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Remembering Jimmy || Special Features || Beneath ... Apes |
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The second -- and most horrifying -- of the five Planet of the Apes movies, this film goes where few end-of-the-world movies ever dare tread. It's the far future. The mass of humanity has descended into speechless savagery, kept as captive animals by the talking apes who have inherited the world. Two astronauts from our time have landed here, retracing the path of their lost comrade, Captain Taylor (Charlton Heston). Unfortunately, they've landed in the middle of a grim situation. Warlike gorillas are preparing to eliminate the last shards of shattered human civilization, a degenerate, subterranean cult worshipping the greatest of all human achievements--the cobalt bomb. As well as rescuing Taylor, the two men have to stop the gorillas from wiping out humanity ... and stop humanity from fulfilling their self-appointed, self-destructive destiny. This is both thrill-a-minute science fiction and a surprisingly deep reflection on the human condition. Plus, it's got lots of guys in really keen ape suits. --Grant Balfour (from Amazon.Com)
Mr. Heston reflects � "It was a little better, actually, then I'd thought it could be. Aside from many careless errors in structure and detail, the main problem is that the leading character (Jimmy Franciscus � a good actor) really has nothing to play, as I predicted would be the case when I refused the role. I'm barely acceptable in a cameo of the Taylor role from the first film." - From The Actor's Life. All right, we all know the story. We've seen the movie ... haven't you.? And every web page that I've gone to tells of a weak story to whom Heston was smart enough not to be involved in, but Franciscus wasn't. Comparing Jim to "Heston's smaller version." So, I viewed the movies back to back. Yes, I guess you could say Jim and Heston looked similar. I guess most men with blond hair and beards, look similar. And yes, I have to agree that the first movie was better written. And considering the script, I think Jim did a fine job But "Beneath" has some redeeming qualities. For instance, I liked the way Jim played the part when he realized what happened to his planet. No, it wasn't very dramatic, but I think it was more believable. I mean, how would you act if you discovered you were on Earth, in the future, and it was turned upside down? I would be in shock, not yelling and screaming, pounding the dirt. But taken aback, trying to make sense of it all, letting it sink in. Knowing that there wasn't a darn thing you can do about it, and not knowing exactly what to do or where to go. Other parts that I liked was the fight scene between Brent and Taylor. Jim really comes across as someone who was being controlled. All I know is that Heston and Franciscus both gave great performances, for what they were given, I enjoyed both movies |
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