Rises above the unintelligent studio schlock and rubbish remakes it's forced to call its peers.

Rating: 9/10 (21 February 2018)

An Intelligent blockbuster that's better than it had any right to be, I mean expecting a prequel to a forty-three year old franchise (at the time of release) to be any good is almost asking for disappointment, and yet here we have what is easily one of the smartest big-budget Hollywood productions of this decade. 'Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)' swaps out soulless spectacle for keen character development and manages to make you care about an entirely digital ape protagonist. The action-sequences, while well-done and generally quite entertaining, are actually the weakest part of this picture and that truly speaks volumes. The combination of a smart script and stellar performances, including those done in motion-capture suits, add up to a feature that's not only enjoyable but also emotional, and it's not afraid to let its audience think. 9/10