Equally, history is not on the side of the third part of a trilogy - not every franchise is Toy Story.
So allow me, if you will, to share a little bit of our journey to see this film.
First up, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes blew us away - the ending, especially, was perfect.
Then there was Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes. Which we also loved.
Then, way way back in the mists of time (or July, if you're being picky), the adverts for War appeared on the buses.
And we got excited.
Then it hit cinemas.
And we got more exciteder.
Only our usual viewing companion was not interested.
Still, no matter, we could go on our own. Or there was our LobbyCast chum...
No, not so much. Hadn't seen the first two. Wasn't going near the third.
Sigh.
Still, no matter, we could go on our own.
Or not, as one's mild depression decided to become less mild and so motivating one's self out of the house became something of an issue.
Thankfully - and we can't stress how pleased we were about this - War has been something of a hit, so come the arse-end of August it's still showing at our local multiplex of choice.
And so, dark clouds having lifted, we finally get to take our seat and watch the third instalment of a franchise that has had us gripped since 2011.
And from the dark, atmospheric opening, we are gripped.
The story picks up, as you'd expect, where Dawn leaves off. A human army unit have been tracking Caesar and his ape brethren and all-out war is about to ensue.
And the first battle is breathtaking, it's heart-rending, it's an adrenaline-fuelled ride that is as brutal as it is brilliant.
And you know how good it is, because as the casualties stack up it is actually painful to watch.
There's no need to pick a side here. Your emotions will do that for you.
And we're totally Team Ape.
We meet-up with Caesar, we get to see his nemesis The Colonel, we hold our breath as enemies are captured...
And then...
Erm...
We basically get a whole new film.
While the opening sequence is locked into the world created by the first two films, War then wanders off into a Spaghetti Western as Caesar sets out on revenge.
Later, we take a sharp right-turn into an attempted - and very, very deliberate - remake of Apocalypse Now.
And this is where the film falls down.
The Spaghetti Western section fells like padding, like the producers wanted a longer film but didn't know what else to do.
I suspect, as well, that focus group feedback has played a part because we are given - for absolutely no good reason - a clown character in the shape of Bad Ape.
Maybe they felt it was all too dark (frankly it wasn't dark enough), maybe they genuinely felt some cheap giggles were really needed (they weren't).
Or maybe, they just really, really liked what Jar Jar Binks did to The Phantom Menace.
In all cases, they were wrong.
So, so wrong.
Other than a slight plot red herring, Bad Ape serves no discernible purpose other than to annoy and add some unwanted levity.
The character is also completely out of keeping with the tone the franchise has worked so hard to set.
Frankly, bringing in Clyde from the Every Which Way films would have made more sense.
It's an horrendous move, it's an appalling creative decision, and it undermines a lot of the drama to come.
It also serves, rather unfortunately, to break the spell the film had managed to start weaving - which allowed another problem to surface.
And that's the score.
Previously, the music had meshed with the scenes beautifully.
This time around, a heavier hand appears to have been employed.
The score, at times, essentially sounds like Bad Ape was let loose in the percussion section with a lump hammer.
Rather than hinting at what you might be feeling, the score instructs. By shouting. And when that's done, goes to town making as many sharp, loud noises as possible.
The fact this is mainly through the Western section is not a coincidence.
It may even be deliberate.
But it doesn't work.
Which brings us to the final third of the film, and the full-on Apocalypse Now pastiche.
Now, as I said, this is clearly deliberate. Director Matt Reeves is as upfront about it as possible.
Hell, he even has Woody Harrelson doing his best Marlon Brando impression as The Colonel...
...but again, it's a mis-step.
Bits of it work, they really do. And parallels with people wanting to build walls are there for all to see.
But the character of The Colonel is just too two-dimensional, too much of a caricature. You never get the sense that Harrelson really believes in what he is delivering.
Which takes the edge off an otherwise tense final third, but also robs us of a potentially great moment when a thing happens to The Colonel.
Written and portrayed differently, we could have actually cared about what unfolds.
Instead, we just shrug and and mutter 'good'.
And yet, despite everything, come the end you're back on board, back where we stared and back with a lump in your throat.
Because, despite everything, despite all that is wrong with this film, one thing shines through.
Caesar.
Andy Serkis has made the art of motion-capture acting his own, and with each of these films has raised the bar in what we expect and what is achieved.
And once again, he has produced a performance of such depth and subtlety that he makes you love and care about, essentially, a set of pixels.
The other apes - well, bar one - are all equally as good, but Caesar is the star of the show here, and has been since Rise.
It's a measure of just how good the performances of Serkis and co are that they can actually salvage this mish-mash of ideas and suggestions.
There is, buried deep down, a very good film in War For The Planet Of The Apes.
Thankfully, Caesar is so good that you can forgive the fact it's not in the finished version.
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