Review of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) by Hani H — 19 Jan 2009

I am going out on a limb and saying this is the best Apes film since the original. It's dark tone and social commentary make it one of the strongest films of this series. Caesar goes from a relatable and sympathetic character to a militaristic anachist.

This is one of the most complex apes films, and it finally gets away from the "Shock" endings, tried in the second, and to an exent the third film. Sure the film isn't perfect, but it was a radical departure from the other films.

This is truly a science fiction thriller. The speech at the end of the film, in the original cut (blu-ray) is an awe-inspiring scene. Roddy McDowall gives his best performance in the series. Not to mention Ricardo Montalban, whose small but vital role is the spark to Caesar's powderkeg.

This film stands out in that, it was not an overly simplified story made as a kids film. This film continues the dark tone started in the second half of "Escape from the Planet of the Apes".

I am glad that the reboot of the franchise might begin with this film, proving that is is a great film.