Following the nuclear war, Caesar (Roddy McDowall) has gathered surviving apes and humans to build a new, more equitable society.
Easier said than done.
Aside from the irradiated survivors of New York City, Caesar faces resistance from within his own ranks…
As was the way with sequels before the eighties, the original Apes movies got cheaper as they went along. This one really suffers.
I remember the first time I watched it, being taken by the action scenes, but underwhelmed by how small it feels.
The film was followed by a short-lived TV series, and this movie feels like a TV episode
However, while the budgets got smaller, I am not sure the movies got worse.
If anything, there is something laudable about the willingness to keep narrative threads going. Indeed, it is interesting - looking back fifty years - at the ways the film anticipates the tropes of prequels.
For example, take the mutants of the destroyed city: unlike Beneath, they have no powers.
They are sick and dirty, trying to survive amid the ruins of their dead civilization.
The film tries to make a point of power dynamics, of the potential for discrimination and oppression, but the focus on Gorillas as the antagonists, as inherently violent, carries a racist subtext that undermines the film’s message.
This film also suffers from a lack of scale, particularly in how tiny Ape City is.
There are times where that lack of scale works - the post apocalyptic setting does forgive the lack of extras.
And the filmmakers try to the best with what they have: The establishing shots of the ruins of the Forbidden City are impressive, and the sets used to depict the ruins are appropriately claustrophobic and dirty.
The film is packed with action, but it is in the setpieces that the film’s limitations are exposed.
There is almost no suspense on the descent through the catacombs, and the final battle suffers from confusing geography.
It feels like the filmmakers are trying to get what they can get, without the time or money to truly capture the script’s intentions.
There are some fun characters.
Future Assault on Precinct 13 star Austin Stoker is so charismatic and charming, it just makes it more depressing that he never got to become a big star.
Musician Paul Williams is effective as Virgil, a scientist who serves as Caesar’s conscience.
Severn Darden returns as the decaying Kolb, now leader of the human survivors. Once again he adds a unique menace to proceedings.
In a neat touch, Lee Ayres, star of the original All Quiet On The Western Front, plays the pacifist guardian of the Ape armory.
While the climax is action-packed, there is no sense of resolution - we end with ape and human children fighting while a statue of Caesar cries real tears.
The cycle of violence cannot be altered or changed. Nor Hollywood’s hunger for mining franchises.
Sadly, it would be almost 30 years before the Planet of the Apes would rise again…
Related
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
If you enjoy something I wrote, and want to support my writing, here’s a link for tips!
No comments:
Post a Comment