Lately it seems like everywhere you look Hollywood is trying to capitalize on the success of franchises that were once popular. With recent attempts at buoying the Terminator, Alien, and Ghostbuster franchises from obscurity, it's not always an easy task, and why some reboots haven't scored very high on Rotten Tomatoes. Reboots can't simply be remakes - they have to re-imagine a franchise in an interesting way that's compelling for both fans of the old property as well as attract new ones.
While not everyone is a fan of reboots, when done correctly, they can be the force of innovative change necessary to help a franchise out of a creative rut. They can also bring fresh perspectives to material that may benefit from a more modern interpretation and structure. And finally, they can be vastly helpful to a franchise with the aid of the latest visual effects, and the most influential rising stars. Here are the 10 best reboot movie franchises of the last decade, according to their Rotten Tomatoes scores.
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) (97%)
The original director of the Mad Max trilogy returns for his own reboot in Mad Max: Fury Road, envisioning a post-apocalyptic future even more disturbing and dystopian than the '80s version with Mel Gibson. Featuring Tom Hardy as Max and Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa, they taken on Immortan Joe and his slaves to find freedom in the desert wastelands.
Inside the giant armored truck the War Rig, they race across the desert trying to outrun Joe and his gang of War Boys, kamikaze slaves who live for no other reason than to die in glorious battle. With compelling physical performances and dynamic visual effects, it's a worthy if not superior take on the original franchise.
CREED (2015) (95%)
Acting as the Rocky for a new generation, Creed features all the crucial moments of that famous sports drama with a few new updates to appeal to modern audiences. Michael B. Jordan stars as Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed, who dreams of one day following in his late father's footsteps as a boxer.
He enlists the help of the one and only Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) to help him train for a shot at a title, seeing a lot of the fire of Apollo in his son's moves. Every bit as emotionally uplifting as the original Rocky, this version also showcases the juxtaposition between the once-famous fighter relenting to the modern hero of the day.
WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (2017) (94%)
The third installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy, this conclusive capstone film features Caesar and his army of apes taking on a brutal human Colonel (Woody Harrelson) who will stop at nothing short of wiping their entire species out to preserve humanity.
The future of the planet and the fate of both human and ape rests with the outcome of the battle between these two great warriors. Caesar actively fights against his darker, primordial nature, but it may be the only thing that can save him and his kind.
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (2014) (90%)
Defined as more of a "soft reboot", X-Men: Days of Future Past brought together the best parts of the failing X-Men franchise. It combined the cast of Bryan Singer's early '00s X-Men films, along with the hot new cast of X-Men: First Class to open up a myriad of new and exciting timelines to choose from.
When X-Men: First Class was made, it smartly recast all the major leads save its most important one, Wolverine, which would remain in the capable claws of Hugh Jackman. It kept the same timeline and continuation of events however, simply with new faces. By the time the X-Men from the past need to help the X-Men of the future, the franchise was ready for the reboot treatment.
21 JUMP STREET (2012) (85%)
In this fresh reboot of the popular '80s television series starring Johnny Depp, Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill star as a pair of cops that have to go undercover at a high school top prevent the widespread distribution of a synthetic drug. They have to relive everything from first crushes to first calculus tests in this hilarious buddy cop movie.
The strength of the film's absurd premise and comedy falls on its two young leads, whose physical comedy and sight gags make it far funnier than it has a right to be. That they get their identities mixed up, and end up with personas very different from what they had in their real high school careers lets them demonstrate their range.
STAR TREK (2009) (94%)
One of the most popular franchise reboots of the last decade, Star Trek brought all the sense of fun and adventure from Star Trek: The Original Series and combined it with the latest in special effects and visual technology. J.J. Abrams showcased James T. Kirk and the crew in a way they'd never been seen before.
It's the maiden voyage of the USS Enterprise, and a young Kirk (Chris Pine) fresh out of Starfleet, along with an erudite Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) are set to go where no one has gone before. Standing in their path is Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan with a grudge against Earth. Kirk and Spock must get past their petty rivalry and work together if they're to become part of the famous crew they're meant to be.
SKYFALL (2012) (92%)
Daniel Craig's "James Blonde" reboot of the Bond franchise suffered a dip in popularity after Casino Royale with Quantum of Solace, but by the time Skyfall was released in 2012, Craig once again proved he had the screen presence to successfully carry the franchise.
This time it's personal, with the Bond villain (Javier Bardem) wanting to settle an old score against M (Judi Dench), and threatening to take down all of MI6 in the process. Luckily she's been able to relocate the agency after a number of failed missions, instructing Bond to work in secret to discover the machinations of her assailant.
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012) (87%)
The third installment in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises is the conclusive chapter to what has become known as one of the greatest superhero series of all time. Nolan redefined the genre with his reboot of the Batman franchise, and his template inspired several cape and cowl films to come.
When the supervillain Bane (Tom Hardy) threatens the city of Gotham, Batman (Christian Bale) will have to return from a long self-imposed exile to save it. Teaming up with unlikely ally cat-burglar called Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) and Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), he'll have to prove he's the Batman Gotham deserves if he's going to bring down the maniacal terrorist.
THE MUPPETS (2011) (95%)
For those fans of the zany Muppets and their madcap adventures, The Muppets reboot film offered a unique way for them to relive their childhood spent following the inane adventures of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and all the rest. It combines all the nostalgia from the Muppets franchise with the modern era.
With the comedic talents of Jason Segel and Amy Adams as some of the world's biggest Muppet fans, they work with all the kooky critters to raise the money needed to save Muppet Studios from being developed by a greedy oilman appropriately named Tex Richman (Chris Cooper). The Muppets even got their television show rebooted after the success of this movie.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT (2018) (97%)
Tom Cruise has proven two things in the last two decades with the Mission: Impossible franchise; that he's a mainstay in the action genre and that he isn't going to stop playing Ethan Hunt anytime soon. The sixth installment in the reboot of the popular television serial proves to be one of its most popular yet.
The IMF gang's all here, including a few new allies, trying to right the wrongs of a botched mission. Henry Cavill famously sported a Magnum-level mustache for his role tracking Hunt down, and fought Cruise in a famous bathroom brawl. Cruise once again does his own stunts to thrilling effect.
