It should not be understated how Roddy McDowall is one of the best parts of the original Apes movies, and how his performance as Caesar is one of the only things of value in Battle, but it's hard to beat what Andy Serkis, Rupert Wyatt, Matt Reeves, and WETA Digital created with the rebooted Caesar. They gave him one of the most engaging and complex character arcs I've seen in anything, going from a scared innocent to a bitter revolutionary to a tough-but-fair leader to a hardened warrior to a revenge-driven rogue, back to a kind leader, all in the span of three films. It's a story for the ages, and it's an advantage the original version in no way can overcome.
