Review of Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) by Kenny S — 10 Mar 2011
The biggest problem with the third film in the Planet of the Apes saga is that it has no idea what tone it wants to have. The first third is sort of an unfunny comedy, the second is a little more of a anti-dramatic political thriller, and the final is a really dark climax, all wrapped up in a science-fiction mess.
The plot is essentially trying to take the most basic plot element of the first two films (human astronaut propelled years into Earth's history to find it ruled by Apes) and flips it. Ape astronauts sent back in time to find Earth ruled by humans.
Spoil alert for those who haven't seen Beneath the Planet of the Apes: Earth got destroyed in the final moments of the previous film. But luckily, so the franchise can continue, Zira and Cornelius, and another ape scientist named Dr.
Milo, happened to fix up Brent or Taylor's spacecraft (?), fly up into space (?), all before the Earth was destroyed (?) and traveled back in time (?) to the plot of this film. It is all really convoluted and crazy, and takes the most interesting aspect of the Apes films (being on the APE PLANET) and removes it entirely.
Zira and Cornelius are a lot less interesting this time around, and so is most of this movie. It does give more of a background on how the apes came to rule the Earth, but the story given is far more interesting than the actual story of this film.
Shame.
This review of Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) was written by Kenny S on 10 Mar 2011.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes has generally received positive reviews.
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