Apes make great actors!

Rating: 10/10 (25 September 2011)

I was not expecting as good a film as this.
This is only the second film I have been to where the audience applauded. (The other was Chaplin's masterpiece 'Modern Times' so this is in good company. I would add I wasn't there for the original 'Modern Times' release!)
I went because it was the only film showing at a convenient time my 12 year old daughter was also allowed to watch. There was a mix of ages and types of people in the cinema, all liked it. The oldies started the applause, and the children joined in enthusiastically.
The story is solid and plausible. Lots of action and utterly believable. I find out after the apes are computer generated. This is the most realistic CGI I have seen.
The apes elicit sympathy in very effective 'acting'. The humans give very good acting performances as well. A good indicator is all of the main human actors have appeared in other movies that I know well and I failed to recognize them. They played characters not themselves.
Of course, there are the bad humans and the obligatory wicked businessman cutting corners for profit, but this is a brilliant example of that genre.
All round excellence.
Just one point - I don't believe the story is a genuine prequel to the original (Charlton Heston) film where the reason for change - given at the end of the film when they discovered it was Earth - was that humankind had destroyed itself in a nuclear war. "Maniacs!! You finally blew it all up!!!" Taylor screams in despair. "God damn you all to hell!"
Sorry to have spoilers for a 1968 film.