How does one match the success of the original Planet of the Apes film? By getting WEIRD in its sequel. Ted Post’s Beneath the Planet of the Apes starts off with practically the same story beats as the first film. Man crash lands to Earth, man discovers upside down world where apes rule over man, and man finds out this planet really is Earth. For better or worse, these retread plot points take up the first 45 minutes of the film as we get acquainted with astronaut Brent played by James Franciscus who is on a mission to find Taylor from the first movie. The mystery of Taylor’s whereabouts mixed with Nova’s inability to verbally communicate his absence to Brent creates an unsettling tone that carries throughout the film. As the movie progresses, the apes along with Nova and Brent are treated to trippy hallucinations in the forbidden zone that were almost certainly too frightening for younger viewers at the time. It’s highly impressive stuff and the practical effects in the Lawgiver statue crying blood sequence is utterly haunting. At the time of its release, ‘Beneath’ was a product of the Vietnam War era, with on the nose anti-war symbolism such as a group of chimpanzees protesting the gorilla’s efforts to conquer the forbidden zone. Cheesy and silly? Sure. Brilliant and relevant social commentary? I would say so. Cornelius and Dr. Zira only get mere cameos in the first 30 minutes and are saved for bigger roles in the follow up. Charlton Heston famously did not want to return for the sequel and only came back on the condition of limited screen time and that he’d be killed off. Once we actually go ‘Beneath’ the forbidden zone, things get even more bizarre as we journey through the abandoned Queensboro Plaza and meet the crazy telepathic mutant people. The war mongering General Ursus and the faith based Dr. Zaius are both villains but with two widely different outlooks as Zaius fears the unknown while Ursus ruthlessly seeks to end the famine in ape city at all costs. When Brent and Nova are imprisoned by the telepathic mutants, we finally get to see Taylor again and witness the two pitted against one another by the telepaths in a brutal fight. The climax of ‘Beneath’ is utterly brilliant, with the atomic bomb worshipping telepathic mutants going to war with the army of gorillas and Brent, Taylor, and Nova smack dab in the middle of the carnage. Perhaps the most ballsy move in the film is the shocking death of Nova/Brent, Taylor’s final confrontation with Dr. Zaius, and ultimately Taylor essentially activating the doomsday weapon and blowing up the world. It’s absolutely bonkers and one of the darkest, bleakest, and most nihilistic endings of any science fiction movie ever. Overall, while ‘Beneath’ doesn’t quite reach the lofty sophistication of the original film, it is nonetheless an unfairly maligned sequel, one that utilizes effective horror elements, a dose of pessimism, and goofy B movie thrills to make for one of the most oddball sequels ever made.
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