Following a worldwide pandemic from a space-borne disease that wiped out all dogs and cats in 1983, the government in the year 1991 has become a series of Schutzstaffel-patterned police states that took chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans as pets before establishing a culture based on ape slave labor. These events were foretold in 1973 as testimony by two chimpanzee scientists who came from the distant future, Cornelius and Zira, before they were killed. Widely believed to be dead, their baby was secretly raised by the circus owner Armando as a young horseback rider. In 1991, now fully grown and named Caesar, the ape is brought to one of the cities to distribute flyers for Armando's circus. During their trip, Armando advises Caesar not to speak in public for fear of his life.
After seeing a gorilla being beaten and drugged, Caesar shouts "Lousy human bastards!". Armando attempts to defuse the ensuing commotion by taking responsibility for the exclamation. He plans to turn himself in to the authorities and bluff his way out while instructing Caesar to hide among the apes for safety. Caesar obeys and hides in a cage of orangutans, finding himself being trained for slavery through violent conditioning. He is then sold at auction to Governor Breck. Caesar is then put to work by Breck's chief aide MacDonald, whose African-American heritage allows him to sympathize with the apes to the disgust of his boss.
Meanwhile, Armando is interrogated by Inspector Kolp, who suspects his "circus ape" is the child of Cornelius and Zira. Kolp's assistant puts Armando under a machine that psychologically forces people to be truthful. Realizing he cannot fight the machine, Armando jumps through a window and dies. When Caesar learns of Armando's death, he loses faith in human kindness. In secret, he begins teaching the apes combat and has them gather weapons.
Unfortunately, Breck eventually learns that Caesar is the ape the police are hunting. Meanwhile, Caesar realizes MacDonald is an ally to the apes' cause and reveals himself to him. MacDonald understands Caesar's intent to depose Breck, but expresses his doubts about the revolution's effectiveness. Caesar is later captured by Breck's men and is electrically tortured into speaking. Hearing him speak, Breck orders Caesar to be killed. With MacDonald's help, the heroes manage to trick Breck into believing Caesar died. Once Breck leaves, Caesar kills his torturer and escapes.
To build his numbers, Caesar takes over Ape Management. While setting the city on fire, Caesar and the rest of the apes proceed to the command center, killing most of the riot police that attempt to stop them in the process. After succeeding in this, Caesar has Breck marched out to be executed. MacDonald pleads with Caesar not to succumb to brutality and be merciful to the former masters.
As the apes raise their rifles to beat Breck to death, Caesar's girlfriend Lisa voices her objection, saying "No!". She is the first ape to speak other than Caesar, but the other apes are concerned about Caesar's bloodlust as well. Caesar reconsiders and orders the apes to lower their weapons, deciding that they can afford to be humane, since the fight is already won and they "have seen the birth of the planet of the apes".
J. Lee Thompson, who had maintained an interest in the franchise ever since producer Arthur P. Jacobs invited him for the original Planet of the Apes, was hired to direct Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Thompson had worked with Jacobs on two earlier films, What a Way to Go! and The Chairman, as well as during the initial stages of Planet, but scheduling conflicts had made him unavailable during its long development process.
Thompson staged every scene with attention to detail, such as highlighting the conflicts with color: the humans wear black and other muted colors, while the apes' suits
Reception
Howard Thompson of The New York Times wrote that "J. Lee Thompson's direction furiously propels the action in a compact chromium-and-glass setting—and wait till you see that last battle royal." Arthur Murphy of Variety wrote, "McDowall is extremely good as usual in simian character, and Thompson's staging keeps the pace very lively." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 2.5 stars out of four, calling it "excellent in the first half hour," but found "the concluding action sequences run on too long without any original slashing, maiming, or setting on fire."
Armando: After twenty years, you've picked up evolved habits from me. That could be dangerous...even fatal.
Caesar: Armando, I don't understand.
Armando: Listen to me, Caesar. There can be only one talking chimpanzee on…
Armando: (referring to the dogs and cats) They all died within a few months, eight years ago. Every dog and cat in the entire world. It was like a plague. The disease that killed them was a mysterious virus brought back…
Breck: (furious at the news of Armando's death) I knew that circus owner was lying!
MacDonald: But they insist that he fell to his death accidentally.
Breck: While trying to escape! He knew he'd been exposed!
Caesar: I'm the one they're looking for.
MacDonald: I never believed it. I thought you were a myth.
Caesar: They won't learn to be kind until we force them to. We can't do that until we are free...by the only means left…
Breck: Caesar!
Caesar: Your servant, your creature, your animal.
Breck: But I saw you die.
Caesar: The king is dead. Long live the king! Tell me, Breck, before you die, how do we differ from the dogs and cats you and…
MacDonald: Caesar! Caesar, this is not how it was to be!
Caesar: In your view or mine?
MacDonald: Violence prolongs hate, hate prolongs violence. By what right are you spilling blood?