The best film reboots of all time

Creativity and imagination are often required to breathe fresh life into old material

shot of Daniel Craig in his first Bond movie. he is dressed in a tuxedo and is pointing a gun to the side of the camera lens
A new, exciting Bond era began with Daniel Craig in 'Casino Royale'
(Image credit: Greg Williams / Handout / Getty Images)

In the complicated terminology of Hollywood, a reboot is a film that sets aside some or all of a series' or franchise's previous timelines, ideas or characters while still preserving the core narrative. That excludes pure remakes and leaves the reboot distinct from sequels that begin where a previous entry left off. The very best reboots, like the ones below, remind audiences of what they love about a story, without sacrificing originality.

'Batman Begins' (2005)

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David Faris

David Faris is an associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University and the author of It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics. He is a frequent contributor to Informed Comment, and his work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and Indy Week.