Riots and Revolutions: Confronting the Times looks at the film's (Conquest of the Planet of the Apes) parallels to the issue of race relations facing the United States at the time and the violent outbursts of the early 1970s. Also included is a look at the life and times of star Roddy McDowall and his contributions to the Apes series, the style and feel director J. Lee Thompson brought to the film, shooting locations, and the film's two endings.