The success of 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes was something of a surprise. It was a prequel to an antiquated franchise that had spectacularly failed to be rebooted ten years earlier. Against all odds, the movie went on earn critical praise. And a lot of money. Rise has a solid emotional arc built on a great physical performance from Andy Serkis as Caesar, the first of the thinking apes that are destined to rule. In the wake of such a well-received film, a sequel was a forgone conclusion. Now, three years later, the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has arrived.
Steven Cohen's 365 Days of Reviews 