Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Two time-displaced chimpanzee scientists become celebrated guests and hunted omens when they arrive in 1970s Los Angeles and expose humanity’s fear of its own future.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- thoughtful
- tense
- poignant
- classic science fiction night
- franchise marathon
What critics said
Critics generally regarded it as one of the stronger Planet of the Apes sequels, praising its character focus and emotional force despite some concerns about sentimentality and talkiness.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Cornelius and Zira arrive in twentieth-century Los Angeles from the future, where their presence reveals the origins of the events shaping their world.
The intelligent chimpanzee scientists are treated as threats despite their pacifism and humane behavior.
Government inquiries, surveillance, cages, and political pressure turn fear of the apes into organized persecution.
Returning characters from the earlier films are placed in the modern human world, where their future becomes the subject of investigation.
Films like Escape from the Planet of the Apes, and why
Planet of the Apes
Shares time travel, science fiction dystopia, social persecution, and a character-driven moral conflict.
The Terminator
Combines speculative time travel with political anxiety, tragic consequences, and a sympathetic outsider protagonist.
The Day of the Triffids
Features intelligent nonhuman characters, institutional fear, and an emotionally charged science fiction drama about human prejudice.
The Andromeda Strain
Like this film, it uses science fiction spectacle to explore human guilt, political power, and the danger of repeating history.
Movie Details
- Director
- Don Taylor
- Release Date
- 1971-05-20
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (1280)
Cast
- Roddy McDowall
- Kim Hunter
- Bradford Dillman
- Natalie Trundy
- Eric Braeden
- William Windom
- Sal Mineo
- Albert Salmi
- Jason Evers
- John Randolph
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Escape from the Planet of the Apes about?
- Two time-displaced chimpanzee scientists become celebrated guests and hunted omens when they arrive in 1970s Los Angeles and expose humanity’s fear of its own future.
- What is Escape from the Planet of the Apes like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Escape from the Planet of the Apes as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Escape from the Planet of the Apes violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Escape from the Planet of the Apes as mild.
- What did critics think of Escape from the Planet of the Apes?
- Critics generally regarded it as one of the stronger Planet of the Apes sequels, praising its character focus and emotional force despite some concerns about sentimentality and talkiness.
- Which films are like Escape from the Planet of the Apes?
- Films with a similar feel include Planet of the Apes, The Terminator, The Day of the Triffids, and The Andromeda Strain.
- How long is Escape from the Planet of the Apes?
- Escape from the Planet of the Apes runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Escape from the Planet of the Apes?
- In United States, Escape from the Planet of the Apes is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
