10 Best Film Remakes Of All Time
6. Ocean's Eleven (2001)
The classic Ocean’s heist movies have their origins in a gas station in 1958, where director Gilbert Kay was pitched the idea by an attendant. Gilbert later told the concept to actor Peter Lawford, who shared the idea with his close friend Frank Sinatra, and the movie was a go.
Both films feature Danny Ocean planning a heist from popular Las Vegas casinos, but the 1960 original ends with the group losing their money after stuffing the money into a coffin which ends up being cremated.
The 2001 remake takes a more complex look at the story, framing it as a vengeful act against the casino owner, and makes the heist a lot more tense as a result as the two sides covertly battle to ensure everything goes as planned.
Critics preferred the remake for its style and wit, where the original was slammed for making the heist “too easy” and not condemning the criminal actions of the characters enough. And when a heist is “too easy”, where’s the fun?