After 15 Years, This Is Still the Best Modern Reboot of a Classic Sci-fi Franchise, And the Sequels Are Even Better

A common criticism lobbed at Hollywood these days is that there are far too many reboots, remakes, and sequels, with the majority of them not able to live up to what the original delivered. While that can be true in a lot of ways, there are a handful that manage to surpass expectations and become something truly special. They are just as good, if not better, than what came before it; they reignite interest in the franchise, and they introduce a whole new audience to the series. That was the case 15 years ago when, in 2011, a legendary sci-fi movie from 1968 got rebooted with an intriguing new take on the story, and this film was so good that it could be considered the best sci-fi reboot ever released. It holds up incredibly well, and the fantastic sequels that followed were somehow even better than this acclaimed 2011 project.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes breathed new life into the Planet of the Apes franchise. The original from 1968 is an all-time classic that sees a world where apes are the dominant species and humans are primitives. This 2011 reboot told an origin story that set up how that kind of world comes to be, and it kickstarted one of the best modern trilogies, regardless of genre.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes Is A Near-Perfect Sci-Fi Reboot

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (directed by Rupert Wyatt) did several things to separate itself from 1968’s Planet of the Apes. For starters, it takes place in modern-day San Francisco while the original was set centuries in the future in the year 3978. This made the story more relatable, which is always a good thing. It also changed the cause of the ape uprising, but the real element that makes Rise of the Planet of the Apes so great is how the perspective shifted from the original.

This time around, the story is mostly told from the perspective of an ape named Caesar, played by Andy Serkis via motion capture technology and CGI. The visual effects were breathtaking and led to Rise of the Planet of the Apes landing an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. Caesar’s story sees him, a genetically enhanced chimp, get raised by a chemist (James Franco) until the horrors and cruelty of humanity turn him into the leader of an ape uprising. The reboot using Caesar as the sympathetic protagonist was a stroke of genius.

Typically, the audience will root for humans in a story like this, but Caesar created new layers for moviegoers to contend with; we root for him even though his rise to power means bad things for humans. It’s just one of the many reasons why this critically acclaimed reboot is so perfect: it doesn’t just redo what we saw in the ’60s, but instead does something new and creative, while remaining true to the core idea of the series.

The Sequels Made For An Incredible Sci-Fi Trilogy

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a commercial hit as well as a critical one, leading to sequels that ended up being even better than the first film. The Batman director Matt Reeves took over the franchise with the 2014 sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which is truly a special movie. It picks up a decade after the events of Rise of the Planet of the Apes and changes everything, as a deadly pandemic has lessened the human population and the apes are now the dominant species.

The sequel is truly Caesar’s story as he deals with turmoil, politics, and distrust, while his ape community grows and a war with humans looms. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is widely viewed as the best entry in the franchise, holds a 91% Rotten Tomatoes rating, and scored another Oscar nomination. Reeves returned for the third entry in the trilogy, War for the Planet of the Apes, which gives us the actual final battle between mankind and apes, and is an outstanding conclusion that wraps up Caesar’s story.

With Caesar’s tale wrapped up, it looked like the franchise was done again, but Apes returned in 2024. Though it wasn’t nearly as big a hit as Caesar’s trilogy and it takes place generations later, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was another worthy installment that was a hit with critics, earning a modest $397 million at the box office.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes Saved A Dying Franchise

On top of being a stellar reboot on its own and leading to a great new batch of movies, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was also incredible for how it revived the franchise. While the 1968 original is indeed held in high esteem, the sequels from that era were much more of a mixed bag. Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, and Battle for the Planet of the Apes all received lackluster reviews from critics.

There was also an attempt to bring the series back in 2001 with Planet of the Apes directed by Tim Burton, yet it also received a mixed reception. The franchise had gone decades without having a truly great installment until Rise of the Planet of the Apes. It saved a series that people had lost interest in, and now, new entries are still in the works.

You can stream the Rise of the Planet of the Apes trilogy on Disney+.

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