10 Movie Prequels That Are Actually Good

You hear a beloved film is getting a prequel, and you inevitably groan. (See: Oz the Great and Powerful.) But not all origin stories are bad: Time rounds up 10 that are actually quite satisfying:

• Star Trek: Longtime fans were likely "delightfully astonished and even shocked by JJ Abrams' franchise reboot," writes Gary Susman. It's "that rare prequel that’s reverent enough to the source material to please some of the nitpickiest fans in the galaxy—and irreverent enough to risk their ire with some shocking deviations."
• Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me proved that, though there wasn't much left to tell after Laura Palmer's murder was solved, there was certainly "plenty to tell in the story of the weeks leading up to poor Laura’s demise." Fans may not have embraced it, but ultimately it showed us what Laura was really like and gave us some much-needed closure.

• Planet of the Apes: Rise of the Planet of the Apes is even more satisfying than the original franchise, "because it offers [an explanation] that ties directly into the anxieties of our time, from our apparent epidemic of Alzheimer’s to our qualms over the ethical dilemmas of pharmaceutical research."
• The Godfather: The second film in the series "adds surprising depth" to an already perfect film. "As it turns out, there was still more insight into the character of Michael Corleone" yet to be had.

Click for the complete list. (More Star Trek stories.)