After the miserable failure of the re-imagined Planet of the Apes in 2001 there was a lot at stake with attempting to reboot the beloved and classic Planet of the Apes franchise.

The movie Rise of the Planet of the Apes is not perfect, but in the Hollywood-infected world of reboots and remakes this movie is decent.

The proposed Return to the Planet of Apes would have been my preference. I prefer sequels over prequels, reboots, remakes, and reimaginings but one takes what one can get from the new Hollywood.

However, Rise is a smart and comprehensive story that covers a lot a ground. In two hours the story goes from being about a baby chimp being raised in a human home to an all out ape rebellion against human masters.

There are subtle and not so subtle tributes to the original 1968 film and a cameo by the late Charlton Heston.

In the original movie the character George Taylor, played by Charlton Heston, was caught in a world ruled by apes. Rise presents Caesar, an intelligent ape, that is betrayed and mistreated by human masters.

The best thing about this movie is the apes. They actually look like apes.