The past decade, one that’s mercifully coming to a close, has felt like a blur at times. Maybe we can chalk some of that up to pop culture, because a lot of the movies and TV shows we’ve been entertaining ourselves with have been rehashes of old, existing franchises. And some of those have been better than others.
The 2010s continued the 21st century’s reputation as the Reboot Era, because a lot of old intellectual properties (ones that studios really hoped audiences were nostalgic for) got taken out of the basement for a spit-shine and a do-over. A lot of the time, this was a bad idea (see: Power Rangers, The Dark Universe, the Charlie’s Angels movie and 2011 TV series). But, in a few instances, rebooting actually brought out the best in an old IP.
A quick note about what counts as a reboot before we begin: A reboot is not just a remake. There has to be some sort of franchise element, because the idea is that the movie or show is starting over, not just repeating the original. On that note, there must also be a retconning aspect to the reboot, meaning it changes or transforms the original work. Sequels, even much-delayed or loose sequels like Mad Max: Fury Road, don’t count. Finally, we’re going to rule out any adaptations, because otherwise this list would likely be dominated by the Marvel Cinematic Universe or other comic book franchises. Spider-Man: Homecoming wasn’t a reboot of the Amazing Spider-Man series so much as it was another stab at the comic source material. Same with Into the Spider-Verse and Riverdale, which both would have graced this list otherwise.
Planet of the Apes (2011)
One of the first successful reboots of the decade started the story of humanity’s downfall, which in retrospect, feels right. The three Planet of the Apes movies—Rise, Dawn, and War—didn’t offer much in terms of memorable human characters, but Andy Serkis’s Caesar is much more than an incredible special effect. As the series progresses, we see Caesar evolve and lose his innocence. We’re rooting for him and against ourselves. If the original film’s twist ending was an all-time shocker (it was Earth all along!), the rebooted series is a gradual, painful look at the inevitable.