Human astronauts Burke and Virdon, with their chimp companion Galen, are forced to become involved in the strange gladiatorial games of the district run by prefect Tolar. The trio escape the gorilla police and find an abandoned government research project with a computer containing a vast amount of recording information about the old human-ruled world. [The second of five telefilms edited from episodes of the 1974 TV series; this film combines the episodes "The Gladiators" and "The Legacy"]
Practical Effects
McDowall's chimp makeup still iconic despite TV budget
Production
Glitzy 1970s ape costumes meeting Roman arena sets
Writing
Two episodes stitched together actually kind of works
Director
Bernard McEveety
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This TV movie stitched together episodes 4 and 5 of the cancelled 1974 series, which only lasted 14 episodes before CBS pulled the plug.
The 'apes with ancient human technology' premise directly inspired later franchise entries; 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes even borrowed the 'human soldier records' device.
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