Escape From The Planet Of The Apes [HD]

Paradox of the Apes
Following the cataclysmic finale of Beneath the Planet of the Apes, there was only one logical direction for the series to go---> back to the future. The result is an illogically conceived and satirical prequel that will amuse and delight and ultimately devastate with its bleak Shakesperean tragedy.

When Taylor's spacecraft unexpectedly splashes down in 1973 and is retrieved by a military envoy, the three astronauts that emerge from the capsule are not revealed to be Taylor, Landon and Dodge, but rather the astonishing simian ape-o-nauts Cornelius, Zira and Milo... the third of which is a completely disposeable character who is appropriately killed off very early by a caged zoo gorilla who was probably jealous that the talking simian chimpanzees were getting all of the attention. With Milo out of the picture, the story focuses on the relationship between Cornelius and Zira in ways that were not afforded the opportunity in the two previous films and is filled with...

Human See Human Do
"Escape From The Planet Of The Apes"
is part of the the classic SciFi
movie series begun with "Planet Of The Apes".

Three "apes" arrive in the pop culture
America of 1973 (?) from a future where
apes are the dominant and intellectually superior
species, able to communicate by spoken
language (English), and humans are as beasts.
Upon their escape, they witness the destruction
of the earth due to a weapon of warfare
created by humans and used by apes.
This film provides a thematic bridge in the
movie series, but also stands on its own.

It is both comic and tragic.
It is notable for trotting out the social
and political concerns as defined by the
pop media of the period in a
heavy-handed way and trivializing
them with humor at the same time.
Social satire well done.

The great thing about this film is that
it gives one numerous themes to consider.
It is serious...

GREAT FUN
Even if you are not an APES series fan, this movie grows on you. It is easily the most intentionally comic of the series, and features a cleverly plotted mix of real drama and sci-fi, and placing the action in then-present day Los Angeles gives it a peculiar point of view, one that succeeds almost brilliantly. Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall inhabit their roles so completely that you believe utterly that they are apes, and that their peril is real. Since I love the twists in a movie that give it gravity and an enduring quality, I love the strange sense of doom and tragedy that pervades this movie, even when it is at its most humorous. The final moments remain chillingly effective, and paved the way for the many, many copycat plots featured in movies yet to come. Forget BENEATH... -- go directly to this movie; you will not be disappointed.

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