Movie number four in the original series, and the one that would be used some 29 years later as the basis for the recent Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
The plot:
In 1983, a mysterious virus eliminates all of the cats and dogs in the world, leading humans to take in apes as pets and it's not long before the animals are being used by their masters to assist with household chores.
Skip forward eight years to 1991, and the world has taken to exploiting apes as slave labour.
Caesar, the offspring of Cornelius and Zira, is a lone speaking ape, though this is a secret known only to his friend and master Armando.
Witnessing the brutalising of apes by humans in SS style uniforms, Caesar can hold his tongue no longer, and calls out an insult.
Identified now, Caesar becomes a target for the authorities - a talking ape is a dangerous precedent - and Caesar is forced to go into hiding but, secretly, he begins to train the rest of his kind, before leading them in an uprising against their former masters.
And it's captivating stuff.
Roddy McDowall, though caked in ape make-up, does a sterling job of wringing every last drop of pathos out of the plight of poor Caesar.
The realisation, though minimal due to the tightness of the budget, is nonetheless effective, as human society is portrayed as a fascistic, cold-hearted construct, humiliating and taking advantage of those who are weaker.
With a rousing finale that really does catch the breath in the throat, for a fourth outing in a franchise this is quality stuff indeed, and it's easy to see why this one was selected as the basis for a 21st century reimagining.
A genuine cult classic
4 out of 5
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