I quite enjoyed the first two instalments of the "Ape" series. Both were interesting movies (the first was definitely better) that offered some reflections on human nature as seen through the eyes of the apes. Generally speaking, this third instalment of the series continues to do that - and, as in the first two - humanity doesn't come off looking particularly good. In and of itself, standing alone, this isn't a bad movie. Its basic problem is its lack of originality (although the very fact that it created a sequel to "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" - whose ending did look rather final - counts for something, I suppose.) Still, in many ways this is the mirror image of the first movie. In that, of course, three human astronauts land on a future earth rules by apes. Here, three "ape-onauts" (as they're referred to) land on a past earth ruled by humans - namely, our own (well, at least the world of 1973.) A lot of this is very similar to the original. Cornelius (Roddy McDowell, who returns in the role after missing "Beneath") and Zira (Kim Hunter) essentially take on the roles of the human astronauts in "Planet" while Drs. Dixon (Bradford Dillman) and Branton (Natalie Trundy) are the Cornelius and Zira of this society, sympathetic to the apes and wanting them to survive, while Dr. Hasslein (Eric Braeden) is the personification of the evil human who wants to kill these intelligent apes (just as most of the apes wanted to kill the intelligent humans of the original.) So, aside from the ingenious way of resurrecting a series that you would have expected to be finished, originality was somewhat lacking. There are a few twists. Overall, human society seemed generally kinder to the apes than ape society was to the humans, and it's somewhat humorous to watch as at first Cornelius and Zira are feted as celebrities in Los Angeles. Overall, though, this really does have the feel of the original in reverse.
It's not a bad story. It's a bit far-fetched to believe that the apes could have not only raised Taylor's spaceship from the original and learned to launch and pilot it, given that in the first two movies (which seemed to take place over a relatively short span of time) the ape society hadn't even invented the internal combustion engine. Yes, that's kind of explained by Cornelius' assertion that Dr. Milo (who accompanied he and Zira on this journey) is a genius well ahead of his time. Obviously! Still, that bit of far-fetchedness aside, this is a reasonable addition to the series, an imaginative way of restarting the series, and an obvious set-up at the end for what would become the fourth instalment in the series ("Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes.") It's just not particularly original, in that it's a rerun of the first with the roles reversed. But if you like the series, it's enjoyable enough. (6/10)
It's not a bad story. It's a bit far-fetched to believe that the apes could have not only raised Taylor's spaceship from the original and learned to launch and pilot it, given that in the first two movies (which seemed to take place over a relatively short span of time) the ape society hadn't even invented the internal combustion engine. Yes, that's kind of explained by Cornelius' assertion that Dr. Milo (who accompanied he and Zira on this journey) is a genius well ahead of his time. Obviously! Still, that bit of far-fetchedness aside, this is a reasonable addition to the series, an imaginative way of restarting the series, and an obvious set-up at the end for what would become the fourth instalment in the series ("Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes.") It's just not particularly original, in that it's a rerun of the first with the roles reversed. But if you like the series, it's enjoyable enough. (6/10)