When I was a kid, "Planet of the Apes" merchandise flooded the stores. Action figures, puzzles, guns, masks; we had it all. Unfortunately, we had to rely on the scheduling whims of network executives in order to watch the actual films that spawned this kitschy bonanza. The Age of Cable, VHS and DVD has dawned, and now we have the movies to enjoy whenever we want to time travel to a world where apes dominate. It's a decidedly downbeat and pessimistic world, but one that continues to fascinate.

And this DVD set contains the entire 5-film series, so you can watch the devolution from highly-original concept into low-budget mediocrity. Fortunately, though, the "Planet of the Apes" franchise was almost always entertaining, even as inspiration ran low. Let's look at the films in order, shall we? Set controls for the year 3978... or 3955, depending on the movie.

Planet of the Apes: The original, which over the years, has picked up some only marginally justified camp baggage. Charlton Heston plays a misanthropic astronaut who, ironically, becomes humanity's sole defender. Maurice Evans persecutes him as orangutan Dr. Zaius (who knows more about ape history than he lets on), and Roddy McDowall (soon to become synonymous with playing chimps on-screen) and Kim Hunter (and Oscar winner for "A Streetcar Named Desire"!) portray Cornelius and Zira, his chimpanzee defenders. With the lovely, fur-bikinied Linda Harrison as Nova, Heston's mute main squeeze. A genuinely thought-provoking and thrilling classic, despite a few heavy-handed attempts at humor. Worthy of special note is Jerry Goldsmith's dynamic, percussive score.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes: The bizarre, somewhat inferior, sequel, which suffers from a lower budget (witness the really poor ape masks on the extras, and a few gorilla soldiers in flimsy outfits). James Franciscus crashes to earth to find Heston, and instead finds Ms. Harrison and the apes. Everyone's back from the first except McDowall (this is the only ape film he missed). As a special bonus, James Gregory ("The Manchurian Candidate") plays a war-hungry gorilla general with gusto. Features some interesting vistas of a bombed-out New York, and a memorable mutant unmasking scene. A veritable camp-fest, and a lot of psychedelic fun.

Escape from the Planet of the Apes: An inversion of the original concept, and quite a bit closer to Pierre Boulle's original novel. McDowall returns, and with Kim Hunter and Sal Mineo ("Rebel Without a Cause"), journeys back to the present day United States, only to run afoul of a sinister government scientist. Vivacious performances by McDowall and Hunter salvage it somewhat.

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes: A more violent entry in the series, but tame by today's standards. McDowall plays his own character's son, a chimp named Caesar who is destined to overthrow humanity. And that's pretty much what he does. Ricardo Montalban performs admirably, but the series was beginning to fray with lower and lower budgets. The final visuals will chill you, though.

Battle for the Planet of the Apes: The final film. McDowall attempts to divine the future, but invites the wrath of disenfranchised humans. A miniscule budget (evidenced mainly in the final, underwhelming battle scenes) devastates this one, although the script's not too bad. Claude Akins makes a fine villainous gorilla, diminutive singer/songwriter Paul Williams has some memorable lines as a wise orangutan, and director John Huston portrays the legendary Lawgiver in the framing sequences. Award yourself a banana if you can spot "Animal House" director John Landis as one of the humans.

The complete DVD set includes a 2-hour documentary, hosted by Roddy McDowall himself. It's fun for the serious "Apes" fan. It features a lot of trivia, and talking head interviews with the major players, including Heston, make up artist John Chambers, and producer Richard Zanuck.

Ape Shall Never Kill Ape

If you're a fan, even just a mild one, do NOT miss this box set. The transfers are perfect. Letterboxed, crisp images, and THX sound: what more could you ask for? Includes all the trailers and an excellent documentary hosted by the late Roddy McDowall that was produced in part by American Movie Classics. Unless you've seen these on the big screen, this is the best way to see these flicks.

Yeah, yeah, the effects are dated and the budgets on the later ones are laughable, but the stories are always compelling and give you some food for thought. And the nostalgia factor is off the chart!

You can't go wrong with this one, and at less than 15 bucks per disc, this is a good (but not excellent) bargain.

Buy the boxed set

This is the fourth in the series of POTA films. Although Roddy McDowell retains a starring role and there is a minor role for John Huston overall it really is pretty poor.


The budget for this movie was clearly much less than the first two films. This and the lack of an original story are probably the main reasons for its failure. The 'battle' for the planet, it turns out takes place in a moderately sized field between a few dozen humans and a few dozen apes.


In itself the acting was OK but in places the script did nobody any favours and I struggled to retain any sort of interest after the first 1/2 hour. Fortunately it is only a short film (83mins) so if you do decide to buy it your suffering will be mercifully short.


I'd recommend buying the boxed set which contains all the films and an excellent documentary. This represents far better value for money.

Great movies

I've been a fan of this series for some years. I got this set for X-mas. Any fan should pick this set up. The clarity in picture qulity,especialy the first film, is breath taking. My only gripe is that only the original film was given the 5.1 treatment. Three Pro-Logic and one,Escape, Closed Captioned. If sound is of no concern to you I say go for this set or wait until all the movies are given the full sound treatment. Also one last note the Behind the Planet of the Apes bonus disk is a nice treat.

Stop The Planet of The Apes, I Want To Get Off!

I love every ape I see From Chimpan-a to chimpan-z You'll never make a monkey out of me Oh my God, I was wrong It was Earth all along Now, you've finally made a monkey Out of me!

I love you, Dr.Zauss!!! (apologies to the Simpsons writers)

BUY AND WATCH NOW! Before Tim Burton buggers it up.

The Series Ends, Not with a Bang but a Whimper

Strictly speaking, there was only ever one sequel to "Planet of the Apes", "Beneath the Planet of the Apes"; the next three films in the series were all prequels rather than sequels in the true sense. "Escape…." told the story of how two intelligent apes, Cornelius and Zira, escaped the destruction of the Earth at the end of "Beneath…." and travelled back in time to the 1970s. I have never seen "Conquest…..", but understand that it is also set in the late twentieth century and tells of how the apes were enslaved by the humans and how they rose in rebellion against their human masters."Battle…." is set a few years after the events shown in "Conquest….". The world has been devastated by nuclear war. The surviving apes are living together with humans in a settlement known as Ape City, ruled over by their enlightened philosopher-king Caesar, the son of Cornelius and Zira. (Caesar is played by Roddy Mc Dowell, who played his father Cornelius in earlier episodes). Although Caesar hopes that apes and humans can live together in peace, the humans in Ape City, although not actually slaves, are treated very much as second-class citizens. (One of the city's rules is that an ape can say no to a human, but a human cannot say no to an ape). Living beneath the ruins of a devastated New York are another group of humans, aggressive mutants, presumably the ancestors of those shown in "Beneath…..".All the "Apes" films touched on two of the major issues of the sixties and seventies, race relations and the fear of nuclear war. "Battle….." can be seen as a Cold War parable, with the apes representing the USA and the mutant humans the Soviet Union. Like Cold War America, ape society is divided into hawks and doves. The hawks are the gorillas, the apes' warrior caste, who fear and distrust humans. The doves are the more liberal, tolerant chimpanzees and orang-utans. (In "Battle….." the chimps are the rulers and politicians in this society, the orangs the scientists and philosophers; in the original "Planet of the Apes" it was the other way round). Governor Kolp, the leader of the mutants, wants to wipe out the apes in order to reclaim the planet for humanity, but even on the mutant side there is one individual who speaks out in favour of peaceful co-existence.The film begins and ends with sequences set about seven hundred years in the future, showing humans and apes living peacefully together as equals. This suggests (unless one goes along with complex theories about "alternate timelines") that there should have been a sixth film in the series, one showing how the humans degenerated from partners and co-equals with the apes in the twenty-seventh century to their brutish, inarticulate slaves in the fortieth, when "Planet of the Apes" is set. In fact, "Battle….." was always intended to be the last film in the series and was actually advertised as such. It was clear that by 1973 the franchise was on its last legs and the studio had lost interest. "Battle…." was obviously made on a very low budget; the ape make-up is less convincing than in the earlier episodes, Ape City, despite its grandiose name, is no more than a rustic village and the final confrontation between the apes and the mutants looks less like a battle to decide the destiny of a planet than a punch-up between two gangs of hooligans outside a pub after closing time. McDowell is the only big-name actor left, the likes of Charlton Heston and Kim Hunter having jumped ship long before. J Lee Thompson, who earlier in his career had made films as good as "Ice Cold in Alex", "Tiger Bay" and "Cape Fear", could do little to hide these deficiencies. Despite some philosophical discussions between Cornelius and the orang-utan Mandemus, and some speculation about time-travel paradoxes, the script is trite and banal. The film has little of the depth and complexity of the original "Planet of the Apes", or even of the tragic-comic "Escape…..", although it is perhaps slightly better than "Beneath……". It is perhaps as well that a sixth film was never made.Heston had hoped that the final, cataclysmic explosion in "Beneath…" would put an end to the series; he disliked the idea of even one sequel and it was only with great reluctance that he was persuaded to appear in it. Instead, the final image in the series is that of the statue of Caesar, now revered by the apes as a great hero, with tears trickling down its cheek. These tears are ambiguous; they can be interpreted as either tears of joy that apes and humans are now living in peace or tears of sorrow because he knows what the future holds. It can be said, however, that the "Apes" series really did end not with a bang but a whimper. 5/10

Nipsey digs those crazy apes!!

This is one hell of a collection kids!!

Nipsey loved the first one and all that followed.

My first date with Ruth Buzzy was to the premiere of Planet of the APes.

Ape Fans get this collection for your Collection!!!

Nipsey gives this two thumbs up!!!

You've got to love it!

What can I say? These loveable films will endure the test of time and regardless of critical comment, will be watched by all ages over and over again. The added bonus of the two-hour "making of" documentary only makes this set that much more of a bargain. Buy it for your kids, your grandkids, or yourself. You will not regret it.

A great Collection!

Wow, I just read that the TV episodes are coming out as well! To own those, plus this complete movie set, and you can just go ape! The DVD's are great quality, and nice to be able to have your own "ape" marathon at home. The package is very attractive as well. A definate must.

One of the best fantasy series of all time!

Waiting for this box set was excruciating, but finally getting it made up for all that. The THX transfers of all five films and the superb documentary are INSANELY perfect. No pixilation, no poor colors, just razor sharp images and great sound! The animated menus are fantastic too, especially on the first film, where an image of Cornelius morphes into Zira, Zaius, etc. The sound on the menus is great, esp if you have a sub woofer (you'll see!). Nuff said. I don't need to tell you the films' plots. But get this set and go APE!

The Best of the Planet of the apes.

For this installment we do go both forwards & backwards & then forwards & backwards & again & again through time.Yes I was taken away more immediately by the 2nd time that I saw "Battle" than I was the first & this even made Planet of the apes: The Forbidden Zone at Malibu Graphics their best publication courtesy of me for the little or not known peace time of the humans & apes of which this film had both begun and ended with & then as a result the people at Malibu Graphics were just as annoyed by me as they were glad to have me there for them.They invited comment & Critique & got from me more than what they bargained for as a result and along with this for not doing their own homework.but still check out the zpota website for damn the continuity all to Hell.As it agree's with someone's response of what continuity?Also please check out the IMBd sites for this movie as others too.

THE APES SAGA COMES FULL CIRCLE

"BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES" (1973)is the fith and final entry in the "PLANET OF THE APES" series. It is directed by J. Lee Thompson.

Set in flashback to the turn of the 21st Century, this sequel focuses on the ape leader, Caesar (Roddy McDowall), about ten years after he led the ape revolution in the previous film, "CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES." In this post-nuclear war society, Caesar tries to cultivate peace between his simian peers and the surviving remains of humanity. Gorilla leader Aldo (Claude Akins), however, wants nothing to do this, as it reminds him of his former enslavement, so he plots Caesar's overthrow and doom, as do a band of mutated humans from their former city of the last film who want to reclaim Earth and destroy the entire ape society.

Towards the end of the movie, however, Aldo and the human mutants are overthrown. The apes and humans then decide to coexist with one another and they begin to make a new society.

It turns out that the story is being told by an elderly ape (the Great Lawgiver, played by John Huston) over 600 years later to a group of young humans and apes. It is left ambiguous as to whether the ape-dominated society as in seen in the first film, and the eventual destruction of Earth as seen in the second, will actually come to pass. However, as this film takes place after a nuclear war has nearly wiped out civilzation, at least one major element the first film still comes to pass.

Battle for the Planet of the Apes

I had a feeling before I watched this that I would be confused because I should see the films in order, but to be honest, I don't think it matters either way, it is a rubbish film. Basically Caesar (Roddy McDowall), son of Cornelius and Zira (they had in Escape from...) has grown up and become leader of the apes, and after surviving the Conquest for..., he wants to see his parents. MacDonald (Austin Stoker) has the idea to go to the forbidden city, where a bomb hit, where there may be tapes that have survived. They don't realise though that there are survivors, human mutants, and the battle of the film is obviously against them. I saw a couple of the gun fights and explosions, but the make-up is less convincing than it used to be, the dialogue is a bit ridiculous, and none of the big actors or (cheap) production by Frank Capra Jr. can save it. Also starring Claude Akins as General Aldo, Natalie Trundy as Lisa, Severn Darden as Governor Kolp, Lew Ayres as Mandemus, introducing Paul Williams as Prof. Virgil, John Huston as The Lawgiver, Noah Keen as Abe the Teacher, Richard Eastham as Mutant Captain, Michael Stearns as Jake and John Landis as Jake's Friend. I did fall asleep a little towards the end, but who cares. I have only seen the first and Escape from..., and they are meant to be the best ones, so it is better to just watch them, I haven't see the other two yet (Beneath... and Conquest of...), and until I do, I won't understand what's going on in this one, and still consider it a complete piece of crap. Well, I'm sure I'll still have that opinion even when I have seen them all in the right order. Poor!

FINALLY THE APES ON DVD!

thank god the apes are now on DVD. I thought it would take much longer because I thorught they would be stubborn about it and subject me to the poor quality of VHS. Buy this boxed set while it lasts because if you don't buy movies of this callaber on DVD you will regret it!

A THOUGHT PROVOKING BLAST FROM THE PAST

I loved these movies as a child!!! I remember seeing each film as it came out in the theatre. I was so enthralled by them that I also purchased the movie novelizations (the lone exception being Pierre Boulle's original book that was the basis for the first film). Being an adult now, I can watch them in a whole different light. I can now see the parallels of the stories that mirror the times in which they were told. Back then, I was just happy that the first movie wasn't anything like Boulle's book. This is an excellent boxed set of DVDs that collects all 5 films in one shot. I will admit up front that the plot does wear thin as the series goes on (and the running times also keep getting shorter) but you have to admit that with the exception of 2001 (which was released the same year as Planet Of The Apes) these movies pushed the boundaries of filmed sci-fi. Okay, from the top - Planet Of The Apes (1968 - 112 minutes). This is the first one that got it all started. It was based on Pierre Boulle's translated novel. With the strongest storyline (co-scripted by Rod Serling), a good cast (headed up by Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall), and music by Jerry Goldsmith (available on CD), this is easily the best entry in the series. This was followed by Beneath The Planet Of The Apes (1970 - 100 minutes). The notable things about this one are that Cornelius is played by David Watson (McDowall isn't even in the movie !!!), Heston returns as Taylor, the music is by Leonard Rosenman, and Natalie Trundy puts in her first appearance of the series as the mutant Albina. Next up is Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971 - 98 minutes). This marks the return of McDowall (as Cornelius), Goldsmith again doing the music (part of which can be found on the above mentioned POTA soundtrack CD), Trundy playing a normal human (Dr. Stephanie Branton), Sal Mineo doing a cameo (as Dr. Milo), and Ricardo Montalban (as Armando). A year later Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes (1972 - 88 minutes) was released. This finds McDowall playing his own (Cornelius') grown up son (Caesar), Trundy switching over to an ape (Lisa), Montalban again playing Armado, Severn Darden playing Kolp, and Tom Scott doing the music. The fifth and final installment, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes (1973 - 86 minutes), finds Darden returning as a mutant Kolp, Trundy's Lisa now married to McDowall's Caesar, John Huston doing a cameo as The Law Giver, Rosenman again doing the music, Paul Williams playing Virgil (bet they saved money on his make-up), and a young John Landis as Jake's (Caesar's son) friend. To top off this boxed set, they've included a 6th disc, Behind The Planet Of The Apes (1998 - 120 minutes), that gives you a wonderful behind the scenes look at the series and is hosted by the man himself, Roddy McDowall. So, if this set is so wonderful, why did I only give it 4 stars? Because if this was really the ultimate boxed set, they would have included the double disc set of Behind The Planet Of The Apes which includes 199 more minutes. I found out about this deluxe version while I was scribbling notes for this review. Now I'll have to go purchase that to have the definitive collection of Ape DVDs. Don't let that stop you from buying this set though as I don't think the individual DVDs are available for purchase (POTA and the deluxe Behind The POTA being the exceptions). All in all, a thought provoking blast from the past. Pass the popcorn please.

That's More Like It!: The Tense, Stunning Conclusion To A Big-Screen Legend

People have massacred this film, criticizing its choppy length, its performances, and its special effects. But I say bravo to J. Lee Thompson for it-- the man who failed so miserably at "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes."Caesar (Roddy McDowall) returns, as does Lisa (Natalie Trundy), his chimpanzee wife, and Aldo (now played by Claude Akins), a gung-ho gorilla who constantly dreams of getting rid of Caesar. "Conquest" sub-villain Kolp (Severn Darden), now governor of an underground, radiated civilization of humans, is also along for the ride.Were it just for them, this film would be a total bore (except McDowall and Trundy). The one who really stands out in this film is Virgil (Paul Williams, Little Enos from "Smokey and the Bandit," which, suffice to say, is not one of my favorite films), a clever orangutan who speaks in terms of scientific poetry and is Caesar's most trusted adviser. Also good are Lew Ayres as Mandemus (keeper of Caesar's armory and conscience) and John Huston as the Lawgiver, who acts merely as a narrator for the film's opening and closing sequences. The story follows the conflict that arises when the underground humans and the ape society discover they each exist.The resulting battle is one of the greatest in science fiction history, a landmark thanks to the special effects people seem to loathe so much for their simplicity. And Leonard Rosenman (composer for the second POTA film, as well) provides a musical score that does this film justice-- a feat unheard of in the series since Jerry Goldsmith's riveting original.Overall, this is one of the best in the series, and a fitting conclusion. And for a series like this, that's good to know.