The first of the prequel trilogy for Planet of the Apes this is very much a genesis tale which starts out intimate and small scale before becoming an epic action thriller. Unlike much of the superhero fare though, this is an origin story which we haven't seen before (Spider-man, I'm particularly looking at you) and which is genuinely involving and even poignant as it deals with the loss of innocence, freedom and ape-human connection.
The cast are all good, but Lithgow's sadly credible performance as someone suffering from Alzheimer's stands out.
The CGI is already well refined although as noted in my review for War for the Planet of the Apes - it's a pity the chimpanzees are not as realistic as others such as the mountain gorilla and the orang-utan.
The second and third films in the prequel series are noticeably weaker in comparison as they neither quite manage to achieve the intimacy or scale of set pieces towards the end of this one.
Verdict: Best of the bunch.
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