I figure this movie would be of interest to most movie-going Objectivists. While I did see the prequel, I don’t remember much of it other than the main Ape character has carried over into this film. So, no prior knowledge is really necessary to a new audience.
(As explained in the first minute) In ten year’s time, most of the world has died off after a killer virus ran its course, followed by government collapse, followed by extended human warfare all over the globe. The movie focuses on a small human colony trying to survive in the ruins of San Francisco, and an ape colony in the nearby woods. We’re not sure about the apes’ intelligence, but it’s clear that they aren’t the apes of old.
Given this context, the movie is essentially a first contact alien movie. I expected a lot of PETA-type pandering, but instead the movie focuses on intelligence and what it means to be civil. The plot is pretty good, we care about the characters (surprisingly, I cared about the apes even more than the humans), and as a bonus the special effects are the best I’ve seen for computer-generated living things. Here and there, the CGI registered in my subconscious as fake, but probably 60% flew on by as “real” to me, without a second thought. Amazing!
I recommend it (but not for kids – it gets pretty violent).