8 Lazy Movies That Were Just Copying Better Films

5. Martin Scorsese Remakes Goodfellas - Casino

Casino is probably the best film to appear on this list. Stylish in both direction and look, it tells a personal story that runs alongside the much bigger backdrop of mob-ran Las Vegas. It's the usual rise and fall gangster story that Martin Scorcese does so well. However, if you found yourself feeling like you'd seen it before, don't worry; from it's snappy one-line voiceover opening leading into narrated flashback through to the final shot of an out-of-the-big leagues hero it's essentially identical to the director's earlier Goodfellas.

Joe Pesci is an easy to anger psycho, De Niro plays a mash-up of Henry Hill and Jimmy Conway, the camera sweeps along with the characters for long shots, heck, the first half of the film seems to be out to trick you into loving the gangster lifestyle; it's all good stuff, but original it ain't. Even on a micro levels things are similar - there's jokes about how incompetent the feds are and the semi-remorseful ending is tonally identical in both. We know Scorcese can do twists on his own style - The Wolf Of Wall Street used a lot of similar tropes to Goodfellas, yet managed to feel decidedly unique - so for Casino to steer so close to what he's done before is a little strange.