Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Escape From the Planet of the Apes Blu-ray Movie Review

'Escape' represents the low point of the 'Apes' series.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 5, 2008

This review contains spoilers for Beneath the Planet of the Apes.

We have traveled from Earth's future to Earth's past.

The third time apparently isn't the charm when it comes to cinematic sequels. Everything from Star Wars to Saw seems to take a dramatic nosedive by the time the third film rolls around, and the Apes franchise is certainly not immune. Escape From the Planet of the Apes continues a series that seemed dead after its predecessor's conclusion, and certainly not because Beneath the Planet of the Apes was a bad film; quite the contrary, it's passable entertainment and a decent sequel to the original classic. The problem was that the writers and filmmakers painted themselves into a corner at the end of the second film, declaring the death of the world and seemingly everyone and everything in it. Not one to shy away from a challenge, a struggling 20th Century Fox saw fit to nevertheless find some way to continue one of their most popular and profitable budding franchises, and some how, some way, a third film was envisioned, scripted, and committed to film, making little sense logically though playing well enough, the film half lighthearted fun and half dark and sinister, and again ending with yet another shocking twist.

Cornelius and Zira watch the end of 'Old Yeller' for the first time.

Before the destruction of the Earth by the Doomsday weapon at the end of Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Zira (Kim Hunter), Cornelius (Roddy McDowall), and Dr. Milo (Sal Mineo) managed to repair (presumably) Brent's downed spacecraft and blast off immediately before the explosion. Somehow, the trio travels back through time and lands in the Pacific Ocean where they are greeted as long-lost heroes -- until they remove their helmets and reveal their true identities. At first treated as a curiosity (resulting in Dr. Milo's death), and soon thereafter gaining celebrity status, Zira and Cornelius seem to be fitting into their new surroundings wonderfully. That is until they begin to unravel their past, or mankind's future, leading some to fear the couple's presence on Earth, wondering if their arrival signals the beginning of the end of mankind -- and perhaps the planet.

Escape From the Planet of the Apes turns the franchise on its head, offering viewers not only a tone that, at least for the first half of the film, seems completely out of character for the series, but also turns the tables on the established theme of the first two films, this time placing intelligent apes in the midst of a human-dominated society. The film plays on this role reversal well, with some scenes resembling those found in the earlier films, particularly the first, and creating human characters that reflect the same beliefs, concerns, and emotions of the primary apes from the first two films, notably Zira, Cornelius, Dr. Zaius, and Ursus. Man at first refuses to believe these apes to be more than well-trained automatons despite their demonstrations of intelligent and civilized behavior, including sitting at a table for a meal, changing clothes on their own accord, and of course, intelligent speech. Perhaps the theme of the story is that intelligence breeds the same beliefs, concerns, and emotions in all sentient beings, no matter their physical appearance or place of origin. Nevertheless, this is the one area of the film that proves most fascinating, and despite a ridiculous factor that is almost off the charts, the film is at least watchable for most of its runtime. Where the film seems to fail is in its attempts at humor. The laughs seem out of place and run out their welcome long before the film takes on the more sinister tone that dominates the second half. Escape From the Planet of the Apes certainly features a story filled with moral and religious overtones, and offers some fine insight into the human psyche, but the film nevertheless feels like a product rushed to market, one that tries too hard to be too good and winds up being a very mediocre entry into what has, to this point, been a fine series.

Escape From the Planet of the Apes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Escape From the Planet of the Apes on Blu-ray features a 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The video retains a very similar look and feel to the last film. While obviously taking place in "modern" Earth as opposed to the distant future, the color schematic looks similar, and detail remains high. The picture is rock solid throughout, with fine clarity and detail to die for on an older picture such as this. The interior of the prison cell housing the recently arrived apes, for example, showcases nice texture along the walls and on the bars. The military uniforms and other assorted clothing seen throughout appear nicely rendered, too, lifelike and practically touchable through the screen. Blacks may look a touch faded in a few corners, but are otherwise acceptable. Flesh tones retain a pleasing natural appearance. Escape From the Planet of the Apes is yet another fine looking title in this series, and Fox is to be commended for their excellent job on this and the previous two Apes discs.

Escape From the Planet of the Apes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Escape From the Planet of the Apes arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack, in addition to the original monaural mix. The audio remains front and center-heavy, as was the case with the previous two Apes films, with the music that plays over the opening credits distinct and clear, a fine reproduction that feels more robust and pronounced than one might expect coming predominantly from the center. It features nice punch on the low end, too. Likewise, a similar effect is heard and felt as adventure-style music plays during an escape sequence in chapter 17. There are a few instances of discrete effects spread across the left or right front channels, but such cases are the exception to the rule. Even a scene featuring Cornelius at a boxing match features next-to-no ambient crowd noise emanating from anywhere but the center channel. Still, the music and effects are presented with sufficient clarity, and dialogue reproduction remains solid. This track is about as good as one may expect.

Escape From the Planet of the Apes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Escape From the Planet of the Apes travels onto Blu-ray with a supplemental package fairly similar to that of its predecessor on Blu-ray. First up is an isolated score presented in DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless audio. Selecting this feature removes all dialogue and sound effects from the film, leaving viewers with only the score playing over the imagery. The Secret Behind Escape (1080p, 16:04) is a solid extra that looks at the themes of the film, the ease with which the film was shot, director Don Taylor's take on the script, features an extended look at actress Kim Hunter and her contributions to the film and the series as a whole, the camaraderie between Hunter and actor Roddy McDowall, and the film's religious overtones. Don Taylor Directs 'Escape From the Planet of the Apes' (480p, 7:46) features a candid look at the work that went into filming one of the scenes. Concluding the special features is another trailer (480p, 3:02) that gives too much away, and two sets of galleries -- Advertising Gallery and Behind-the-Scenes Gallery. This disc is also D-Box enabled.

Escape From the Planet of the Apes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Escape From the Planet of the Apes offers audiences a story that basically takes the first film and reverses the circumstances, but adds in an abundance of humor and subtracts much of the power and sense of wonder engendered by that first film. The story is a bit of a stretch, and some of the plot points seem far too contrived, but the film does end with a rather powerful, unexpected twist that, once again, leaves viewers curious to see where the next film will go. 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray release of Escape From the Planet of the Apes is on par with the previous sequel. Featuring fine video and audio qualities and a decent selection of bonus materials, this disc, or the larger 5-disc box set is an easy purchase for fans.