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Film Review - Beneath The Planet of the Apes
As sequels go, Beneath The Planet of the Apes falls into the natural trap of movie series. The trap is that sequels tend to be just a reshoot of the previous film. In this case, an astronaut crashes on a planet ruled by apes, where humans don't talk.
Beneath The Planet of the Apes gets bogged down too much in the early parts of the film trying to explain to the people who didn't watch the first film what has been happening. Hey! Make them buy their own ticket to the first movie! Get on with it!
When director Ted Post finally does get on with it, we find there are other humans who can talk living on the Earth of the future. This is a very good story turn, since none of them are Charlie Chaplin. These humans are mutants who have been affected by the radiation that destroyed human civilization. Since they're kind of ugly, they wear rubber masks which they only take off when they pray to their god ... a nuclear bomb capable of destroying the world.
Beneath The Planet of the Apes does progress a story, but it doesn't progress it enough. We still are left wanting to know exactly what brought down man.
Film Facts
Directed by Ted Post
Released in 1970
MPAA Rating: G
Reviewed by Mongo