Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a follow-up movie to the unexpected 2011 hit Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Critics who have had an early viewing of the movie have been heaving positive reviews that will work in the favor of the film, which will debut in theaters on July 11.

The film is set 10 years after the events of the first movie, and we follow Caesar (Andy Serkis), who is now the leader of a tribe of apes. They have built a sort-of commune in a forest in California's Bay Area.

Humans, meanwhile, have all been wiped-out because of a global contagion. Survivors of the virus discover the ape community, and here is where clashes begin.

Aside from Serkis, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes also stars Jason Clarke and Gary Oldman.

The Guardian has praised the movie's CGI, giving the example of particularly memorable sequence, "Few blockbusters this summer are likely to provide an image as stirring as an angry chimp on horseback, leaping through a wall of fire with a machine gun blazing in each hand -- in 3D," the review says. "Both the forest settings and post-apocalyptic San Francisco are rich in detail and atmosphere, the action sequences are thrilling without being flashy, and the apes themselves are uncannily expressive, particularly their eyes. ... We've arrived at the stage where the soulful expression on the face of a virtual chimp can conjure more sympathy than a real, emoting human."

Meanwhile, other critics have been calling this movie one of the best movies of 2014, praising the film's fantastic special effects, themes, and compelling characters.

There have also been comparisons of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to the other great sequels in movie history. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dawn is to Rise of the Planet of the Apes what The Empire Strikes Back was to 'Star Wars' - it's that much better."

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes will hit the screens on July 11, 2014.