This is a sequel to the 2011 movie “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.”

    The story picks up 10 years after the last movie. Mankind has been destroyed by a global virus*, and genetically enhanced* apekind has built its own utopian* community in the forests outside San Francisco. Under the leadership of alpha-chimp* Caesar, they’ve become more like humans.

    They communicate in sign language and lame English, they hunt with spears, they wear makeup, they’ve even established a basic education system. They haven’t seen humans for years, so when a small team, led by Malcolm (Jason Clarke), comes into their forest, both sides are taken aback*.

    Caesar favors cooperation with the humans; his lieutenant*, Koba, distrusts them. It’s a similar situation on the human side: Malcolm favors cooperation, his chief Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) distrusts the apes.

    If it looks like anything, it’s a Shakespearean tragedy*, with its complex web of allegiances* and heavy themes of revenge*, mercy*, loyalty*, and, of course, what it means to be “human.” Unlike Shakespeare, the dialogue is cut to the minimum* by the apes’ basic language, which is rather interesting since everyone can understand it.

    Caesar would certainly sympathize with* the Roman emperor by the same name — a morally troubled leader whose authority* is under threat*. Caesar is the most important character here, and he’s highly watchable. It’s another great motion-capture performance by Andy Serkis. The film’s biggest weakness is that humans are not as good. Oldman doesn’t get enough screen time to really show his feelings, Clarke is okay but not exciting, his wife, played by Keri Russell, is given little to do but worry about everything.

    The film is basically a visual experience, and on that part it’s very good. (SD-Agencies)