Matt Reeves’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes invades US theatres tomorrow (July 11th) and the critics are promising this is one not to be missed. Picking up 10 years on from where Rise of the Planet of the Apes left off, now Cesar and his nation of evolved apes are under threat from human survivors, hoping to prove they’re the dominant species. With an all-star cast including Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke and Keri Russell the movie has already scored an impressive 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But if you’re in need of more convincing, here’s five reasons why you need to see Dawn of the Planet of the Apes this weekend.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Cesar and co. are under threat in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

1. It takes Planet of the Apes to a whole new level

If you’re a fan of Planet of the Apes then you’ve probably already planned your weekend cinema trip, but for anyone worried about the fate of the franchise let us ease your mind. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is not just some thrown together sequel looking to make a load fast cash, it’s a second instalment which manages to surpass its predecessor. As The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy wrote, “In the annals of sequels, Dawn is to Rise of the Planet of the Apes what The Empire Strikes Back was to Star Wars -it's that much better.”

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2. Andy Serkis is the man, well ape

Andy Serkis is a phenomenal performer, this should be common knowledge by now, but it’s as Cesar, that the true scope of his abilities is showcased best. This time around, Cesar takes the lead and Serkis delivers a multi layered performance which at times will leave the audience feeling emotions they never thought they could towards an ape.

3. It’s action packed!

The summer is now all about delivering action packed blockbusters and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the movie the 2014 season has been waiting for. These apes ride horses, carry guns and delver as much action as humanly possible, without ever sacrificing any story telling. The special effects are also amazing, especially in regards to the apes themselves, who could easily fool you into thinking no CGI work was needed.

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4. But it’s also thought provoking

If you want to, you can pick out scenes or elements in the story and try to relate them to our society. But even without finding a hidden message or political agenda in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes it's still a very thought provoking movie. As silly as a movie about apes battling humans could have been, thankfully Dawn of the Planet of the Apes isn’t. Reeves’ tackled the subject matter with a sensitivity all too rare in the age of blockbusters and it may make more than a few of you leave the theatre with a tear in your eye.

Dawn of the Planet of the ApesApes verus humans, can't we all just get along?

5. Isn’t this what we’ve been waiting for?

A thought provoking blockbuster which delivers on the action while still carefully telling an engaging story? Dawn of the Planet of the Apes sounds miles away from Transformers: Age of Extinction. 2014 needs a great summer movie, and that’s what Matt Reeves has delivered. Throw in some award worthy performances from Andy Serkis and Toby Kebbell plus a load of dazzling special effects and you have one of the year’s best films so far.