10 Film Remakes That Are Better Than The Original

Why the original is not always the best.

By Gareth Hill /

Remakes get it bad. What's wrong with Hollywood, we cry? Are there no original stories out there any more? Just another example of the lazy regurgitation machine, we say.

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The truth is that remakes are as old as the film industry itself - the Great Train Robbery, film's first major example of narrative through moving pictures, was remade within a year of its release in 1903-04, for example. Nevertheless, the general perception is that if it's a remake, then by default, it'll be an inferior product.

Quite clearly, there are plenty of examples to call upon to support such a claim. The nagging thought when watching Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot Psycho remake, for instance, tends to be 'Why am I not just re-watching Hitchcock's original?'

The same can be said of the Russell Brand starring reboot of Arthur. And then there's Nicolas Cage's take on the horror flick, The Wicker Man - the horror being the realisation that you'll never get those two hours of your life back.

And yet, take a deeper look through the annals of film history and you'll find that there are plenty of remakes out there that DO work. That DO offer something new and, *sharp intake of breath*, are sometimes considerably better than the film upon which they have been based.

Such as these 10 films, for example...

10. Oceans 11 (1960 & 2001)

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The Original

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A glorification of everything to do with the Rat Pack, the story of a gang of WW2 buddies uniting to pull off a Las Vegas heist is the chance to indulge in watching Sinatra, Martin and pals indulging themselves on screen.

It’s stylish and dripping in swinger-era cool, but ultimately feels as though you are looking in on a party you weren’t really invited to.

The Remake

Bringing the concept up to date, Steven Soderbergh’s remake brings together another eclectic bunch of modern-day A listers, fronted by George Clooney (in the Sinatra role as Danny Ocean) and Brad Pitt.

With Matt Damon, Elliot Gould and a host of others in tow, the film taps into the too-cool-for-school vibe of the original while delivering some brilliant set-pieces, a killer soundtrack and a contrived but fun long-con with enough twists and laughs to ensure you’ll keep watching whenever it's on heavy rotation on TV.

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