Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)

October 18, 2022 6:05 AM

In this second sequel to Planet of the Apes, three apes flee their world before it's 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.

Starring Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman, Natalie Trundy, Eric Braeden, William Windom, Sal Mineo, M. Emmet Walsh, Ricardo Montalban.

Directed by Don Taylor. Written by Paul Dehn.

77% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently available for digital rental in the US on multiple outlets. JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (5 comments total)

Continuing to post Planet of the Apes movies...

This one is as surprising and delightful as the previous sequel was plodding and boring. Moving the action to the US allows them to get more done with less budget (far fewer ape actors to make up) It also gives them rich material for satire. Add in the time capsule element of seeing this particular era on screen and the warm, character-driven story anchored by Hunter and McDowall, and they've really got something here.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:07 AM on October 18, 2022

After the first Apes movie this is my favorite followed by Conquest. I could never get into the bomb cult of Beneath and Battle is just flat out bad. This one is fun and really starts the circular nature of the full series.
posted by downtohisturtles at 11:56 AM on October 18, 2022 [1 favorite]

This blew my mind as a kid with its circularity and hint at how the apes took over. This is my favorite of the 60s ape movies, including the first one.
posted by wittgenstein at 2:48 PM on October 18, 2022 [1 favorite]

This is my favorite as well, particularly for this moment, which IIRC is the first time that the apes have actually spoken in the film. It also hints that the real cause of Earth being taken over by apes might be a predestination paradox.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:09 AM on October 19, 2022 [3 favorites]

Randomly, I just looked up Sal Mineo and found this gem:

Mineo expressed disapproval of Haworth's brief relationship with the much older television producer Aaron Spelling. One night, when Mineo found Haworth and Spelling at a private Beverly Hills nightclub, he punched Spelling in the face, yelling, "Do you know how old she is? What are you doing with her at your age?"

posted by praemunire at 8:50 AM on October 20, 2022