Escape from the Planet of the Apes

After how “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” ended, no one would have believed that they would have made another sequel to this series. Well, everyone was in for a surprise when in 1971, the third film in the series; “Escape from the Planet of the Apes” was released. Roger Greenspun of the New York Times started his review by saying:

Nobody is going to believe it, but I must say anyway that Don Taylor's "Escape From the Planet of the Apes," which opened yesterday at the Astor, the Juliet 2 and the 34th Street theaters, is one of the better new movies in town, and better in a genre—science-fiction—that at the crucial middle level where the history of movies is made, if not written, has recently been not so much bad as invisible.

“Escape from the Planet of the Apes” takes place about in the present time period, 2,000 years before the world’s demise by the nuclear bomb going off during the war between the human beings and apes.

Three scientists, who you will remember from the first film, escape the destruction of the Earth by traveling back through time in the same space ship that Colonel Taylor traveled in not so long before this film came out.

The only thing the three apes bring with them are the knowledge of when the Earth will end, but also the main ape who is still our favorite here, Zira, is pregnant with her child who she will name and eventually will appear in the sacred histories as the first to rise up against the cruelty of humans and bring about the power for apes to rule over.

Greenspun stated in his review: “As movie premises go, I think this is quite beautiful—though I am sure that in one variation or another it has been used before—and its development in "Escape From the Planet of the Apes" does it considerable justice.”

Allowing for certain plausible impossibilities (which Greenspun has said “the film is much stronger in fiction than in science—no drawback so far as I'm concerned”) there is enough thought to support the kind of dramatic certainty this sort of film needs and allows.

If you have seen enough monster movies, the topic is finally human guilt – but here it is rendered highly hesitant, because the apes are hardly monstrous and the guilt functions on unquestionable strategic intelligence.

The story follows Dr. Otto Hasslien, played by Eric Braeden, who is said that he should be the U.S.A.’s President’s science adviser. Even though he is evil, like every other human in this movie, he maintains credibility that appears unusual for movies, and life.

As Cornelius (a character you would remember as agreeable, short-tempered, and a bit too proud of himself), Greenspun described Roddy McDowall as “to have evolved a performance designed as a tribute to the late Edward Everett Horton.” Kim Hunter reprises her role as his wife, Zira, who Greenspun has said, “rather in the manner of your maiden aunt from Peoria, and like McDowall's, her characterization is hugely successful.”

Don Taylor’s direction seems composed in equal parts of good organization and skill, and with this work alone he got his place among those for every easy irony he avoids. There are certainly remarkable moments (for example, the first shot of the apes’ hotel room, which has been set up for them for their welcome to Los Angeles), but a lot of times there is a sense of decent professionalism that doesn’t look good to certain tools.

By conservative guess, the U.S.A. President turns out to be a huge idiot that can be seen in 90% of all science fiction films – and he seems to be in 90% of all science fiction films.

However, in “Escape from the Planet of the Apes,” William Windom’s President is allowed to be elegant, wise, articulate, and smart. Greenspun ended his review by saying, “And though I'm sure I'll never see his like again, I'll remember him as not the least of this film's graces.”

I would say that you should check this out, since “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” was really liked by a lot of critics. This actually was received better, so if you didn’t like the last one, this one would be good for you. Unlike the last two movies, this one ended on a note that could have been left open for another sequel. Find out tomorrow how that one is.