Apes Retrospective: Escape From the Planet of the Apes & Conquest of the Planet of the Apes

How the hell do you follow up a movie that not only killed all of the main characters but also completely destroyed the world in which they existed? As James Cameron once said, “No one dies in science fiction.” In this latest Apes Retrospective, we dig into Escape From the Planet of the Apes and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes.

Released in 1971, the opening scene of Escape from the Planet of the Apes is as jarring as anything in the series so far. The first thing we see is a helicopter flying over the Pacific coast shoreline along with Army vehicles and troops flooding the beach. For two movies, all we’ve seen of Earth is the barren wasteland that mankind turned it into, so to see it as we know it today (or back then rather) is a genuine shock to the system and an excellent way to get the audience to perk up and say “WTF?”

Eventually, we see what looks to be Taylor’s ship washing ashore and three astronauts getting out. Did Heston make it back in time? Or Brent? Nope! The three take off their helmets to reveal Zira, Cornelius, and Milo, a fellow ape scientist who just happened to restore Taylor’s ship just before Taylor blew the planet to kingdom come. 

Unsure what to do with the space apes, the Army takes them to the Los Angeles Zoo where they are to be studied and tested by a pair of kind scientists, Dr. Lewis Dixon and Dr. Stephanie Branton. 

Truthfully, the majority of this installment plays more like a fish-out-of-water comedy than anything else. Aside from the very beginning, when poor Milo is killed after an altercation with a gorilla in the zoo, and the ending (which we’ll get to), Escape from the Planet of the Apes spends the majority of its time watching Zira and Cornelius having a blast being acclimated to fame. It certainly helps that Kim Hunter is back as Zira and Roddy McDowall returns as Cornelius after missing out on the first sequel. These two carry this entire film on their backs thanks to their unbelievable chemistry and commitment to one another. It’s a real joy to see these two try to live life together. I mean, shit! We even learn that Zira is pregnant! Could life get any better for them?

Well, this is Planet of the Apes after all, so unfortunately the answer is “no.” The two have to escape another scientist named Dr. Otto Hasslein who, after finding out that Zira used to dissect humans, worries that these apes could lead to the downfall of man. Dixon and Brandon immediately help the two escape and while on the lam Zira gives birth to baby Milo, named after their fallen friend. Just when they think they are safe, Dr. Otto corners them and after a daring shootout, ends up shooting Zira and the baby. Cornelius gets immediate revenge before being taken out by a sniper. 

So much for that fish-out-of-water feeling. Jesus. 

But wait! It turns out that before they went on the run, Dixon and Branton took them to their circus pal Armando, played by Ricardo Montalban, because of course. During this visit, Armando has Zira switch baby Milo with another newborn chimpanzee, giving their special son a chance to have a life. The final moment of the film shows a young Milo sitting in a cage saying the word “Mama”

As it happens with sequels, this third installment couldn’t quite match the fever pitch of the original, but thanks to the fresh setting, audiences still showed up and enjoyed the good times while they could. Escape from the Planet of the Apes opened in 1971, just a short year after Beneath, and ultimately grossed $12 million, about $91 million in today's dollars, on a budget of $2.5 million. This franchise was still printing money, so why not keep going? Besides, this is the first time in the franchise that the next installment was perfectly set up. 

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes arrived in 1972, helmed by director J. Lee Thompson (Cape Fear, The Guns of Navarone). Producer Arthur P. Jacobs originally had tried to get Thompson to direct the original Apes, but Thompson was simply too busy, so he jumped at the chance to put his mark on the franchise. 

The film opens with a quick recap of Escape then jumps ahead to 1991, where Milo is still cared for by Armando. We quickly learn that the arrival of space apes spawned a disease that killed all cats and dogs, which led the human race to adopt chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans as pets. Once mankind realized just how easy it was to teach apes simple tasks, it became clear that a new form of slave labor was born. 

This information is dropped on the audience so quickly and matter-of-factly that it takes a second to realize just how heinous this all is. During this exposition dump by Armando, we also learn that he has warned Milo never to speak in front of other humans for his safety. As they walk through the city (with Milo on a leash), director Thompson shows long shots of apes in training, learning tasks such as filling up a glass of water. “Do!” the human trainees yell at the apes, armed and dressed like the police. We see apes being beaten and yelled at for not understanding or making a mistake. Milo looks on, rage filling his eyes. “Lousy human bastards!” he yells. 

It’s a moment that is at once cathartic and infuriating. We want Milo to tell them how it is! But in doing so, he also exposes himself, putting himself right in the crosshairs. 

Now, it should be specifically noted that the filmmakers brought back a very important actor to the franchise to play Milo, and that is, in fact, Roddy McDowall himself. That’s right, the man who played Cornelius is back playing his former character's son! How cool is that? And what a great opportunity for an actor to play both father and son! McDowall kills it, of course, but his presence helps keep us connected to the previous films, adding weight to this four-quel. 

In an attempt to save Milo, Armando takes the blame for the outburst and tells him to hide and blend in with the other apes. Milo sneaks into a cage of orangutans and finds himself integrated into the ape conditioning, where he gets to see first-hand just how horribly all these apes are being treated. 

All of this is just a great big setup to see Milo recruit the apes and prepare for revolution. Due to the once again decreased budget, director Thompson just doubles down on images of apes being mistreated or outright tortured, so that when the revolt does come, it’s more than earned. 

Another seed planted in this picture is the fact that Milo, before he sets his plan in motion, is awarded a chance to give himself a name after showing higher-than-normal intelligence (they don’t know he already has a name because he hasn’t told them) and he chooses Caesar. That’s some great sci-fi right there. 

Regarding the villains, it’s the typical white scientist trying to stop the ape revolution. However, the filmmakers add the human character of MacDonald, the head villain's right-hand man whose African American heritage puts him in direct conflict with his job and his beliefs. It’s a nice touch, and actor Hari Rhodes plays it beautifully. 

At this point, it’s interesting to note that these movies were considered family films, with all of them being rated G or PG so far (the PG-13 rating wouldn’t show up until the mid-80s). I don’t know about you, but a highly political sci-fi allegory filled with violence doesn’t exactly sound like an ideal family day at the movies. As it turns out, the studio didn’t either. In fact, they had the filmmakers change the ending of Caesar calling for the death of the scientist who’s trying to kill him to Caesar giving a monologue about compassion that McDowall had to record after the fact without reshoots, forcing the filmmakers to stay closed in on McDowall’s eyes. 

If you’re lucky enough to own the now out-of-print Blu-ray of the movie like I am (humble brag), it includes both endings which is really cool to see. Having seen both versions, I can say that I much prefer the darker ending. It fits the movie so much better as a whole but also doesn’t pander to the audience and give them a nice bowtie ending—a fact that is also in line with the rest of the franchise.

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes proved to be another money maker for the studio, ultimately grossing $9 million, or about  $67 million today, on a budget of $1.7 million. The profit margin was smaller, but money is money, baby. 

The diminishing returns on the box office led to the decision that the next installment would be the last. One last go, for old-time’s sake.