10 Movies You Were Shocked To See Didn’t Totally Suck

9. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

Interest was muted at best when a new Planet of the Apes prequel movie was announced, especially once it was confirmed to be starring James Franco, who just seemed like an awkward fit for the material, immediately reminding everyone of Tim Burton's shambolic Mark Wahlberg-starring 2001 remake.

But the real star of Rise of the Planet of the Apes was actually Andy Serkis, whose performance capture work as ape leader Caesar lent the film an uncommonly authentic dimension with regard to its animal characters.

Combined with a strong animal rights message and unexpectedly poignant tone, this allowed Apes to be as much about its characters as its strong set-pieces, and even Franco's casting turned out pretty solid in the end.

The film's success led to two superior sequels, proving that not all long-in-the-tooth movie franchises are beyond saving (looking at you, Terminator).