War for the Planet of the Apes: there is no denying that Matt Reeves’ film, much like its franchise predecessors, is a technical prowess. The special effects, along with the motion-captured performances, are impressive, top-notch. Andy Serkis’ physical performance (with the help of the FX team) is very good; Woody Harrelson is fine, as the villain; Amiah Miller is a cute presence. The character design for the many apes smartly creates them in a way each is easily identifiable. The sound design is solid, making all the grunting work, but also weaving in silence when required. All that, however, is in service of a story that is thematically heavy-handed, and generally unengaging.