Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

If any one kind of film can be used to define movies since 2000, it's the re-boot. The countless franchises that have been re-imagined, re-considered, re-packaged, and re-launched is starting to get ridiculous, but then one of them turns out as amazingly smart as Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The fact that it's given rise to a new series of films in the line that are far better than the Tim Burton attempt is a good sign, too! Technically a prequel to the 1960s and 70s films, the story tells of a researcher obsessed with curing long-term mental degradation, coupled with a powerful form of the flu, turns the world upside down. It's an amazingly humane start to a series that is often called out for its violence. John Lithgowe, often overlooked for his fine genre performances, is solid, and a just-pre-superstardom James Franco hits it out of the park. Plus, there's the kid who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, bein' a bad guy. Why it's on the list: It's a strong movie, with great effects, and a message that's not hard to miss, but also doesn't beat its chest about it.