3. Thou Shalt Modernize, But Be Wise
Two films that succeeded in being excellent remakes, and coincidentally they both shared the same lead actor in the original versions, were Ocean's Eleven and The Manchurian Candidate. Both films, previous starring vehicles for Frank Sinatra, existed in a time period that is completely different than the era in which they were remade. In both cases, the era of production heavily influenced the thematic elements of their respective films and represented fears and elations of the day. What Ocean and Manchurian got right though was the fact that they mapped the core thematic elements of both films to modern day analogs. In particular, Manchurian Candidate took a tale of political brainwashing during wartime and crafted a sinister subplot involving political ties to special interest groups/corporate interests. Those issues weren't exactly present in the popular culture of the 60's, but were relevant to the era in which they were remade. While in the case of Ocean's Eleven, the film maintained the charm and levity of the original film, but replaced the "war buddy" camaraderie of The Rat Pack for the "Honor Among Theves" bonhomie of the Clooney set. Still, no matter how modern or diversified the new crew was, the film was still a breezy casino heist that doubled as a love letter to that glittering city in the sand. These methods enhanced, and enriched, both of these stellar re-imaginings. I'd like to think that if he were around to see them, Sinatra himself would approve.