Tedfoldol
everything you have heard about this movie is true.
Huievest
Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.
Staci Frederick
Blistering performances.
tankace
Continuing our journey back to the past we now reach the one of the two good sequels of the original film, conquest and I have to say when I first saw it I like it more than any other of the rest of the series apart from the original. So here we follow the child of Zera and Cornelius, Maylo/Ceasar who during the 88 minutes of the film he becomes the leading figure of the Ape resistance in a dystopian version of the nineties,in which people rule and use Apes as slaves and pets. Even if your historical knowledge is average you can clearly see who the problems that rocked the American society to its core in the late sixties and early seventies with the riots and the violence on the streets as the segregation between white and African-American came to a close. Is it a perfect translation? Well, no actual the film is at times to fast pace and things take place a bit to quickly in order to get full invested to the characters and the start of the Ape revolt, but at least we have no slow moment to weight down the film. To add to that this speed keeps the interest about hat is happening.Over all it is a product of its time and though heavy handed and a light campy nowadays, it is has a punch and if you are a fan of these films you should definitely watch.
Scott LeBrun
20 years after the events of "Escape from the Planet of the Apes", circus owner Armando (Ricardo Montalban) is trying to help Caesar (Roddy McDowall), the offspring of the late Cornelius and Zira, attain freedom, knowing full well that his power of speech will mark him as dangerous to the future of man. Of course, things naturally go from bad to worse in a hurry. The story shows how in the year 1983, all cats and dogs died off, and apes replaced them as family pets. But the apes evolved and grew a great deal in eight years, and mans' inhumanity to his fellow creatures has turned many apes into mistreated slaves. Ultimately, Caesar will lead a revolt."Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" is a typically interesting entry in this generally well regarded series. Some people will inevitably be turned off by the grisly violence (which is even more pronounced in the unrated version), but those with stronger stomachs will find this to be a rousing and potent entertainment. It's not exactly subtle about its themes, and messages, but it proves to be utterly compelling just the same. One can't help but side with the apes, and despise human villains such as hard-driving, ape-hating Governor Breck (Don Murray) and his flunky Kolp (Severn Darden). It's very well paced, clocking in at a reasonable 87 minutes (88 minutes in unrated form), and has some well staged action. It gets off to quite an energetic start, and offers little in the way of let-up. The viewer easily sides with the apes, and enthusiastically cheers them on. It may be uncomfortable to witness their ultimate blood lust, but it's still understandable.McDowall is great as usual. His final monologue is pretty powerful. Murray is rather over the top, but is also amusing with the way that he over enunciates words at times. Montalban is so wonderful that you miss the character once he's written out of the story. Hari Rhodes is excellent as a man named MacDonald, who more than anybody understands where the apes are coming from. Familiar faces in small roles include John Randolph, John Dennis, and Gordon Jump. Supporting player Lou Wagner was a series veteran; Buck Kartalian had also appeared in the classic original film.Very well directed by J. Lee Thompson, this is solid entertainment that offers a scathing indictment of human ignorance, bigotry, and fear.Eight out of 10.
zkonedog
While watching the original Apes film for the first time, one of the thoughts I remember having was "wouldn't it be cool to see exactly HOW the apes revolted against the humans?". Well, "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" gives us exactly that.For a basic plot summary, "Conquest" continues the story of the offspring of Cornelius and Zira, sheltered on Earth by circus owner Armando (Ricardo Montalbon). Now branded as Ceasar (Roddy McDowell), the advanced-intelligence chimpanzee bristles at the slave-like treatment of apes in the "future" (1991), eventually leading the revolt that will change the world.The key "drawing card" of this movie is the last half hour, when we actually get to see the apes revolt against their human masters. Worth the price of admission alone is the epic speech given by Ceasar as he leads the apes in their conquest. After all the ape history talked about in the previous three movies, it is exhilarating to actually SEE it transpiring."Conquest" is also strange, though, in that it is unfortunate that it had to come after "Escape", which was, I believe, a commercial failure (because of its satirical nature). This movie gets back to more serious roots, but it seems like the damage had already been done. The budget is paper-thin, and the run-time clocks in at just under 90 minutes. Of all the movies in the Apes franchise, this is the one that could have been expanded into something much more epic. Instead, it gets a rather bland, low-budget treatment.Overall, though, I can still enjoy "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" because of those ape revolt scenes and the great character of Caesar. By this point, if you haven't "bought in" to the series you won't even be watching, so it is for the true Ape-heads.
brennonmackinnon
With most movie franchises, the sequels are often inferior to the originals. While this may also be true for the 'Planet of The Apes' series, the fourth entry in the franchise surpasses the rest. While it may not have been as much of a ground-breaking success as 'Planet of the Apes', 'Conquest' had a social commentary that still resonates today, much like the original. This movie has two different endings, but the best of the two is the Unrated version. 'Conquest' has wonderful special effects, the best of the series. With a wonderful performance by Roddy McDowell as Caesar, this movie is fantastic. Don't ignore the sequels simply because of their bad reputation, give these films a chance.
