Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)

Beneath the Planet of the Apes

• As sequels go, this one was about what I expected: an unnecessary movie that doesn’t really expand on the characters, and gives you much less than the first movie does. However, I did mildly enjoy this, although there were definitely points that felt a little odd. It’s really cheesy sci-fi, but I’m here for it. No, it’s not one I’d watch just to watch, but you know, if it’s on TV randomly, I’d turn it on. I really liked how it shows even more of Earth, and somewhere that you haven’t seen: underground. The ruins of New York beneath the surface was a great idea. It was cool seeing crumbles of the New York Public Library, and the Stock Exchange. It gives you an idea of how much time has passed. I just loved it. But it also takes a really weird and confusing turn when Brent discovers the underground people. It didn’t make too much sense. But it’s whatever. The makeup was decent again, though not as compelling as the first movie. All the apes still looked pretty sweet though, even though it felt like they didn’t have that much screen time. And that’s about all there is to say about this movie. Overall, the story isn’t super strong, but also has some high points. The props and sets were cool, the makeup was cool and corny, and I enjoyed the characters. I’d probably recommend this only if you like goofy, older sci-fi movies.