Fifty years ago (June 30, 1972), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes premiered.
Written by Paul Dehn and directed by J. Lee Thompson, this fourth installment in the original, movie franchise depicts a different 1990 Earth (a time in which cats and dogs have perished and simians have become the primary "pets"). In addition, Conquest, along with its predecessor, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, managed to twist the mythology full circle, making audiences ponder if history was being branched into a parallel plane or cemented for the threatening fate depicted in the 1968 original.
To its further benefit, Conquest features Roddy McDowall as Caesar, son of Cornelius, the resourceful, time-traveling father he portrayed. The simian son is complex and identifiable, an unforgettable successor for this generational stretch (and one who's influenced the recent, revisionist Apes movies, where Andy Serkis seizes the freedom-fighting reins).
To complement McDowall's nuanced performance, Natalie Trundy plays Caesar's spouse-to-be, Lisa; with Don Murray as Governor Breck; Harry Rhodes as MacDonald; Severn Darden as Kolp; John Randolph as the Chairman; and Ricardo Montalban as the compassionate Armando: an extraordinary cast that few sequels (of any genre) could ever surpass.
I love Conquest to no end, but then I love the entire Apes franchise with unparalleled zeal. Conquest, however, carved a special turn in the series, taking its emancipation concept into a number of deep, philosophical paths that tackle justice, communal survival and social angst. In other words, what it offers is heavy duty and resonates to this day.
Why not (re)watch this sterling chapter today or better yet, conduct an all-out "Go Ape" marathon this Fourth of July weekend? It'll be an excellent way to celebrate the thought-provoking legacy of one of the most significant, science-fiction sagas ever conceived.
No comments:
Post a Comment