Even though I think the CGI work here is mind blowing, I don't like this film as much as Rise or Dawn. Still, it's quite good, but think that entire trilogy is a bit too serious for its own good. I get what they were going for with the tone of these movies, but it feels a bit too solemn overall. Andy Serkis is very good though.

While still suffers from some of the blunt scripting that previous Apes films do, Matt Reeves knocks it out of the park with this one. War is a visual wonder, really coming into its own in the cinematography, with probably an all-time great mo-cap performance from Serkis.

With its gorgeous visuals, stellar direction, and beautifully emotional storytelling, War for the Planet of the Apes brings everything great about the trilogy to its peak for one of the most emotionally cathartic films of the past decade. There was no better way to close out Caesar's story, and while the franchise didn't stop there, this is the definite high point of the series, at the moment.

The definition of Simpsons' "when do they get to the fireworks factory?" This movie franchise fails to realize that the audience wants to a planet of the apes. Some executive somewhere decided we'd only care if they have humans along for the ride, and maybe there'd be something to that if the humans weren't so dull. Dull, dour storytelling that only counts as sci-fi on a technicality.