Review of Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) by Matthew D — 13 Feb 2017

It was a great general conceit to make the second sequel the inverse of the original movie, where the protagonists are trapped on the planet of human apes. While it is used to show up some of the hypocrisy of our civilisation; there's a smattering of social satire and a typically powerful ending, a lot of potential is squandered on the lightest of the Apes series.

The characters of Cornelius and Zira are entertaining and endearing enough to keep the audience invested in here, but a little more development would have elevated it among the best of the franchise. Ultimately this entry in the series is more interesting for what it sets up for sequels than standing on its own merits; a situation reversed from its predecessors.