Andy Serkis returns to the role of Caesar in upcoming film 'War For The Planet Of The Apes'; the sequel to the 2014 release 'Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes'. Starring opposite Woody Harrelson as a Colonel intent on taking Caesar and his band of apes down in order to survive, the pair quickly come to realise that it's either human or ape who will come out of the chaos with the upper hand.

'War For The Planet Of The Apes' has made an incredible impression so far...'War For The Planet Of The Apes' has made an incredible impression so far...

Matt Reeves directs the film with a screenplay from Mark Bomback and Rick Jaffa, whilst the likes of Toby Kebbell, Judy Greer and Amiah Miller star alongside Serkis and Harrelson.

Now following the official screening for movie critics, the reviews are starting to slide in, and it's looking very good for the latest 'Planet of the Apes' instalment. Check out a selection of six we read below, and click through on the names of the reviewers and outlets to read the full reviews!

Todd McCarthy, THR: "It won't take long for fans of the first two entries to be seduced once again into the world that Matt Reeves fashioned in Dawn and elaborates upon in War (the first entry, directed by Rupert Wyatt, was largely urban-set); the moist dark greens of the apes' adopted habitat have once again been intoxicatingly captured by cinematographer Michael Seresin, and he and Reeves come close to overusing dramatic crane shots in their eagerness to display this pristine environment in its full glory. "

Lindsey Bahr, AP: "To say too much more about the plot would probably be a mistake and part of the greatness of Bomback’s script is how even in following a pretty standard exodus story, it still manages to surprise and captivate throughout, and with minimal dialogue too."

Chris Nashawaty, EW: "Harrelson, an actor with a tendency to chew on his roles like an unlucky wad of Red Man tobacco, seems to understand exactly what kind of movie he’s in, just like Gary Oldman did in Dawn. Outfitted in army fatigues, menacing sunglasses, and grease face paint, he’s decided to go Full Brando here, especially when he shaves his cueball head with a straight razor in front of his cult-like followers. His Colonel knows that apes like Caesar are no longer controllable and lower on the evolutionary ladder. If anything, they now have the upper hand. But he’s not going to go down with a hammed-up fight."

Alonso Duralde, The Wrap: "The action proceeds at a thrilling clip, aided immensely by the great Michael Giacchino score. The composer never settles into a groove, with instrumentations varying from simple percussion (the 20th Century Fox fanfare sounds like it was performed from the middle of a rain forest) to full orchestra, and with themes that never feel like mere repetitions of what has come before. It’s a stirring soundtrack that accentuates, but never overwhelms, what we’re seeing."

Matt Goldberg, Collider: "There’s a lot going on in War, but Reeves never pushes it. He never has a character simply announce a theme of the film or directly address the subtext. He lets the action do the talking, and the message is the same one the Apes movies have been blaring since they began—humanity doesn’t deserve to survive."

Robbie Collin, The Telegraph (UK): "But where in Serkis’s previous roles there was always a sense you were watching a clever special effect, the digital characters here – created in tandem with the ape actors by the effects house Weta Digital – hit whatever brain-lulling degree of subtlety and detail is required to make the effect itself just melt away from sight. All that’s left are the actors’ performances – except somehow they’re being given by orangutans and chimps."

It's fair to say that 'War For The Planet Of The Apes' is a critical darling. When it's released in cinemas here in the UK on July 11, it's going to be interesting to see just how it fares in the box office. Expect some big numbers here; this sequel has been a long time coming and the fans cannot wait to sink their teeth in.

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'War For The Planet Of The Apes' hits UK movie theatres on July 11.