Full analysis coming later.
I finally did it.
All five, in order. Item off of childhood to-do list finally!! Prior to this I had only seen the original and Conquest all the way through and bits and pieces of the others.
POTA-A groundbreaking sci-fi classic that is surprising in its effectiveness to this date. Most important is that it is a small movie, a film that was very risky and yet was able to overcome the negative connotations of sci-fi being B-material by utilizing great performers, layering different writer's opinions through numerous story drafts and most importantly by having a hand at the helm who was totally involved with setting the audience on a foreign territory. It is director Schaffner's insistence upon alienating the audience with Col. Taylor and reliance on new wave techniques in key scenes that keeps the film fresh after all this time.
4/4. In the same year as 2001, a small lesser budgeted film with vastly inferior ape makeup captured the hearts and minds of countless individuals with definite societal criticism. And of course...of freaking course you see Mr. Serling's name involved in the writing. It fits entirely with the way his wonderful mind worked.
Beneath-A strange one. It really feels like the leftover 20-30% they couldn't fit in the first film plus a complete rehash of the original entry in a hour microcosm or so. The feeling is rushed and almost TV-ish in places, due to the studio's insistence for saving money. Franciscus is actually one of the best parts of the film as Brent, who is NOT a Taylor clone but actually a man struggling to grasp this new world being played by a man desperately struggling to make his character mean something in a lifeless script. If you could simply remove the POTA rehash and get right to the final act with the mutants, it would work much better. Overall one cannot escape the rushed quality, especially those awful pull over ape masks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But the ending is a killer, though handled a bit amateurishly thus preventing the full effect of chilling darkness.
I struggle with this because it has many flaws, but still despite all of them is at least a solid 3/4.
Escape-A return to forthright thinking man's sci-fi, featuring arguably the single greatest moment of screenwriting story innovation. (Topping even Goldfinger's change of the novel's Fort Knox robbery to its irradiation. Oh wait, Paul Dehn also co-wrote that!) It is a brilliant way to continue the ending of the previous film and reenter a parable akin to Boulle's original novel albeit reversed. Of course the reduced budget meant we don't leave L.A. but once you get past that, Escape is a genuinely warm film that takes on even more significance in the the final third when the apes must go on the run from Victor Newman. (Sorry! I just couldn't help it!!)
I just wish it didn't feel so constrained due to budget. 3.5/4
Conquest was the first Apes adventure I ever saw. Even at age 8 the revised ending felt a touch weakened after the events that had gone on through the course of the story. But in it's uncut form the original intent is fully restored, and makes for a small but biting picture.
Soapbox time: Sure it may be short, very low budget, and the third sequel BUT the levels of commentary are so deep, the direct parallels to the rising tensions in the late 60's/early 70's so blatant, and the story so well focused despite a short runtime that the effectiveness of Conquest is never diluted. In fact, it is not only my favorite but arguably as good as if not even better the original.
It is Roddy McDowall's picture. In a tour-de-force performance, he runs the gamut from innocence to enslavement to outrage to conspiring and leading the ape rebellion-all as the son of his original character and in full Ape makeup. And people think these pictures don't mean anything! Good grief, if anyone else did this sans makeup they'd win dozens of awards.
The Blu-ray finally presents this forgotten film in it's intended form. I'd love to see a lossless mono track made, or a print struck of this for theatrical release as a pipe dream.
4/4. This is one of my favorite sci-fi films. When you're older the rebellion is unmistakably presented to mirror the race riots and newsreel coverage of Vietnam.
Battle-Not anywhere near as bad as many claim, but I did see the fully extended BD version. It's very low budget and underdeveloped, but on the whole never downright bad. The series could have easily ended with the previous entry but it was nice to see at least an attempt at closing the story.
Because they really had to work hard with no money, I felt appreciative and enjoyed the film far more than had the problems simply been due to laziness.
3/4. There were at least references made to continue the story cycle and connect the films. Plus more Caesar which is always good, and the return of the lovely Culp from Conquest who I just always found intriguingly creepy for some reason.
The slipcase BD box is a must for around $15. Transfers finally up to snuff all around and (lossy) original mono finally for all five!