Battle for the Planet of the Apes

Plot synopsis:
Told as a flashback to the early 21st century with a wraparound sequence narrated by the orangutan Lawgiver (John Huston) in "North America - 2670 A.D.", this sequel follows the ape leader Caesar (Roddy McDowall) years after a global nuclear war has destroyed civilization. In this post-nuclear society, Caesar tries to cultivate peace between the apes and the surviving humans. A gorilla general named Aldo (Claude Akins) however opposes this and plots Caesar's downfall. Caesar is married to Lisa (Natalie Trundy), the female ape of the previous film, and they have a son named Cornelius (Bobby Porter) in honor of Caesar's father.
Caesar regrets never having known his parents until his human assistant MacDonald (Austin Stoker) tells him about an archive film of his parents where he can also learn about the future. The archives are located in the Forbidden City, now a radioactive ruin. After obtaining a geiger counter and weapons from the armory, Caesar travels with MacDonald and orangutan Virgil (Paul Williams) to the Forbidden City and sneaks in to find the archives. However, there are mutants (radiation-scarred humans) still living there under the command of Governor Kolp (Severn Darden). Caesar and his party view the recordings of Cornelius and Zira and learn about the future of the world, but barely have time to study the tapes before they have to escape being captured. Caesar assembles a meeting to report his discoveries at the Forbidden City. Aldo objects when some humans show up and he leads the gorillas away.
A team of scouts sent by Governor Kolp return and tell him about the Ape City. Kolp considers this covert trip by Caesar an act of espionage. His assistant Méndez (Paul Stevens) believes they did nothing wrong and should be left alone, but Governor Kolp stubbornly declares war on Ape City, mustering the mutant humans to destroy the ape society.
Aldo is furious that Caesar wants to co-exist peacefully with humans and plots a coup d'état in order to become the Ape leader himself. Cornelius overhears this while trying to catch his escaped pet squirrel in a nearby tree. Aldo spots him and hacks the tree branch down, critically injuring Cornelius. After a gorilla scouting pair is attacked by the approaching humans (though the gorillas struck the first blow in this case by killing a human scout beforehand), Aldo orders all humans to be corralled and leads the gorillas to loot the weapons' armory much to Virgil's dismay. Cornelius eventually dies from his wounds, leaving Caesar devastated, but not without leaving him with a warning about Aldo's coup.
It is at that moment that Kolp's ragtag force launches their attack against Ape City. The initial mutant attack succeeds, forcing Caesar to order the defenders to fall back. When Kolp finds Caesar lying among dozens of apes, he threatens to kill him, but the fallen apes, who were feigning death or hiding on Caesar's orders, launch a counter-attack that captures most of the mutants. Kolp and his remaining forces are killed by Aldo's troops while attempting to retreat.
After the battle, Aldo wants to kill the penned humans, but Caesar shields them. Aldo declares that Caesar should be killed if he shields the humans. However, Virgil reveals Aldo's responsibility for Cornelius' death and the breaking of the ape community's most sacred law ("Ape shall never kill ape"). An infuriated Caesar pursues Aldo up a large tree, resulting in Aldo falling to his death during the fight. Caesar then attempts to free the humans, but they refuse to leave the pen unless humans are treated as equals. Caesar then realizes the apes are just as despicable as the former slave-owners. The apes and humans then decide to coexist with one another and begin a new society.
The Lawgiver finishes his wrap-around narration (he says it's been over 600 years since the death of Caesar). It's revealed he's talking to a group of young humans and apes; apes and humans have continued to coexist in peace. When asked by a human child "Who knows about the future?", the Lawgiver replies "Perhaps only the dead." A closeup of a statue of Caesar shows a single tear falling from one eye.

Tags: violence

Review:
So the final entry in the Planet of the Apes series takes liberties with the timeline and the plot wanders through other prior installments, but I feel the movie delivers a degree of pathos seldom seen in a sequel.
The bookend scenes involving the Lawgiver, John Huston in heavy make up, speaking to a group of schoolchildren--apes and humans--tie up the saga nicely, leaving open the future for more sequels.(Tim Burton in his dreadful remake should have filled in the blanks instead of "reimagining" a different world of apes.
A couple of chimps formed by the chief Caesar( Roddy McDowall) and his wife Lisa (Natalie Trundy replacing the usual Kim Hunter) think otherwise and even agree a peaceful existence with humans .Caesar is son of Cornelius and Zira from ¨Escape from the planet of apes¨ and was the leader in the ¨Conquest of the Planet of the apes¨ Caesar attempts to ease disputes between apes and men .
Meanwhile, an expedition commanded by Caesar , Virgil (Paul Williams) and MacDonald (Austin Stoker ) sets out the forbidden zone where live human mutants ( Seven Darden, France Nuyen among them) who survived a nuclear explosion several years before .
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.
This movie had big ambitions:the hero,Ceasar,Cornelius's and Zira's son,has to change the future,like Bruce Willis would have to do a quarter of century later in "twelve monkeys" -no pun intended-.But the results are not up to scratch,by a long shot:the last two sequels are the poorest of a saga which brilliantly began with Shaffner's classic in 1967(adapted from Pierre -Bridge on the river Kwai-Boulle's absorbing book).One should note than the first five minutes are footage from 'escape from...." which tend to reinforce Ceasar's Christlike nature ;and it's even enhanced by John Huston's patriarch "lawgiver" (sic) character.
Several years after a nuclear war, we find a surprisingly peaceful yet primitive village occupied by both apes and humans, governed by chimp Caesar (McDowall), who began a revolution in the previous film, as a young radical.
There, the human governor from "Conquest..." has been replaced by his security chief, Kolp, who was bad enough as 2nd in command - now he's bored just sifting through the rubble with his few mutated followers - time to work off the doldrums and teach a clever ape how to show respect.This entry is generally regarded as the worst of the 5 films, if most fans had to pick one, but it's not a complete waste by comparison.
Here is the final chapter in the PLANET OF THE APES series, and it's one of the most unjustly maligned sequels in film history.
Sure, it's easily the least of the five movies, but it's still entertaining and has something to say, which is a quality that's usually missing with most fifth entries of a long franchise, and definitely in science fiction films in general these days.It's now some years after the events of CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, and we learn that much has happened in the interim; most importantly, man must have pushed a panic button during the subsequent ape wars, as much of the Earth (or at least the North American section of it) has become radioactive wasteland, thanks to the detonation of some kind of bomb.
BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES centers on one small community of survivors - who are not necessarily supposed to be considered "the entire world population," as so many detractors mistake when they like to condemn its small budget - but just a relatively modest group of apes and humans in one specific area who try to re-build their lives in peace.
Can it ever be done?Roddy McDowall returns as Caesar, who is more benevolent than he was in CONQUEST, but still has trouble completely trusting humans at this point in time - and even, as he grows to learn, some apes!
While apes are the dominant species in this particular neighborhood, humans are treated with at least a moderate amount of respect, except by self-appointed gorilla general Aldo (Claude Akins), who would prefer to exterminate all of mankind instead of tolerating them.There's still a point to the series, although by now it has reached the level of repetition -- "will man and ape ever be able to survive together as equals"?
It should also be noted that there was a very poignant subplot originally filmed which involved the mutants and their devotion to an Alpha/Omega bomb (making these beings the likely ancestors of the ones we'd later see in BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES).
The movie is supposed to take place in a barren, scantily populated wasteland; why so much more money was thought to be needed under those circumstances is beyond me.As a big fan of the APES films, I waited almost 30 years for Twentieth Century-Fox to revisit this series.
I distinctly remember a scene in this film, after the ape-mutant war and after the apes and humans agree on equality in their society, that depicted Mendez and the woman of Asian descent in the Forbidden City playing chess.
Similarily, I think Claude Akins as gorilla general Aldo was also an inspired piece of casting.BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES should be a film anyone can enjoy somewhat, and especially by someone claiming to be a fan of the series.
To find out what happens, you'll have to watch the final chapter to the PLANET OF THE APES film series.
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.
Their voices are unmistakable as is Paul Williams playing McDowall's confidante.Battle For The Planet Of The Apes is a fitting end to a grand set of science fiction films..
Fifth and last Apes film is set after a nuclear war has decimated the human population, and left them subservient to the surviving apes, who are building their own civilization, and can't decide whether humans will be allowed to live or not, especially after a determined group of militant humans decide to wage war, rather than serve...Unlike the previous two films, this one is less reliant on implausible and contrived plot devices, which is a welcome change; trouble is, it is also less effective dramatically, bordering on the mundane.The extended version on the new DVD is an improvement, since it restores key scenes involving the radiation scarred humans that is quite interesting, but film still feels perfunctory, and inconclusive..
All five are very anti-war, preachy about humans are cruel and destroy nature, but by the time you get to this one, you just wish you had been on earth went it blew up in the second film.I likes the title one of the other reviews used - Don't Apes throw this stuff around?
I am reviewing the uncut directors cut however, and it's entertaining.There's some interesting ideas (explored much better in Dawn and War), but like with Conquest the film is hindered by it's tiny budget.There's a decent battle scene, the whole Caesar vs.
One decade after a worldwide series of ape revolutions and a brutal nuclear war among humans, Caesar must protect survivors of both species from an insidious human cult and a militant ape faction alike.Screenwriters John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington were brought in after the success of their film "The Omega Man", although prior to that neither one of them had written any science fiction films and, indeed, Joyce Carrington later admitted they had never seen any of the Apes films prior to being hired to write the script for "Battle".Roger Ebert gave the film a negative review, stating, "Battle looks like the last gasp of a dying series, a movie made simply to wring the dollars out of any remaining ape fans." As usual, Ebert is spot on.
Sadly, then, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" sends the series out with a whimper, not a bang.For a basic plot summary, "Battle" sees a society some years down the road where Caesar (Roddy McDowell) rules a rather primitive Ape City.
It is obvious that the budget made the film look a little cheap and the story is a bit thin but the characters still make up for these flaws and still has plenty of dramatic moments.I don't hold the opinion that Battle is the worst of the series.
The last in the original Planet of the Apes film series and easily the worst and least interesting of the lot.
Surprisingly, they still managed to draw in much of the same actors, including Roddy McDowall as Caesar, the original smart ape in this timeline.This movie suffers largely from the same problems as its immediate predecessor, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes.
Caesar (Roddy McDowall) rules Ape City trying to live in peace with the second class humans.
They travel to the radioactive city with orangutan Virgil and find Cornelius and Zira's testimony predicting the end of the world by the gorillas in the 3rd movie 'Escape from the Planet of the Apes'.
Later MacDonald then explains to Caeser "You say,we have rights yet we're not your equals if you wish to release us then free us completely to live together with love."Caeser then said "Can't have any thing to do with the human way, the human way is violence and death." then Virgil the orangutan had said "Aldo was not human."Caeser then had said "You Virgil are a very wise teacher." and then Virgil said "And you Caeser area very wise King." after this they show the under ground humans about to set off the same bomb that Taylor had used to destroy the earth in "Beneath" with one of them saying "No this is what we want to avoid knowing it's a future possibility."(Meaning they were about to after losing the war caused by the misunderstanding that those three of Caeser,MacDonald,& Virgil really came to that underground civilization in peace only to play the films of Caeser's Parents to give him Knowledge.)One of those Lady mutants even said "Well perhaps they really came in peace." but because the security camera got shot at Kolp didn't agree.Then from here as the Lawgiver finished the story they showed a gorilla boy pulling an an African American girl's braids with her saying "Ow!" & then the Law giver said "...and we still await that one fateful day when the earth will be destroyed."All of this very compilation of which grabbed my attention for when from 1989-92 Malibu Graphics was the latest to adapt Planet of the apes & they were just as annoyed by me as they were glad to have me there for them & of which is why this film's themes along with my inspiration made Their final work of Planet of the apes:The Forbidden Zone.a great deal of it was their own fault both for inviting comment and critique as well as not doing their own homework.Also in giving credit where it's due when 20 years ago I had even told my big sister,Maureen that I was going to rent all 5 films to get a real feel for the continuity & she then said to me "What continuity?" I came out of Terminator 2: Judgement Day with my big brother,J.
Kevin mentioning how this film didn't agree with the prior one & how the history as according to Cornelius told in "Escape" didn't agree with the following movie & happened centuries later.He said so when they came back through time they had sped up the history & then I said how only it still doesn't explain it right for how it already happened according them because it would've been known that they came back in time.Yes even Cornelius said that Aldo instead of Caeser had lead the apes in the crusade to what would be the take over by saying "No." of which leads to the zpota website of which is named Damn it,Damn the continuity all to hell as Taylor said @ the end of the first movie & of which was also used to start the 2nd film off of "Beneath" also to see my final follow up on the Malibu Adaptation of the Planet of the apes:The Forbidden Zone mini series,of which I had made possible,pick up a copy of this publication's comic of Protectors #16 of which is in conclusion included @ the end of the same letter of a review of both a previous Protectors story from issue #12 of this magazine & a Miss Fury review too.As I Said on the Escape from the planet of apes review the beginning footage @ the airforce base varies a little differently than in "Escape from the Planet of the apes."and this is from the beginning of this film of " Battle"where the Lawgiver starts of with in the beginning God made both man & apes in his own image.
And they've learned to ride horses?Roddy McDowall - as always in the "Apes" series - offered a fine performance as the chimpanzee Caesar, the son of Cornelius and Zira from "Escape" and the leader of the ape rebellion in "Conquest," who's now a sort of benevolent dictator of the Ape City, whose position is being increasingly challenged by the gorilla leader Aldo (Claude Akins.) Severn Darden recreated his role as Kolp - head of security for the humans in "Conquest" and now the Governor of whatever is left of the city which has been devastated by a nuclear bomb, but I frankly found the issue of the battle between the apes and the mutant humans lacking and irrelevant.
The battles going on within Ape City (the other two issues I mentioned above) were probably enough to keep the movie going and should have been better developed.This really was a sad ending to what had been a good series of movies to this point..
The story is simple but incredibly weak at times and it is kind of dumb when the mutants who lived in a melted city start battle against the apes just because they find Cesar who is trying to find his famed parents Cornelious and Zira along with his human friend and his orangutan ape friend Virgil played by movie composer Paul Williams evade there precious burnt city.
The film is unbelievably dreary and dull, just like it's predecessor "Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes."I give the writers partial credit though for trying to bring the series full cycle in a sort of "vicious circle" theme, in which history is in effect trapped in a neverending loop of Taylor arriving, the Earth getting blown up, Cornelius and Zira escaping back to Taylor's time and starting the process of the rise of the apes, and years later Taylor arrives again......Alas, the only idea of this that gets developed is where we see in scenes that were cut from the theatrical release but restored in TV prints, how the bomb worshiping cult of "Beneath The Planet Of The Apes" got started (it is no coincidence that the human leader's name in "Battle" is Mendez, the same as the mutant leader in "Beneath").
This film also continued Conquest's focus on racial conflict, like the other two films for me.BATTLE follows Caesar as he leads the apes and their human subjects after a devastating war that destroyed much of the planet.
This film also continued Conquest's focus on racial conflict, like the other two films for me.BATTLE follows Caesar as he leads the apes and their human subjects after a devastating war that destroyed much of the planet.
The final film, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes", ends on a more positive note but the dialogue is inane, the action is boring, and the production values are cheap.
also OK but this is intended for those of you who had the same viewpoint on the series as I previously did.I had thought that the films III, IV and V had simply explained events prior to the first movie but after seeing Battle again, I saw that the past had been changed due to the apes going back in time after the destruction of the earth.
Battle for the Planet of the Apes starts ten years or so after events of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) as a nuclear war has decimated human society & the Ape child of Zira & Cornelius who called himself Caesar (Roddy McDowall) has grown up, lead a Ape rebellion against man & is trying to start an Ape city where he dreams humans & Apes can co-exist in peace if not quite equality.
Oscar winner John Huston has a cameo while future director John Landis has a small role early on in his career.Battle for the Planet of the Apes isn't a total disaster & if you like the franchise then this is worth seeking out, even if your not it does have a few good moments & it entertains although the heavy handed morals can get tiresome as in the rest of the series..
Yes, the titular 'battle for the planet of the apes' also refers to Caesar's 'peaceful co-existence' scenario versus Aldo's 'conquest is good' mindset, but with such a plethora of 'bad movie' moments distracting the viewer, it is not immediately obvious.
Virgil (introducing Paul Williams) go into the city, not realising there are mutated survivors, led by Gov. Kolp (Severn Darden), gorilla Gen. Aldo (Claude Akins) plans to overthrow Caesar's rule and have the apes take over the Earth like the future sees.