The early reactions to War for the Planet of the Apes are in, and the common refrain seems to be “hold on to your butts.” When 20th Century Fox rebooted the Planet of the Apes franchise in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, starring James Franco, audiences were understandably dubious. But director Rupert Wyatt’s take on the material was pleasantly surprising, with stunning visual effects work and a tremendous motion-capture performance by Andy Serkis. The sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, doubled down on what worked from the first movie and layered in a hefty dose of social relevance thanks to director Matt Reeves’ decision to tackle issues of weaponization.

Reeves returned to helm War for the Planet of the Apes, which picks up a few years after the events of Dawn and finds the war between apes and humans in its final stages. Serkis’ Caesar now leads his apes on a Moses-like expedition on a path towards revenge against Woody Harrelson’s Colonel, and just as with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War sounds like it’s going to be an incredibly intense affair.

There’s an added level of anticipation here given that Reeves is also now attached to direct The Batman starring Ben Affleck once his duties on War for the Planet of the Apes are complete. The first screenings of War took place last night, and those who caught the screening took to Twitter to heap praise—and warnings of feelings—on the film.

Check some of the reactions below and check back on Collider for our full review on June 26th. War for the Planet of the Apes opens in theaters on July 14th.

Here’s the official synopsis for War for the Planet of the Apes:

In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel.  After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.  As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.

For more of our coverage on War for the Planet of the Apes be sure to take a look at some of our recent write-ups provided at the following links:

• Meet "Bad Ape" in a Lengthy Clip from 'War for the Planet of the Apes'
• First ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ Clip Focuses on Nova
• ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’: 2 New TV Spots Tease the End of Caesar’s Journey
• Final ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ Trailer Previews the Epic Confrontation
• ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ Final Trailer Teaser Digs into History with Charlton Heston