4. The Themes
The Planet of the Apes films do not stick to just one theme, but instead weave through different ideas related to one another. The first film primarily deals with problems in politics, religion, science, war, and the human ego. The second movie, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, delves a little deeper into those themes, and although the overall quality of the movie isnt the best to say the least, there are some surprisingly avant-garde and genuinely alarming moments that really bring them out. The third film, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, uses time travel to contemplate cause and effect, destiny, and fear. Conquest goes into racism, slavery (from Rome to America to Nazi Germany), and revolution. The fifth movie, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, is another subpar outing, yet there are further explorations of the themes from all of the previous installments, wrapping up many of them into an overarching central theme of how we treat one another and the world. Rise explores genetics and our fears of biological warfare. The Apes franchise continually manages to prove there are new messages to tell, even when it seems there is nowhere left to go, as Tim Burtons 2001 remake appeared to show us. And as it branches out, it isnt only concerned with the destination.