1. Batman Begins (2005)
The film that started the modern reboot craze, Christopher Nolan's exceptional retelling of the Batman origin,
Batman Begins had a monumental task as it hit theaters back in 2005. The last Batman film was 1997's disastrous
Batman & Robin, which not only destroyed the Caped Crusader's credibility in Hollywood, but also comic book films in general (let's also take a moment to marvel at how George Clooney was able to turn his career around after a film that almost certainly should have ended him).
Looking to undo the horrors of Joel Schumacher, Warner Bros. turned to relative unknown director Christopher Nolan and unknown star Christian Bale to bring the character back. Showing trust in the filmmaker's vision, WB gave Nolan and his team complete control over the project and we know what the results were. Revolutionizing the superhero genre, Nolan set his take in the real world, striving to make
Batman Begins feel as realistic as possible. What was once thought to be nothing more than entertaining fluff, comic book movies were now transformed into thoughtful character dramas. Giving audiences a psychological examination of Bruce Wayne and exploring the reasons
why he became Batman, Nolan delivered one of the finest superhero origin stories ever put to film. With a smart screenplay that dealt with themes such as fear and justice,
Batman Begins became the gold standard for all superhero adaptations (before its sequel came out, of course). The darker, grittier tone was perfect for the new interpretation as Bruce is a very disturbed individual who had to overcome severe trauma. Bale's portrayal of the character gave Mr. Wayne depth we had not seen on screen before. A supporting cast highlighted by Oscar-caliber actors such as Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Liam Neeson helped make this film special. Caine's Alfred and Freeman's Lucius Fox gave the movie some nice moments of levity while Neeson's Ra's al Ghul provided the story with an threatening villain that fit in perfectly with the story Nolan was trying to tell. The two sequels,
The Dark Knight and
The Dark Knight Rises, solidified the trilogy as one of the most iconic franchises. With a strong critical reception (85%, 94%, and 87% on Rotten Tomatoes for the three installments) and overwhelming box office numbers (the trilogy grossed a combined $2.5 billion worldwide), the series will live in Hollywood legend for decades to come. Whoever decides to make the next Batman film has his/her work cut out for them, as it will be nearly impossible to top Nolan's work.
What are your favorite movie reboots? Any that I may have missed? Sound off in the comments below!