FRANCHISE ME: BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES

I think it would be interesting to get a hold of the original script for this before the budget was slashed down to almost nothing.  I'm wondering exactly how epic they originally intended it to be.

Also, is the ending "really" happy?  Why doth Caesar cry?

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Originally Posted by S.D. Bob Plissken 

I think it would be interesting to get a hold of the original script for this before the budget was slashed down to almost nothing.  I'm wondering exactly how epic they originally intended it to be.

http://pota.goatley.com/scripts/pota_battle_1stdehn.pdf

Joshua, you touch on one of the reasons I still enjoy this film - it's the biggest ensemble of Ape characters since the original, where you had small but memorable characters like Lucius the nephew, Julius the jailer, etc.  Even Beneath felt like a smaller world, character-wise. There's too many good actors in ape makeup here for it to not be somewhat fun.

I know I'm probably in the minority around here but I enjoy Tim Burton's remake more than Battle for the Planet of the Apes. I love the original series, but this film bothers me. I know the budget isn't there but it always feels like a TV movie of the week. 

It's been ages since I actually sat and watched BFTPOTA; as a kid, I guess I wasn't an attentive viewer, as I always assumed this took place at least several generations after CONQUEST. Reading the article, there are a lot of head-scratching chronology choices they made.

Still...I remember being very moved by Caesar's pursuit of Aldo. And even as a kid, I knew the "Get up and fight like apes!" climax was cheesy and cheating - but loved it anyway.

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Originally Posted by Phil 

Joshua, you touch on one of the reasons I still enjoy this film - it's the biggest ensemble of Ape characters since the original, where you had small but memorable characters like Lucius the nephew, Julius the jailer, etc.  Even Beneath felt like a smaller world, character-wise. There's too many good actors in ape makeup here for it to not be somewhat fun.

Agreed, especially about Beneath.  Outside of the outstanding new character of General Ursus and getting more time with the always great Dr. Zaius, that is pretty much the entirety of the Ape interaction that we get.  Zira and (especially) Cornelius are basically relegated to extended cameos in the film and I can't really remember too many other Ape speaking parts in the film.  It's a shame really.  Honestly, despite the fact that I have always liked James Franciscus, the time spent on Brent really is a waste.  Cornelius and Zira should have been the leads, with them exploring the Forbidden Zone and uncovering the mutant society.  This would have allowed for more time with the characters we already knew and still would have left room for the Heston bookends.  You could even have had the mutants causing the pacifist Cornelius to attack his own wife!  End the film with them escaping the mutant city and Taylor still setting off the bomb.

Escape and Conquest get by without have an ensemble of Apes because Roddy and Linda are so damn good in their roles.............as well as the fact that both are very well written.  Battle, while lacking in action, is certainly made sweeter by the great Ape cast.  Paul Williams!  Lew Ayres!  John fucking Huston!  It might have had a tiny budget, but they certainly spent it exactly where they needed to.  I remember not caring much for Battle when I was younger, but it continues to grow on me more and more with each passing year.