10 Potentially Awful 2014 Movies That Turned Out Great

7. Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

Why it could have been awful: While Rise of the Planet of the Apes certainly managed to alleviate the bitter taste left in people's mouths after the atrocious Tim Burton remake of Planet Of The Apes in 2001, it nevertheless fell short of being anything quite like the original movie. Just as the earlier sequels went downhill so too was there expectation for Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes - directed by a relative unknown - to suffer from sequelitis. Why it's great: Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes offered a significant improvement on Rupert Wyatt's previous movie and took it in a more serious and thoughtful direction than before. Visually it took the capabilities of motion capture-driven computer graphics in new directions, with the effects beautifully integrated into the live action environments. Ultimately, however, it was the emotional core - so often lacking in popcorn blockbusters - which elevated it to great heights.