10 More Movie Remakes Better Than The Original

Remakes are more relevant than ever it seems right now in the cinematic industry, even while proving to be an incredibly difficult line to walk. Reproducing or rebooting an old movie often happens should the original have enjoyed some success initially, which in itself gives filmmakers a mountain to climb from the very start.

No one ever expects a remake to be as good as the original; in fact, it's quite the opposite. There is generally a certain amount of disdain for studios retreading old ground in such a way rather than exploring new ideas and original stories. However, not every one of these is bad, as some go above and beyond that from which they are based.

There could be any number of reasons for this, from details like casting or timing, to a new take being better in just about every aspect. Sometimes the original was that bad, sometimes the new version is that good, and sometimes things sit somewhere in between.

For the purpose of this list, the term "remake" will cover complete remakes, loose adaptations, reboots, and everything in between. The point being, an already established property has been taken and made better than before.

Judge Dredd feels akin to the Fantastic Four in that both are incredibly popular comic book properties, but have struggled to make a franchise work on the big screen. Twice Dredd has been adapted to live-action, and though each has its own cult-like following of fans, neither was a commercial success at the box office.

In 1995, Sylvester Stallone brought the titular character to life in Danny Cannon's Judge Dredd, and it's not a bad film by any stretch. However, it relies on the star power of Stallone a little too much, to the point that the character removed his helmet essentially to get Sly's face on screen. Fans of the character will tell you that this is a big no-no.

When Pete Travis brought the character to life 17 years later, Karl Urban was cast in the titular role in a post-Dark Knight world where comic book movies outside the MCU were generally becoming darker, grittier, and more grounded.

Aside from Urban's outstanding performance, and the fact that his helmet stayed on, Dredd benefitted from this greatly. A film on a smaller scale, focused more on characters and story rather than the overall grand scope of Mega-City One and Sylvester Stallone's face as it had been before, allowed for a much tighter, more compelling watch.