What was the first sci-fi movie franchise to make a pivot so big that it redefined its entire mythology? The 1980 twist in The Empire Strikes Back comes to mind, but before the Star Wars films set the standard for sci-fi franchises, Planet of the Apes was one of the scrappiest, most successful, and well-reviewed genre movie series of its time. But after the second film, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, destroyed the titular planet in 1970, there was, somehow, a sequel that propelled the Apes saga forward by rewriting its past. Rod Serling’s script for the first film famously turned Pierre Boulle’s insightful novel into a twisty sci-fi blockbuster. But what screenwriter Paul Dehn did with the third film — Escape from the Planet of the Apes — was to put a massive twist right at the beginning, and then keep dropping new revelations.
Fifty-five years later, after its release on May 21, 1971, Escape from the Planet of the Apes is not only highly rewatchable, but an amazing example of how a sequel can redefine the mythology of an entire film series.
