Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, released in 1972, marked a darker, grittier turn for the Planet of the Apes franchise. Serving as the fourth installment in the original series, and following the lighter yet poignant Escape from the Planet of the Apes, the film imagines a dystopian future where enslaved apes rise up against human oppression. This storyline holds significant thematic weight, exploring themes of societal control, rebellion, and liberation in a way that is provocative. However, while Conquest boasts an ambitious narrative and a fantastic premise, it is held back by budget constraints and clumsy execution.