After the second instalment, it seemed impossible to continue the “Planet of the Apes” franchise but where there is a profit to be made, a sequel will be made. While it is nowhere near as good as the original movie, this strange but clever third entry in the series are certainly much more enjoyable than the second movie.

Zira (Kim Hunter “A Streetcar Named Desire”) and Cornelius (Roddy McDowall) have managed to travel back in time to the 1970s where they stun the world with their ability to speak. They quickly become treated like celebrities but when the Earth’s fate is revealed along with the fact that Zira is pregnant, some government officials move to stop them and the two become fugitives.

Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall return as Zira and Cornelius and both do a really good job. It’s interesting to see the tables turned and also see some significant development of the characters. Some of their interactions with one another and with the humans are very comedic and for the most part, they are relatively amusing. The disappointment comes with the human characters as the animal psychologists are not very interesting nor are the politicians. However, I did enjoy the small appearance by Ricardo Montalban (“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”) as a circus ring master.

The movie is a lot more comedic in tone in comparison to the earlier pictures and that makes it for a rather interesting contrast. Parts of the film are a little dull and this is not the thrilling sci-fi adventure of the original yet this is a quirky sequel that takes things in a very different direction and somehow makes it work. I think most people will be pleasantly surprised at how refreshing it is as it could have just rehashed the earlier films.