“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” has exceeded box-office expectations, making $54.8 million in its opening weekend, is number one at the theaters, and is now the fourth largest August opening of all time, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The film, rated 81% by critics and 90% by audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, has blown even many hardcore “Apes” fans (like me) away. From my personal experience from having watched the movie, this movie has not only made people forget about the craziness that is Tim Burton’s “Planet of the Apes” (I know it’s easy to pick on that movie, but still), but it’s made people invigorated about the “Apes” franchise. It also made me realize just how scary and intimidating the first 1960s movie must have made people feel when they watched it in the theaters for the first time. In my audience, everyone–including me–gasped and was shocked into silence at one particular part (if you’ve seen the movie, you probably know what part I’m talking about). If a movie can make an entire audience do that in a movie about a franchise that they thought they knew the ins and outs of, then that alone makes this movie a winner, and for me, it’s probably the best movie I’ve seen thus far.

What did you think about the movie? How would you rate it on your personal movie scale? Sound off in the comments below, and make sure not to give away any spoilers in your comments; I usually don’t write this disclaimer in the “In Your Opinion” articles, but this movie warrants your discretion.