Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) Review

"Please, do not use the word "monkey"!  It is offensive to us."
-Cornelius



After escaping the destruction of Earth in the previous film, Zira (Kim Hunter), Cornelius (Roddy McDowall), and Milo (Sal Mineo) find themselves back in time when the humans ruled Earth.  The humans are suspicious of the apes at first, but they soon embrace them as celebrities.  However, Dr. Otto Hasslein (Eric Braeden), and advisor to the President of the United States is worried the apes may spell the end of humanity and will do anything to stop that from happening.


What Works:

The second film in this series leaned more into the action and insanity of this story, but Escape goes in a complelty different direction.  This is a very small-scaled and focused story, which I loved.  This story is about the apes and a handful of humans and how they respond to this crazy event.  There aren't any action scenes until the 3rd act and even that one is small-scale, but all of this is far superior to the second movie.

Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall are both excellent as the apes.  They give amazing and emotional performances.  In the first two movies, we had humans as our protagonists, but this time, we have apes, but it doesn't matter because we still care for them deeply.

There are a few scenes in the movie where all that happens is moral and ethical debate.  Some people might say it's boring, but I love it.  Two or more characters with deep beliefs debating what is right and wrong in this peculiar situation is fascinating to me and I love when movies explore these kinds of topics.

The scene where Zira and Cornelius speak to the Presidential Commission for the first time is hilarious.  The board members are put in their place, especially the priest, and Hunter and McDowall get to chew on some scenery.  It's really funny and one of the best scenes in the film.

Finally, the 3rd act is utterly brutal.  It's an extremely dark ending and one I wasn't expecting it.  This film spent the entire runtime developing Zira and Cornelius and making us like and root for them.  Watching them die like that is horrible and a real gut-punch.  I have to give the filmmakers props for going with such a bold and tragic ending. 


What Sucks:

In the middle of the film, we get a scene where the apes have a party in their hotel room and receive a bunch of presents.  This scene never clicked for me and it doesn't fit with the rest of the film.  I'm not sure why the apes were given a see-saw or why people were playing with it.  It's a weird moment and took me out of the film.


Verdict:

Escape from the Planet of the Apes is another solid entry in the series.  The lead actors are great, the story is fascinating, and the ending is brutal.  It's an emotional film and has definitely got it going on.

 9/10: Great 

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