Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
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Two apes fleeing a destroyed future Earth find themselves as celebrities in 1970s Los Angeles, only to face persecution from a fearful human government.
The story
Prior to Earth's destruction, the chimpanzees Cornelius, Zira, and Dr. Milo repair a spaceship and escape the planet, only to be sent through a time warp to 1973 Earth. They arrive at the Los Angeles Zoo, where they are observed by two scientists. After Dr. Milo is killed, a Presidential Commission investigates the apes' return. The apes reveal they come from a future where humans caused their own downfall. While initially welcomed as celebrities, they soon face scrutiny from the government as they attempt to navigate a human society that views them with growing suspicion and fear.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After escaping a destroyed Earth via a time warp, chimpanzees Cornelius and Zira arrive in 1973 Los Angeles. They are initially treated as celebrities and guests of the government, but their status shifts when Dr. Otto Hasslein discovers Zira is pregnant. Hasslein, fearing for humanity, uses a truth serum to learn about Zira's past and the apes' knowledge of the future. The government eventually orders the termination of the pregnancy and the sterilization of both apes. After escaping confinement with the help of scientists Branton and Dixon, the apes hide in a circus and later a shipyard. In a final confrontation, Hasslein mortally wounds Zira and kills her infant son, Milo. Cornelius shoots Hasslein but is killed by a sniper. It is later revealed that Zira had switched her baby with another ape before fleeing, and the infant Milo begins to speak.
- First release year
- 1971
- Runtime (minutes)
- 98
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Don Taylor
- Writers
- Paul Dehn · writer
- Cast and characters
- Roddy McDowall · Cornelius; Kim Hunter · Zira; Bradford Dillman; Natalie Trundy; Eric Braeden; Sal Mineo · Dr. Milo; Ricardo Montalbán
- Genres
- science fiction; adventure
- Themes
- human guilt; racial conflict; religious allegory
- Tone and mood
- character-driven; touching; sentimental
- Premise and plot tags
- time travel; dystopian; science fiction
- Source material / true-story basis
- Pierre Boulle's original novel
- Franchise connections
- Planet of the Apes
- Content notes
- sterilization
- Reception
- The film received a mainly positive response from critics and is generally considered the best sequel of the original Apes series.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 77% · review count: 30
- Production trivia
- The screenplay was originally titled Secret of the Planet of the Apes.; The film was rushed and filmed in only six weeks.; Sal Mineo's character was killed off earlier than planned because he found the make-up uncomfortable.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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