Battle for the Planet of the Apes (C)

STARS...
Roddy McDowall, Natalie Trundy, John Huston, Claude Akins, Paul Williams, Lew Ayres

DIRECTOR: J. Lee Thompson
YEAR & RATING: 1973 (G)

PLOT SUMMARY...
In the far future, radiated humans, living in the wreckage of civilization, launch a military attack against Ape City.

QUICK SCAN...
This film could be compared to "Omega Man". BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES features action and FX. Roddy McDowall ("The Legend of Hell House"), as an ape leader Caesar, gives a strong performance, despite the heavy simian makeup. A matte painting depicting the ruins of New York City is decent.

SYNOPSIS...
Caesar, the son of Cornelius and Zeira, seeks information about his parents, who he never really knew. He goes to the ruins of New York City in search of information about his past.

Humans from the city come to Ape City, waging war. Numerous apes are killed, as are some humans. The humans return to the ruins of New York.

In a gorilla counter-attack, the warring humans are killed. Farther in the future, apes and men finally live in harmony.

BEST BETS: Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes

The Review:

Director J. Lee Thompson's BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, the final in the "Apes" feature films, proves that the best is not always the last.

Roddy McDowall ("The Black Hole"), despite the elaborate makeup, gives a strong portrayal as Caesar, the head of the apes. The solid professionalism of his performance is one of the few things that makes this picture marginally watchable.

At one point, a human instructor, teaching a class of chimps and gorillas, says no to General Aldo, Claude Akins ("Sheriff Lobo"). The gorillas go ape. An orangutan named Virgil, Paul Williams ("Phantom of the Paradise"), attempts to cool things out. Speaking to the human teacher he states the basic rule of human/ape interaction: "An ape may say no to a human, but a human may never again say no to an ape." Makes you think.

Director Thompson ("The Guns of Navarone"), working from a Screenplay by John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington (Story by Paul Dehn, based on characters created by Pierre Boulle), attempts to work up audience interest in a battle between nuclear war human survivors, from the ruins of New York, and the intelligent chimp, orangutan, and gorilla inhabitants of Ape City. However, since we know from the other movies that the apes will remain dominant, there is little potential for suspense or audience involvement here.

BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES attempts to wrap everything up on a hopeful note, with humans and apes living in harmony. However, since Charlton Heston blew the world up in the second Apes movie, set considerably earlier in time than this one, the logic of it all seems a bit dubious!

Director of Photography,Richard Kline, offers us screen images that vary between adequate and high grain/ugly. He does give us a decent shot of a matte painting depicting the ruins of New York City, where a group of radiation-affected humans live.

The Music, by Leonard Rosenman, is heavy handed, of course. Subtle Music was never a trademark of the "Planet of the Apes" film series.

My favorite scenes take place at the start and end of the movie, where the late John Huston ("Chinatown"), as a wise orangutan, offers a human/ape history lesson. His unique, elegant speaking voice is always a movie plus.

Plans are in the works for a "Planet of the Apes" remake, Directed by Oliver Stone. It will be interesting to see what changes the controversial director works on the material.

BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES will not be very watchable for most Sci-Fi fans. Fans of the better in the "Apes" series (#1, #2, and #3) will be particularly disappointed.