As fans of the series know, the Earth got blowed up good at the end of the second movie. So, you might ask, how did they make a sequel? Hmm, well they did something unique in film history--the sequel was also a prequel!! Here's how they did it: At the end of the last movie the Earth blew up, but somehow our favorite apes, Cornelius (Roddy McDowell) and Zira (Kim Hunter) both escaped the explosion in a space ship and traveled back in time to 20th century Earth!!! Now this was no small feat, as the apes in the previous movies had progressed up to perhaps the 18th century in technology and no others possessed a space ship, either! Well, this gaping plot hole is one of the reasons this movie only gets a 6. The other is that this movie, for the first half of it, has absolutely no controversy or excitement. If you like seeing the two apes being wined and dined and interviewed on TV, then this movie is for you--but zilch as far as controversy goes.
However, later, under the influence of a truth serum, Zira tells the humans that they are from Earth in the future and that humans are either treated as slaves or killed! Well, the narrow-minded humans want no part of that and decide to sterilize the apes to prevent this horrible future. The problem is that Zira is already pregnant (never mind that it seems hardly likely that Roddy McDowell could be the father) and they don't want their baby killed! I'm not sure why no one thought about letting the child be born and then sterilizing the three--this could have worked out and prevented a fourth movie.
Well, our two beloved apes don't want to be sterilized or lose their baby, so they escape. While in hiding, Zira has the baby and when the human thugs catch up to them, they are killed--but not before a DIFFERENT baby is substituted for theirs--meaning that they actually planned on making a sequel to this movie.
Decent story writing (though with HUGE plot holes), good acting and a fun script make this a worthwhile film, but certainly weaker than movies number 1, 2 and 4.
However, later, under the influence of a truth serum, Zira tells the humans that they are from Earth in the future and that humans are either treated as slaves or killed! Well, the narrow-minded humans want no part of that and decide to sterilize the apes to prevent this horrible future. The problem is that Zira is already pregnant (never mind that it seems hardly likely that Roddy McDowell could be the father) and they don't want their baby killed! I'm not sure why no one thought about letting the child be born and then sterilizing the three--this could have worked out and prevented a fourth movie.
Well, our two beloved apes don't want to be sterilized or lose their baby, so they escape. While in hiding, Zira has the baby and when the human thugs catch up to them, they are killed--but not before a DIFFERENT baby is substituted for theirs--meaning that they actually planned on making a sequel to this movie.
Decent story writing (though with HUGE plot holes), good acting and a fun script make this a worthwhile film, but certainly weaker than movies number 1, 2 and 4.