Beneath the Planet of the Apes Movie Review

In this first sequel to the science-fiction classic, another twentieth-century astronaut, Brent (James Franciscus) arrives in the year 3995 attempting to find his lost colleague Taylor (Charlton Heston). He passes through the same time warp and follows the same path as Taylor did in the original Planet of the Apes film. Brent discovers Ape City and travels through the ruins of the post-apocalyptic New York subway system (which looks surprisingly similar to today's New York subway system). In the underground labyrinth, Brent discovers nuclear warhead-worshiping telepathic human mutants. Unfortunately, the militant apes also discover their existence, leading to a violent confrontation. The sequel tries to maintain the allegorical bent of the original, including peace sit-ins and an anti-nuclear message, but falls short of the mark. As with many sequels, the story seems forced and, without the powerful originality of the first film, does not capture the viewer's interest. The makeup and sets remain excellent. Many members of the original cast are back, including Kim Hunter as Zira, Maurice Evans as Dr. Zaius, James Gregory as General Ursus, and Charlton Heston as Taylor. Roddy McDowall did not don the makeup for this one, but did provide the voice for his character, Cornelius. The series produced three more sequels.

1969 (G) 108m/C Charlton Heston, James Franciscus, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Gregory, Natalie Trundy, Jeff Corey, Linda Harrison, Victor Buono; D: Ted Post; W: Mort Abrahams, Paul Dehn; C: Milton Krasner; V: Roddy McDowall. VHS, Beta, LV FOX, FUS