Today, Matt and Todd tackle the fourth entry in the original Planet of the Apes saga: Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), directed by J. Lee Thompson. Starring:
Roddy McDowall as Caesar
Don Murray as Breck
Ricardo Montalbán as Armando
Natalie Trundy as Lisa
Hari Rhodes as MacDonald
Severn Darden as Kolp
The first film said it all—right? The second one blew it all up—done and done. The third swept away anyone left from the second—this has to be the end...
Except it’s not.
Conquest brings the action roaring back (see Beneath), but with a chaotic crescendo that might just be the most memorable ending of the entire series.
Seriously.
You might think it has nowhere left to go.
What more is there to explore in this ape-human dynamic? This film knows that you already know the stakes. What you get here is a raw, streamlined rebellion tale with serious sci-fi edge and a cathartic payoff.
It’s arguably the most approachable film in the franchise. Accessible even if you haven’t seen the others... though you really should.
We hope you enjoy the uprising as much as we did.
Matt reviews and ranks more movies including newer ones at Letterboxd
You can find out what he's following on Bluesky @MovieMattSirois.bsky.social
Check out favorites of what we follow, at: Once Upon a Geek and The Fade Out Podcast As Marcus he reviews all sorts of films but unlike here, they often they range from bad, worse, or terrible at the MovieAsylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful.