After the rather disappointing Beneath the Planet of the Apes things take a considerable step up with Escape from the Planet of the Apes! Which is odd given that from here on out the franchise takes on a more 'made for TV movie' aesthetic. The fact that by this point the filmmakers were operating on a much lower budget is apparent, and yet, Escape is the best of the sequels, by far. Not only is it very entertaining, it's also thought-provoking. We are presented with an entirely new scenario. One that allows for a much deeper examination of humanity's flaws, as well as its strengths.
Escape is very much a movie of two halves. After the opening scene the first half can be quite light-hearted. Even silly, at times. Everything from the zoo to the hotel, the shopping trip and the prize fight. Not to mention the Top Secret CIA base that's not disguised in any way and is clearly a government installation. It's also loaded with plot conveniences, like Taylor's spacecraft. How did Doctor Milo (Sal Mineo) manage to find and retrieve it? Let alone study it, fix it and fly it. There wasn't that much time between Taylor's arrival and the detonation of the bomb. And what made him - along with Zira (Kim Hunter) and Cornelius (Roddy McDowall) - flee the planet? They couldn't have known about the nuke, so why not simply leave the ape colony?
The thing is, if you can get past all of these somewhat ridiculous conveniences and laugh at the silliness, there is an incredibly dark and sinister tale that awaits you in the second half. I think Escape hits very close to the mark as to how we would react if beings from another time/world/dimension showed up. Fear, hatred, even violence. The likelihood is it would be much worse now than back when they made the film. Imagine this scenario in the social media age. Not that we ever needed social media to spread hatred and vitriol, as is evidenced here by Doctor Otto Hasslein (Eric Braeden) and those on the committee. The thing that makes it all the more tragic, however, is the heart-warming relationship between Zira and Cornelius. Hunter and McDowall are magnificent together, which adds a real sense of impending doom as we follow them on their search for some semblance of peace.
I remember watching Escape on afternoon TV when I was a kid. Being almost traumatised by that ending - certain shots have definitely stuck with me over the years. Even now I'm surprised it was shown before the watershed. But it is as brilliant as it is tragic. Not only is it horrifying to watch, it perfectly reflects our worst attributes, and how they can only lead us to tragedy. Interesting message there! Despite all that, there is still one beautiful moment in that ending, as crazy as it sounds. One beautiful and horrifying moment set against that almost traumatising finale. The strange thing is it's not the most horrifying part of the movie. No, that is reserved for the final moments, in which the most unnerving animatronic I have ever seen takes to the screen. Little baby Milo - that's the animatronic, not the character - is the stuff of nightmares!
What did you think of Escape from the Planet of the Apes? Leave a comment below or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also email us at moviemoustache@gmail.com.
Comments
Post a Comment