I cannot believe there are so many positive reviews for this film, which must rate as one of the worst I have ever seen, perhaps even THE worst. Yes, it's really that bad.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of the first episode, which remains a seminal classic, but this sequel is pure garbage.
***spoiler*** The acting is wooden and the plot is ridiculous. I mean ... telepathic aliens who worship a nuclear weapon? Seriously? And what genius hired a talentless hack like James Franciscus for the lead role, but left out Roddy McDowall? The special effects ... aren't, the sets are boring, there's zero development of plot or characters, and everyone dies at the end ... for absolutely no logical reason.
Oh there was so much potential for exploring the post-apocalyptic ruins of New York, rebuilding a new civilisation, serious political commentary on mankind's strengths and weaknesses, war and diplomacy between man and ape, and of course following the romantic and other progress of Taylor and Nova.
But none of that happened. Instead, they just met some of the silliest and most misplaced aliens in the history of cinema, and died. The end.
It's not even good enough to qualify as a "so-bad-it's-good" cult classic, like Plan 9 from Outer Space. It's just bad. Embarrassingly and boringly bad. I'm dead serious when I say I could do better with a smartphone and half a dozen of my mates, on a budget of two sixpacks and a big pizza.
Executive summary: 95 minutes of my life that I'll never get back.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of the first episode, which remains a seminal classic, but this sequel is pure garbage.
***spoiler*** The acting is wooden and the plot is ridiculous. I mean ... telepathic aliens who worship a nuclear weapon? Seriously? And what genius hired a talentless hack like James Franciscus for the lead role, but left out Roddy McDowall? The special effects ... aren't, the sets are boring, there's zero development of plot or characters, and everyone dies at the end ... for absolutely no logical reason.
Oh there was so much potential for exploring the post-apocalyptic ruins of New York, rebuilding a new civilisation, serious political commentary on mankind's strengths and weaknesses, war and diplomacy between man and ape, and of course following the romantic and other progress of Taylor and Nova.
But none of that happened. Instead, they just met some of the silliest and most misplaced aliens in the history of cinema, and died. The end.
It's not even good enough to qualify as a "so-bad-it's-good" cult classic, like Plan 9 from Outer Space. It's just bad. Embarrassingly and boringly bad. I'm dead serious when I say I could do better with a smartphone and half a dozen of my mates, on a budget of two sixpacks and a big pizza.
Executive summary: 95 minutes of my life that I'll never get back.