Review of Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) by Matt C — 13 Jul 2012

This is the third of the "Planet of the Apes" series of films. It's not as good as the Rod Serling penned original but it is a little better than the second movie, "Beneath the Planet of the Apes". I'd say that this is Zira's (Kim Hunter) story to drive. You see, Zira and Cornelius are back and this time they are in a similar situation to Taylor's (Charlton Heston) predicament in the first of the Apes film. The difference is, the Apes have gone back in time to when humans ruled the Earth. And Zira and Cornelius have it a lot better than Taylor did. At least at first.

You'll love the opening sequence and that's all I'll say about it. Later, we find the Apes testifying before a commission led by Dr. Hasslein (played by soap opera legend Eric Braeden). The Apes become very popular and the world falls in love with them. It all sets up some endearing comedic pieces that make the Apes the heroes of the movie. It's really surprising how light-hearted this movie is up to this point. It really is almost humorous. There's a little dated social commentary sprinkled about, but this is mostly just about Zira and Cornelius being accepted into a society that loves them.

Well, eventually mistrusting humans make things difficult for the Apes. The couple have a baby chimp and are forced to flee the military base where they are being held. It is this escape that signals the beginning of a dark turn in the movie. This is where things get serious. I don't know if I'd say better, but it's interesting.

There are lots of familiar faces in this. "Twilight Zone" and "Night Gallery" fans will love the performance of William Windom. There's also a flamboyant bit part from Ricardo Montalban. And of course, the great Roddy McDowall stars as Cornelius.

Effects. Let's see. The ape masks worn by Hunter and McDowall are pretty nice, especially when compared to the shoddy ape faces in "Beneath the Planet of the Apes". But beware the totally silly gorilla suit during the movie's first act.

Better than the second but lagging behind the original, "Escape From the Planet of the Apes" is decent enough to recommend moving on to watch the next movie in the series.