After the disappointment of Battle for the Planet of the Apes, the franchise limped on in the form of two short-lived television series. First came 1974’s live-action Planet of the Apes TV series, followed the next year by the animated project Return to the Planet of the Apes. Neither caught on with fans, and despite a long development, a new film didn’t arrive until 2001.
Lauren Knight of That Movie Is Fine joins the show to discuss director Tim Burton’s “reimagining” of Planet of the Apes. We’ll discuss the movie’s poor reputation despite box office success, the performances by the likes of Mark Wahlberg and Tim Roth, and of course, that mystifying twist ending.
Conquest for the Planet of the Apes sees Caesar (Roddy McDowall) lead an ape revolution that seemingly sews up the fate of humanity. So where could a sequel possibly take the story after the climactic turn of the previous film? As we continue our journey through the nine-film Planet of the Apes franchise, Battle for the Planet of the Apes gives us our answer.
Actor, author, and playwright John Weagly joins the show to help us break down this finale to the original five-movie run of Planet of the Apes. We’ll discuss whether Battle is a fitting finale to Caesar’s story, how successful the movie is at keeping things fresh with a tighter budget, and McDowall’s indelible contribution to the Planet of the Apes franchise.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes set the franchise off on a brand-new course. And the sequel — released just over a year after its predecessor — follows the ape Caesar (Roddy McDowall, as a new character) as he plays a pivotal role in humanity’s downfall in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes.
Ryan Luis Rodriguez of One Track Mind joins the show to discuss this 1972 edition of the long-running Planet of the Apes franchise. We’ll discuss McDowall’s ability to transform into an entirely new ape character, the movie’s more on-the-nose than ever social commentary, and whether this film should have ended this initial era of Planet of the Apes.
