Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Candida It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

zkonedog After the thrilling conclusion to "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes", it seemed as if the Apes tale had come full circle. Yet, for whatever reason, a final sequel was made on a shoe-string budget, featuring a plot that, while still interesting, was not worthy to end such an epic series. Sadly, then, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" sends the series out with a whimper, not a bang.For a basic plot summary, "Battle" sees a society some years down the road where Caesar (Roddy McDowell) rules a rather primitive Ape City. Humans are basically just workers in this society, yet are treated generally kindly by Caesar. As usual, however, gorilla General Aldo (Claude Akins) proves to be a war-monger who challenges the "ape must not kill ape" supreme law. When a pocket of human survivors (after the fallout of their first usage of nuclear weapons against the apes) decide to challenge Ape City in one final duel, the future of human/ape relations lies in the balance.There are many people who think that "Battle" is a terrible entry into this series and not even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the others. I won't go so far as to say that. It is easily the weakest sequel, but that isn't to say that it doesn't have some redeeming value. McDowell gives another marvelous performance as Caesar, while the "ape politics" stuff is pretty good as well.The trouble with "Battle", however, is that it is just so cheaply made. Whereas the other films had an "epic" feel to them, this one (right from the very beginning) seems not so much a labor of love as just a plain labor. There are no interesting visuals, the cinematography is dark/bleak, and the plot is stretched thin even with just an hour-and-a-half runtime. Like many other reviewers have said, "Battle" seems like a TV pilot more than something one is used to seeing up on the big screen.Thus, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" is a very conflicted film. It deals with many vital themes central to the "Apes" canon, yet at the same time does not provide nearly the type of heading that Ape-heads (the only ones watching by this point) were looking for. Watch it for what it is, but expect to be let down after the emotional high of "Conquest".

madahab As a child of the 70's my imagination was ignited by the Planet of the Apes series. I saw Battle at a drive in...and when my parents refused to take me back for a second viewing I behaved in a way that makes me cringe to remember. But this is extent the film had on my young mind. It was only until recent that I learned of the negative response which seems a little extreme. It is obvious that the budget made the film look a little cheap and the story is a bit thin but the characters still make up for these flaws and still has plenty of dramatic moments.I don't hold the opinion that Battle is the worst of the series. I am of the opinion that Beneath is my least favorite and one I rarely re watched and seems like a rehash of the first with only a few slight variations. It is the one that captures my imagination the least. It is Conquest which I think is by far the best and the most satirical.Battle should not be so quickly dismissed because of it's limitations. The performances are pretty solid and everyone gets a chance to have a dramatic moment. Perhaps the message of the film can be seen as bit heavy handed by a modern audience and certainly could have been explored deeper had it not been for those limitations. It can come across as just a routine action flick between the survivors of a greater war and now just beginning to rebuild their own cultures. The human mutants are very superficial and one-dimensional. They are the bad guys of the story with the obligatory final confrontation. Over all it is a satisfying conclusion ending to the original series---warts and all.

utgard14 The fifth and final of the original Planet of the Apes series. In between the last film and this one, there's been a nuclear holocaust and the remaining humans are slaves of the apes. Caesar (Roddy McDowall) tries to rule in peace but gorilla General Aldo (Claude Akins) wants to eradicate all humans. While searching the ruins of a city for recordings of his parents, Caesar comes across mutant humans who attack the apes. This leads to inevitable conflict between Caesar and Aldo as to how best to deal with this new threat.The least of the Apes movies is still quite good. It has solid acting and a script with good ideas, although it crams in a little more than it should. This was such a good series and it is, I believe, under-appreciated. Yes the first movie is widely praised but the sequels are rarely given their due. They're all smart, entertaining movies that tell a very interesting saga.

dvmb65 In the forty years since it was made, I understand myself a lot better; and I know why I like this film. John Huston as the Lawgiver is priceless.More than that the Lawgiver has woven into psyche of even the casual Ape fan. Taylor was told about the Lawgiver. The mutants evoked his image in a failed attempt to drive off a gorilla army. Cornelius testedified about him to a Presidential committee. They could have done worse.Battle for the Planet of the Apes is an essay on the craft of making an Apes film.Talent is needed. Roddy Mcdowell never looked better. Claude Akins is a suitable bully."Now fight like Apes!" works.I realize it is easy to dismiss the movie, but I believe it actually has a lot more merit than other tales out there. As mere essays go it gets a pass.Hard to do five of anything.