Escape from the Planet of the Apes

By VARIETY STAFF

20th Century-Fox/Apjac. Director Don Taylor; Producer Arthur P. Jacobs; Screenplay Paul Dehn; Camera Joseph Biroc; Editor Marion Rothman; Music Jerry Goldsmith; Art Director Jack Martin Smith, William Creber
 
Roddy McDowall
Kim Hunter
Bradford Dillman
Natalie Trundy
Eric Braeden
William Windom
 

Escape from the Planet of the Apes is an excellent film, almost as good as the original Planet of the Apes. Arthur Jacobs' production is marked by an outstanding script, using some of the original Pierre Boulle novel characters; excellent direction by Don Taylor; and superior performances from a cast headed by encoring Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter.

In the previous film one will recall that the world seemed to be ending in nuclear holocaust. Something that trivial never stopped a good writer, so this film opens with Hunter, McDowall and Sal Mineo arriving on earth in a space vehicle.

After about half of the film's literate, suspenseful, delightful and thought-provoking 97 minutes, the story emphasis segues from broad comedic antics to a rather horrifying dilemma. Eric Braeden, scientific advisor to US President William Windom, suggests that, if indeed in our future apes would subdue humans, why not remove that distant threat by aborting the life of the child of McDowall and Hunter?

(Color) Widescreen. Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1971. Running time: 97 MIN.