Initial release date: May 26, 1971
Studios: 20th Century Fox/APJAC Productions
Plot: Three apes flee their world before its destroyed and travel back in time to present day America. When the humans discover that the trio are intelligent and capable of speech, they treat them as experimental research animals until they attempt to escape.
Roddy McDowall - Cornelius
Kim Hunter- Zira
Bradford Dillman - Dr. Lewis Dixon
Natalie Trundy - Dr. Stephanie Branton
Eric Braedon - Dr. Otto Hasslein
William Windom - The President
Sal Mineo - Milo
Albert Salmi - E-1
Jason Evers - E-2
Harry Lauter - General Winthrop
M. Emmet Walsh - Aide
Writer: Paul Dehn
Director: Don Taylor (Damien: The Omen II)
Escape from the Planet of the Apes is the third entry of the original series. After seeing the first sequel, which I thought it was not bad, I was kinda leary about how this installment of the series would be - espeically with how Beneath the Planet of the Apes ended.
The opening minutes of this sequel is interesting since we see a lot of military coming to a crashed spacecraft and, instead of human astronauts, its Cornelius, Zira and a new additional ape named Milo.
The first half of the sequel is more on the light-hearted side at times which can bring new life to the series in a way. We see some of the scientists and other people give Cornelius and Zira a sort of warm welcome at first, which is kind of neat to see. We also get introduced to a few people in the government who want them tested.
The rest of the sequel is pretty much filled with some fun chase moments as the apes begin their escape once they realize that the humans want them tested as soon as they find out what the fate of the planet will eventually be. The chase moments can be really interesting and the end also shows Cornelius' and Zira's baby who plays a major part in the upcoming sequels. Surely, the film's story has some holes in it for sure, just like Beneath the Planet of the Apes, it's not bad really.
Here are a few interesting tidbits for Escape from the Planet of the Apes!
The film's villain, Dr. Hasslein, had been briefly mentioned at the beginnings of Planet of the Apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes.
With the 1970 sequel doing well at the box office, producer Arthur P. Jacobs sent a telegram to writer Paul Dehn four months after its release which simply said: "Apes exist. Sequel required."
The opening sequence was filmed on the same beach location where Taylor discovered the Statue of Liberty in the final scene of Planet of the Apes.
Despite Beneath the Planet of the Apes ending in a way that seemed to prevent the series from continuing, 20th Century Fox still wanted a sequel.
Earned $12.3 million domestically.
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