Sandy Kenyon reviews 'War for the Planet of the Apes'

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The latest summer blockbuster to hit theaters is the third film in the reboot of the planet of the apes franchise, but does "War for the Planet of the Apes" live up to the hype?

The third installment is impressive, but it is boring and not as good as the first two despite the positive reviews it's been getting.

There is plenty of character development along with the action, but it is crushed under the weight of all the talking before the story gets going.

The fight between man and beast was instigated by Koba in the last movie, against the wishes of the more compassionate Caesar. He tried to find a path to peace and ended up killing his antagonist, who appears in the new movie only as a vision.

Andy Serkin doesn't get enough credit for bringing Caesar to life, and his performance is the perfect marriage of man and machine.

The computer-generated apes are thrilling, being so lifelike, and they are far more subtle than the performance given by Woody Harrelson.

Though the final action sequences are stunning to behold, overall, it goes on way too long.

In the end, the movie is engaging for the mind and the heart, but it falls far short of the rapturous reviews being heaped on it by other critics.