Unnecessary sequel is nonetheless entertaining; Roddy Mcdowall back in simian shape.
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:24
Fresh:9
Rotten:15
Average Rating:4.7/10
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
US Box Office: $0
Synopsis: The fifth and final episode in the Planet of the Apes series. After the collapse of human civilization, a community of intelligent apes lives in harmony with a group of humans, but a community of... The fifth and final episode in the Planet of the Apes series. After the collapse of human civilization, a community of intelligent apes lives in harmony with a group of humans, but a community of mutants who reside beneath a destroyed city try to conquer those whom they perceive as enemies. Footage from the previous installments is effective in providing background information as flashbacks in an attempt to bring the series to a logical finish. A later television series attempted to rekindle original plotlines with newer ones. [More]
Starring: Roddy McDowall, Claude Akins, John Huston, Paul Williams
Starring: Roddy McDowall, Claude Akins, John Huston, Paul Williams, Lew Ayres, Natalie Trundy, Severn Darden
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Producer: Arthur P. Jacobs
Composer: Leonard Rosenman
Story: Paul Dehn
Reviews for Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Aside from Severn Darden, who relishes his lip-smacking heavy character, the cast seems disinterested; even series stalwart Roddy McDowall looks bored.
Considering the usual fate of sequels, it's not so much that this final effort [from a story by Paul Dehn] is limp, but that the previous four pix maintained for so long a good quality level.
[It] seems reluctant to use the potentials for astute comic strip philosophy that all the other films revelled in to a greater or lesser extent.
Battle looks like the last gap of a dying series, a movie made simply to wring the dollars out of any remaining ape fans.
Fans will enjoy it, but the "Apes" gang could have done a little better. Not surprisingly, this was the fifth and last installment. (Unless you count the TV show...)
Latest News for Battle for the Planet of the Apes
November 07, 2008:
Fox Movie Channel to Become Channel of the Apes
For the parade-averse non-football fans among us, Thanksgiving weekend is always a trying time -- but this year, Fox Movie Channel has your back: from the 27th through the 30th,... More...
March 28, 2006:
DVD Tuesday: Planet of the Ape
Movie geeks love Tuesdays, and here's why: It's DVD Day! With each new Tuesday comes the promise of varying DVD goodness, so I thought it might be fun to do a reminder-piece... More...
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