Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (3D)

It's San Francisco/Muir Woods 10 years after the "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". In this simian "Animal Farm", the viral drug ALZ-113 that made apes smarter has devastated the human population. Fear and mistrust plague both human and ape communities as they delicately balance on the fine line of peaceful coexistence. However, man and apes are not that much different as the search for power triggers that inevitable war between species.  The special effects motion-capture performances are amazingly convincing where these CGI renderings feel as real as their human counterparts. These powerful apes are intiminating and the battle scenes are intense. Look for a digital cameo late in the show. By the end of 2 hours 10 minutes, fans will be wondering what will be the next step in simian evolution and society and will be hoping for at least a trilogy to answer their question.

Alien gives it 3 ½ "war paint, fire, & primitive tools" stars out of 4.