Wow, what a great moment and powerful delivery by Roddy McDowell! That line, ironically spoken as he did it, sums up the chilling theme of this movie. The never-ending cycle of violence and corruption that surrounds the seat of power.

Or if you’re a fan of The Who, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”

This movie starts by painting Caesar as a peaceful, sympathetic character. Even throughout the prior 3 movies it’s repeated that chimpanzees are pacifists/scientists (while gorillas are soldiers and orangutans are politicians). I was expecting a straightforward feel-good story about Caesar gaining freedom for his peaceful race…

But there’s a surprise twist I didn’t expect. As the movie goes on, Caesar becomes more & more angry. This, compounded with his righteous rise to power, transforms his personality. By the end he himself has become as violent and bloodthirsty as his oppressors, and the revolution seals the deal. He has lost all his ‘humanity’ even though he had started out on a noble mission; by the end he’s just another tyrant. “The King is dead, long live the King!”