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Escape from the Planet of the Apes
1971 98 min United States of America G 12+
★6.7
Action, Science Fiction
Director: Don Taylor
🎭 Based on
«Planet of the Apes»
byPierre Boulle
Trailers
Description
The world is shocked by the appearance of three talking chimpanzees, who arrived mysteriously in a spacecraft. Intrigued by their intelligence, humans use them for research - until the apes attempt to escape.
Budget:
$2.5M
US Gross:
$12.35M
Worldwide:
$12.35M
Starring
Roddy McDowall
Actor
Kim Hunter
Actor
Bradford Dillman
Actor
Awards
1 nomination total
Key opinion
Escape from the Planet of the Apes is widely regarded as a superior follow-up to its predecessor, successfully pivoting from grand spectacle to a more intimate, character-driven narrative. While some viewers miss the sci-fi scale of the original, most appreciate how the film effectively reverses the series' central premise to explore themes of prejudice and human regression.
| Acting | Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter deliver superb performances that provide the film with its emotional core. | |
| Production | The film features consistently high-quality ape makeup effects that maintain the series' standard despite a reduced budget. | |
| Ending | The unexpected, dark, and impactful ending serves as a strong conclusion to the narrative, even if it leaves some viewers conflicted. | |
| Pacing | The shift from epic sci-fi spectacle to a character-focused drama creates a divide: some praise the clever, satirical, and intimate storytelling, while others find the reliance on dialogue and the lack of traditional action sequences boring. | |
| Originality | The plot successfully reverses the original film's premise, using the time-travel setup to offer a fresh and engaging perspective on the series' themes. |