Rise of the Planet of the Apes

As the reboot/re-imagining debates rage back and forth regarding their worth I'm still firmly clinging onto the fence.
There's some real howlers out there. No doubt about it, but they aren't all bad.
I sometimes feel that by clinging onto the charm of what amounts to a low budget seventies b-movie - filled with random friends of the director masquerading as actors - that people miss out on the worth of the modern, better budgeted, better SFX laden and possibly better scripted and acted version.
It's as if admitting that the modern one is a worthy remake is a betrayal of the highest order.
I don't really go along with that and consider that each and every one should be judged on its own merits alone.
Personally I thought that the reboot of 'The Hills Have Eyes' had enough suspense and freaky-deaky fuck you moments to blow the original out of the water.
Anyway. The point being is that I seen Rise of the Planet of the Apes and apart from the original Heston version it is up there as one of the best.
Okay, that's not too hard keeping in mind the increasingly poor returns from the franchise, but I'm also adding in the Burton Planet of the Apes here to, and even the rest of the recent reboots we have seen clogging up the cinema guides as well.
If I was to chart the POTA movies then Heston is still at number one, but Rise is a comfortable runner up with the rest trailing behind it.
The reason that I'm quite taken by it is that similar to the original it's setting out some points that hopefully will make people think.
The vicious downward slide of Alzheimers is well played out, as is the animal cruelty angle that is paired with issues of corporate greed.
All sub plots that are worthy of further consideration.
So a bit more than just genetically modified CGI apes throwing the rattle out of the pram as some may think.
My only problem with it was the last quarter felt rushed and plot light.
Possibly even a capitulation to studio execs that were demanding that they could promote it as more of an action movie.
It's certainly action packed, but I much preferred the slow build up of characterization that fills the first three quarters, and in all honesty although I felt it to be a bit anti-climatic in that sense it didn't ruin my over all enjoyment of the film.
So watch yourself. The apes are looking over our shoulders and about to make their move.