Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Dir: J. Lee Thompson
1973
**
By the fifth and last of the original Planet of the Apes films, the idea has become tired. From such great beginnings the question as to what happens next is of interest to only the hard core Ape fans. I consider myself a big Ape fan but I'm afraid Battle for the Planet of the Apes bored me to tears. When you have a beginning and an end to a story sometimes there isn't any need for a middle and indeed the history of cinema suggests such films only exist as money making ventures. Battle for the Planet of the Apes is a lot of running around in the woods and not much else, compared to the complexities and visuals of the previous films it pales in comparison. The great Roddy McDowell remains the one of the main reasons to watch, that and the overall conclusion (if you care at this point). The conclusion isn't bad but compare it to the original's now iconic finish and it's forgettable.