In a futuristic world that has embraced ape slavery, Caesar, the son of the late simians Cornelius and Zira, surfaces after almost twenty years of hiding out from the authorities, and prepar... Read allIn a futuristic world that has embraced ape slavery, Caesar, the son of the late simians Cornelius and Zira, surfaces after almost twenty years of hiding out from the authorities, and prepares for a slave revolt against humanity.In a futuristic world that has embraced ape slavery, Caesar, the son of the late simians Cornelius and Zira, surfaces after almost twenty years of hiding out from the authorities, and prepares for a slave revolt against humanity.
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A very Dystopian, bleak future is what this film has to offer. An authoritarian Governor in the year 1991 has made apes into slaves and brutality between apes and man is a common everyday occurrence.
After torturing the future leader of the apes, Cesar leads a revolt against his human captors and wins out in the end.
Starring: Roddy McDowall, Don Murray, Ricardo Montalban, Hari Rhodes and Natalie Trundy.
Screenwriter Paul Dehn wrote the film incorporating references to the racial conflicts in North America during the early 1970s. This is evident, as the theme is about apes becoming servants and slaves. Now, it is not really explained how the chimpanzees go from being normal chimps to the more humanoid apes we see in this film. But I guess we are supposed to just pretend these are all real chimps.
The message is a bit strong, but maybe made more sense at the time. Today it seems like they tried too hard and it almost seems silly.
Conquest for the Planet of the Apes, the fourth in the series, covers the 'pre-history' of the first movie, where the apes first start to gain some ascendancy in the world of humans. And like the first movie (and to a lesser degree the second) it actually strives to make a social statement AND does a decent job. Parallels are drawn between the apes struggle against slavery to humans and the struggle for civil rights of black people in America with the ape riot scene intended to imitate a famous riot in the sixties. The point is well made considering the censorship restrictions on violence and the touchy nature of the underlying subject matter - a topic well discussed today but not overtly talked about in 1972. The result is daring, well-made (the riot is stunning) and well-meaning, but sometimes a little clumsy.
Some fairly elementary things are overlooked, as well, such as the fact that in the first movie the apes were evolved by 2000 years thus excusing their very human bearing, but here, in the 'future' of 1991, they are just supposed to be apes with clothes on...doesn't quite work.
All in all, though, an entertaining film and a good showcase for Roddy McDowall's real acting abilities. 7 out of 10.
Roddy McDowall gives maybe his best APES performance as Caesar, an intelligent chimpanzee stuck in a time he was never meant to live in.
Nearly twenty years after ESCAPE..., Caesar has learned that apes have become household servants for humans to use. Their stature has increased, and their learning abilities too. Though no reason is given in the film (a typical criticism by some viewers) one may presume that the mysterious plague which killed all dogs and cats somehow had an effect on primates. Even Ricardo Montalban's character says "the pets became larger...and larger...until now......"
Soon, Caesar sees himself as a savior who can lead the apes out of their bondage and assert their independence. He leads the charge as the apes revolt and take over, apparently planting a seed that could eventually grow into the world we saw in the original PLANET OF THE APES classic.
The film again is intelligent, and action-packed. It's true that by today's over-blown standards, the ape revolt can't look as awesome as it did in 1972...but the focus here is on the character of Caesar, an ape from another time who is not responsible for what he is, and who has to stifle his anger over the state of his fellow simians and cope with his situation.
CONQUEST is good, solid science fiction.
Did you know
- TriviaAn original script draft showed more of the rapid evolution of the apes from primitive to intelligent and showed the progression of apes from pets to slaves.
- GoofsIn less than 20 years since Les Évadés de la planète des singes (1971), chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans have evolved to a perfectly humanoid form, a progression that would take thousands of years, not just one generation.
- Quotes
MacDonald: Caesar... Caesar! This is not how it was meant to be.
Caesar: In your view or mine?
MacDonald: Violence prolongs hate, hate prolongs violence. By what right are you spilling blood?
Caesar: By the slave's right to punish his persecutor.
MacDonald: I, a descendant of slaves, am asking you to show humanity.
Caesar: But, I was not born human.
MacDonald: I know. The child of the evolved apes.
Caesar: Whose children shall rule the earth.
MacDonald: For better or for worse?
Caesar: Do you think it could be worse?
MacDonald: Do you think this riot will win freedom for all your people? By tomorrow...
Caesar: By tomorrow it will be too late. Why a tiny, mindless insect like the emperor moth can communicate with another over a distance of 80 miles...
MacDonald: An emperor ape might do slightly better?
Caesar: Slightly? What you have seen here today, apes on the 5 continents will be imitating tomorrow.
MacDonald: With knives against guns? With kerosene cans against flamethrowers?
Caesar: Where there is fire, there is smoke. And in that smoke, from this day forward, my people will crouch and conspire and plot and plan for the inevitable day of Man's downfall - the day when he finally and self-destructively turns his weapons against his own kind. The day of the writing in the sky, when your cities lie buried under radioactive rubble! When the sea is a dead sea, and the land is a wasteland out of which I will lead my people from their captivity! And we will build our own cities in which there will be no place for humans except to serve our ends! And we shall found our own armies, our own religion, our own dynasty! And that day is upon you... now!
- Crazy creditsThe 20th Century-Fox logo does not appear on this film.
- Alternate versionsThe film was cut for violence in the final battle scene by the US distributor for a 'PG' rating. Similarly the BBFC (UK) cut the electrical torture of Caesar, and closeup scenes of violence from the killing of the guards and the climactic battle for an 'AA' cinema rating. Video releases were classified as '15' (now '12' for the DVD) and all prints feature the edited U.S version.
- ConnectionsFeatured in La Bataille de la planète des singes (1973)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
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- Also known as
- Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
- Filming locations
- University of California, Irvine, California, USA(city exteriors)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,700,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $9,043,472
- Gross worldwide
- $9,043,472
- Runtime
- 1h 28m(88 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1