Considering that I wasn't all that into the first planet of the Apes movie, I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did, but surprisingly I thought this movie was very well done. First off the special effects are remarkable. I can't believe how real these apes look, they look realistic while still not going too overboard where it becomes freaky. The direction and cinematography are also majorly improved from the first. The movie is crafted in a way that makes the stakes feel higher. The director switched from the first to the second movie, and you can see how much more excitement and flair is put into this movie than the first. The cinematography is very well done, I love the look of the lush forest contrasted with the blazing firey city. Ceaser also proves to be much more interesting than in the first. It's shocking how believable this literal ape seems, and even more, so that he…

I would die for Maurice.

Things this reminded me of:  X-Men (I've been watching the animated series) and The Last Temptation of Christ. With the conversations between Cesar and Koba about different approaches towards interaction with humans, this film isn’t afraid of taking itself seriously even if it’s about talking apes. I'd say it deals with the politics of it all in smart, realistic ways.  There’s also a great balance of the apes with interesting human characters, save one very two dimensional human villain.  Cesar and Koba are probably my favorite things about the movie.  THE CGI. It looks spectacular here. Realistic? Yes! but also extremely expressive, pretty, creative! Loved the characters and the look of the film.

“Caesar weak” “Koba Weaker”