[6]

This first Planet of the Apes sequel is a mixed bag, but the second half wins me over. The first half of the movie is an uninspired retread of the first film, with James Franciscus replacing Charlton Heston as the main character. I like Franciscus. He manages to convey bewilderment and horror without overacting the way Heston does. The movie starts to distinguish itself at the halfway point, when Franciscus and sexy, mute Nova (Linda Harrison) stumble upon the underground ruins of New York city. There they find a telepathic cult of religious fanatics who worship a radioactive bomb. I dig the the second half of the movie, all the way up through its abrupt and audacious ending. Most of the original cast returns: Heston reprises his original role, but only appears in the beginning and end. Kim Hunter returns as Zira, but Roddy McDowall was unavailable for the filming (directing his own film, Tam Lin), so Cornelius is played by David Watson.