Hollywood has a long history of reviving, rebooting or outright remaking old and beloved franchises in the hopes of cashing in on nostalgia. Although these films have a tendency to be rejected by the fan base, who often perceive them as soulless cash grabs, plenty live up to their potential. Films led by true fans of the original source material especially work their way into the hearts of the fans.
These movies have mixed success at the box office but the passion and love they inspire in the fans is strong. They prove that holding true to the spirit of a franchise and delivering on what viewers want can produce excellent stories. With no sign of letting up, Hollywood continues to churn out these franchise revivals on a regular basis. As much as some prove to be bad movies, it's worth remembering those that lived up to the hype.
10 Man Of Steel Was A Better Launching Pad For The DCEU Than Green Lantern
In 2011, DC attempted to get the ball rolling with its own shared universe to compete with Disney's MCU. Their initial attempt was in the immediately hated Green Lantern movie, which has gone down as one of the worst superhero films in cinematic history.
In 2013, Man of Steel returned Superman to the big screen with a fresh spin on the superhero and his history. Regardless of the fate of that DCEU, Man of Steel was an excellent sci-fi superhero action movie that delivered on the potential past movies failed to live up to.
9 Jumanji:Welcome To The Jungle Updated The Original Into A Fantastical Adventure Series
The first Jumanji movie starred Robin Williams and was one of the best adventure movies of the 1990s. Where the first film saw the world of the game spill out into reality, the reboot took a group of high school kids inside the world. There, they had to play the game to escape.
Jumanji's reboot gave fans a glimpse of the world of the game that had only been teased in the first movie. With Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson in the leading role alongside Kevin Hart, fans got a great comedy adventure film that was so good it landed a sequel.
8 Shaft (2019) United Three Generations Of The Family Of Detectives
The Shaft franchise was actually rebooted twice, first in 2001 and again in 2019 with the latter being the best. The 2001 movie loosely tied in with the earlier Richard Roundtree shows and movies, this time starring Samuel L. Jackson as the son of the original Harlem private detective.
Shaft 2019 united three generations of the Shaft family to deal with one, big case. It was a good modern update to the detective franchise that played on the family dynamic and generational differences that spanned 50 years. It had great comedy, solid action and made for the perfect reboot for its franchise.
7 Creed Reinvigorated The Rocky Franchise
The Rocky franchise started strong with its first four movies but suffered from a malaise from its fifth film. The sixth installment, Rocky Balboa, was a good follow-up that tried to undo V but something was still missing. In Creed, the franchise gained new life.
Creed, thanks to the presence of Sylvester Stallone's Rocky and acting talent of Michael B. Jordan, was a return to the spirit of the Rocky franchise. It followed son of original Rocky antagonist-turned-friend Apollo Creed, seeing him get trained by Balboa to become the champion his father was.
6 Hellraiser (2022) Ended A Long Line Of Bad Sequels
Despite being one of the best known horror franchises - led by the iconic Pinhead - the Hellraiser franchise has very few good entries. Too many of its sequels went in bad directions, strayed too far from the original idea or just didn't deliver on what fans wanted.
However, Hellraiser ended this streak of poor quality sequels. It picked up with a brand-new story and captured the eerie, intense tone the previous movies should have had. Where previous films felt campy or cheap, this reboot was truer to Clive Barker's vision for the series while also pleasing fans.
5 The Scooby-Doo "Mook Movies" Created A New Generation Of Fans
After a mixed decade in the 80s, Scooby-Doo's future was in doubt. However, the creation of the so-called "Mook movies," started by Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island, was a franchise rebirth. These films were made in such a way to bring in new kids while appealing to older fans.
With changes like making the monsters real, the Mook movies reset the franchise in a style that would be duplicated going forward. The four movies helped rebuild momentum for Scooby-Doo in the 1990s, ultimately paving the way for the 2002 live action movie, and What's New, Scooby-Doo?
4 Dune Did Frank Herbert's Novel Justice
After a campy yet iconic 80s interpretation of Frank Herbert's Dune, the franchise went through some turbulent times. An unsuccessful and low budget miniseries didn't help things, but fans never stopped voicing their desire for the story to be given the treatment it deserved.
Thanks to the modern state of CGI and special effects, Denis Villeneuve's Dune was able to deliver the high concept sci-fi fantasy of the book. The ensemble cast, brilliant effects and faithful adaptation made Dune one of the best modern reboots in cinema.
3 Dredd Mastered The Tone Of Its Source Material
Following Sylvester Stallone's campy Judge Dredd in 1995, the character fell into pop culture obscurity for almost two decades. In 2012's Dredd, Karl Urban stepped in as the hardened lawman of Mega City One, bringing a grittier version of the hero that was more true to the comics.
Dredd has gone on to earn a strong cult following, despite its flop at time of release. It owed its love from fans to the brilliant acting of Karl Urban coupled with the fast-paced and hard-hitting action style. The film captured the dystopian action that the likes of RoboCop 2014 failed to achieve.
2 Spider-Man: Homecoming Jump-Started The Sony Web-Slinger In The MCU
After the Andrew Garfield Amazing Spider-Man movies ended, rumors swirled that the New York superhero would show up in the MCU. 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming proved them correct. Tom Holland's Peter Parker was an immediate success and paved the way for a later crossover between the three live-action versions.
The MCU's Iron Man allowed for a new take on Peter's moral code, trading in Uncle Ben's advice for Tony's mentorship, something that worked out great. Spider-Man: Homecoming brought an updated look to one of the hero's classic villains and made a Spider-Man for a new generation.
1 Ghostbusters: Afterlife Tugged At The Heartstrings Of Fans
Following a universally panned 2016 reboot, Sony decided to return Ghostbusters to its older continuity. In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the franchise started anew in a passing of the torch story for new characters. The reboot picked up thirty years after the first film and tied in with its events.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife was the perfect combination of a beloved franchise with the same 80s nostalgia content that fueled Netflix's Stranger Things. It respected the original story and characters and handled its evolution as a franchise beautifully.