'War for the Planet of the Apes' is an epic finale to special series

Against the odds, the most recent reboot of the Planet of the Apes saga has turned out to be one of the more compelling series of the last several years, introducing an iconic hero to audiences -- Andy Serkis' Caesar -- and redefining special effects with its groundbreaking use of motion capture.

This trilogy, which appears to have come to an end with this latest installment -- War for the Planet of the Apes -- has always had its share of skeptics, in part because the originals (depending on your point of view) haven't aged well or in the minds of some, can't be topped. And the last time a reboot was attempted with Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes, it fell flat.

These films, which started with Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011 and got even better with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014 flipped the whole series on its head by making the apes really appear to be apes (thanks to incredible effects) but also made them unabashedly the heroes of the series instead of the antagonists.

In this third film, the biggest weakness of the earlier films -- the human element -- is improved upon with Woody Harrelson playing a particularly nasty villain, which is an homage in many ways to Marlon Brando's Kurtz in Apocalypse Now.

Meanwhile, an older and grayer Caesar is a regal, striking hero. His face can hold a screen just like any other major leading man and in a film with minimal dialogue, audiences are drawn into the world of this ape leader and his flock, feeling more emotion and warmth for these creatures, which each have distinct personalities even if they can't all speak like he can.

What's remarkable about these movies is that they persuade a mainstream summer movie going audience to root for the humans to be killed in a relatively dark and brooding film while cheering a horde of gun-toting animated apes.

Nothing about this should work but it does. Part of the credit must go to Matt Reeves, who has helmed the last two films in this series, and has made a deliberate effort to tell the story almost entirely from the apes' perspective. He has shown in these two films, as well as Cloverfield and Let Her In, that he really knows how to stage a gorgeous-looking and visually effective action sequence.

And the other MVP of the movie is Serkis, who is getting a lot of well-deserved praise, and even some longshot Oscar buzz for his work here. What he does here is art, pure and simple. And once you've seen this film it feels like any big effects movie that doesn't employ this model with be inherently lacking.

The film does get a little overlong in its last act (during which it lays on the Christ-like imagery a little thick) and can even be knocked for being a tad sappy at times, but in my estimation Reeves and company have earned the right to aim for the fences. These films have been engrossing, compelling and majestic.

If this is indeed the end, it's a fitting one.