Greatest movie reboots
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is headed to theaters this weekend, and the highly anticipated sequel to the reboot, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” has been gaining high praise from critics.
As we prep for another trip into the world of the Planet of the Apes, we thought we’d take a look at some of the greatest reboots of all time.
These are not remakes but reboots of franchises that had once risen to greatness only to fall into a pit of despair filled with angry fans and disappointed audiences.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Since we’re talking about the Planet of the Apes, this is as good a place as any to start.
“Rise” marked the seventh film in the Planet of the Apes franchise and people weren’t really sure what to think when trailers started dropping for the 2011 film.
The original “The Planet of the Apes” is considered a classic and was an actually decent film. From there, sequel after sequel kept appearing and then finally a remake from director Tim Burton in 2001. Truth is, the less said about that film the better.
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” managed to update the story in a way that was fresh, entertaining and emotional. The film was well acted, well paced and gave new life to an all-but-dead franchise.
When it was announced that Sony was rebooting Spider-Man, fans and audiences were confused. Sure, “Spider-Man 3” was a crime against nature, but why reboot a franchise so shortly after it wrapped?
Well, despite our worries “The Amazing Spider-Man” delivered an entertaining and in many ways a superior Spider-Man film.
The addition of Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy was a stroke of genius, and the fun-loving, yet troubled Parker in the update was refreshing and welcomed.
“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” didn’t quite capture the magic of the first film, but at least we will always have “The Amazing Spider-Man,” and pretty much everything is better than the emo Peter Parker.
Star Trek is a fan favorite, and people will always hold the franchise in high regard. Every offshoot of the franchise has a loyal following, from Next Generation to Deep Space Nine; fans love Star Trek.
When J.J. Abrams took over the franchise in 2009, there was an excitement around how the director would lead the Enterprise into all new adventures, and he delivered in the best way possible.
Abrams managed to marry the nostalgia of the original TV show and films with an all-new cast and updated feel.
Abrams hit it out of the park with “Star Trek,” and it’s now hard to hear “reboot” without thinking about Kirk, Spock and the U.S.S. Enterprise.
James Bond has graced the silver screen 23 times, and it doesn’t look like he plans on stopping any time soon.
The Bond series started feeling stale and worn in the late 1990s and early 2000s. While many fans liked Pierce Brosnan as Bond, most agreed that his later films like “The World is Not Enough” and “Die Another Day” totally missed the mark.
Most of the excitement and anticipation for a new Bond film seemed to be non- existent, but all of that changed with 2006’s “Casino Royale.”
The reboot to the Bond franchise gave us a new Bond, the likes we’d never seen before, and gave us an origin story of the world’s favorite spy. “Casino Royale” managed to get old fans interested once again and gain new fans across the globe.
It’s likely everyone saw this one coming, but “Batman Begins” definitely deserves a place on this list.
Tim Burton’s “Batman” showed people that comic book movies had more to offer than just some explosions and corny lines, but things seemed to go downhill from there.
Burton’s follow-up, “Batman Returns,” polarized audiences, and then “Batman Forever” started to move into silly and absurd territory. Then, we got “Batman and Robin.” OK, I just blacked out for a minute thinking about Mr. Freeze and “Bat-Skates.”
Anyway, following the travesty that was “Batman and Robin,” many didn’t know if we could ever wake up from that Batman nightmare. Then in 2005, a hero rose to return Batman to his former glory. That hero was Christopher Nolan.
Nolan’s “Batman Begins” was intriguing, beautiful, mesmerizing and entertaining. The reboot showed us that superhero films could actually be Oscar-caliber films and we have been grateful ever since.
“Batman Begins” stunned audiences and critics alike and still stands as one of the all-time greatest comic-book movies.
The exceptional “The Dark Knight” and the big budget “The Dark Knight Rises” often overshadow “Batman Begins,” but the first film in the series is what reminded us that the Caped Crusader is one of the greatest comic-book characters of all time.
What are you favorite reboots? Do you plan on checking out “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”? Let us know on the comment boards or on Facebook.
