Beneath the Planet of the Apes

Name: Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Director: Ted Post
Released: 1970

Synopsis

The sole survivor of an interplanetary rescue mission discovers a planet ruled by apes, and an underground city run by telepathic humans.

63
Rolling Stone
The craziest installment of the Apes series starts out as an almost point-for-point remake of the 1968 original, somehow making it even darker and stranger.
60
Empire
Those with the patience to sit through a slow first half will be rewarded with another gutsy ending.
60
Time Out London
This sequel to Planet of the Apes isn't bad, but degenerates the original conception into routine comic strip adventure.
50
TV Guide Magazine
A disappointing, quickie follow-up that vainly tries to imitate the look of the original on an obviously limited budget, and for the most part, eschews the philosophical, social, and racial subtext of the first film in favor of straightforward shoot-em-up action and comic-strip characters.
50
IndieWire
The original Planet of the Apes is a hard act to follow, and Beneath the Planet of the Apes isn’t really up to the challenge.
50
IGN
A workmanlike sequel, it lacks the wit and intelligence of its predecessor.
42
The A.V. Club
Beneath The Planet Of The Apes is a joyless retread that at least has the distinction of ending with the nuclear annihilation of Earth.
40
The New Yorker
I’m not sure that the story is the right receptacle for big notions about imperialism, racism, militarism, the balance of power, religiosity, the end of reason; it is a bit like loading the history of philosophy into an egg-and-spoon race.