Yeah, theres been a lot written about how everything in Hollywood these days are re-makes and sequels. Nothings original anymore, people say. And theyre right. However, the bastardization of previous hits is nothing new to the industrycase in point, its often said that Ben Hur is an example of a good remake, but the movie Ben Hur was remaking was ironically itself a remake of an even earlier one. Even when Brendan Fraser made it big with the charming Mummy do-over in 1999, that had already been remade at least once before and had almost a half-dozen sequels to the original film before 1950. Hollywood churns out so many films each year that, simply based on the staggering amount of output, theres an abundance of great examples of remakes done right. It just takes a 10:1 ratio to get these occasional gems.
Twelve Remakes That Dont Suck
The Fly (1986)
David Cronenbergs masterpiece is still upheld as one of the best examples of a remake done right, and for good reason. Taking the basic premise from the original 1958 film, Cronenberg turned this into something totally different, giving it a highly personal twist and taking it to gruesome, operatic territory that Vincent Prices wildest nightmares could never have even begun to imagine.
Ben Hur (1959)
Remaking the 1925 feature (which had already been done as a short in 1907),
Charlton Heston gave a rousing, charismatic performance that cemented him as a square-jawed larger than life hero. The fact that this was the most expensive and spectacular motion picture ever made at that point certainly didnt hurt as well.
A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
Sergio Leone announced himself to the world when he completely re-invented the western genre with this violent and gritty interpretation of the harsh frontier land. He also completely ripped off
Akira Kurosawa. In 1961, Kurosawa made
Yojimbo, a now-classic film about a wandering, cynical samurai who drifts into a desolate town where competing gangs are warring and slowly manipulates them into hiring him to kill them all.
Sergio Leone neglected to ask Kurosawa for permissionwhich eventually led to him being sued.
Scarface (1983)
To be honest, this was never a favorite of mine, yet one cannot marvel at how director
Brian DePalma floats his camera through the compelling tale of a Cuban immigrants rise to riches amidst the cocaine trade of the 1980s. The film falls apart in its second half, but its a remarkable modern interpretation of
Howard Hawkes prohibition-era original from 1933.
The Thing (1982)
Back when
John Carpenter still made good movies, he realized that 1954s Cold War allegory
The Thing From Another World would transpose well to a modern retelling. He was right. In the hands of another director it would have devolved into lots of monsters and special effectsand the film does indeed have them in spadesbut what makes Carpenters remake one of the best horror films of all time is his subtle hand and the way he slowly winds tension tighter and tighter. Like
Alien a few years before, its what you dont see thats much more frightening, and the terrific characters that are front and center are the key to reeling the audience in.
Solaris (2002)
A lot of people dont like this film; they probably wouldnt like the original either. But a lot of Tarkovsky fans hate this too. Yes, its sort of like remaking
2001 in that you could never match the original. But in my view, this is not an attempt to match or surpass the original, but merely to tell it in a different way. It is absolutely visually striking, and the hypnotic rhythm, fascinating ideas, and provoking characters are transferred over faithfully from Tarkovskys 1972 original. At a lean 90 minutes, it may seem a bit quick-paced when considering the excruciating slowness the original proceeded withand indeed, the film moves rather swiftly. But its purely due to the economics of storytelling, not due to editorial cutting or action cues. In my opinion, Steven Soderbergh captures the dreamy surrealism and frightening fantasy at the heart of the original tale in a much more memorable way. Its a shame this beautiful and provocative film gets so much flak.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
When it was announced that a music video director was remaking
George Romeros 1978 landmark, fans went ballistic. I was one of them. Especially after the rash of unnecessary and bad horror remakes that were being churned out at the time, this seemed to be the worst idea in the history of bad ideas. But to director
Zack Synders credit, pretty much everyone ate their words. No, its not quite as good as the original, but this still is an exciting, action-packed re-interpretation of the film that is actually at its best when it deviates the furthest from its source.
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Cecil B DeMilles silent version was a great spectacle when it came out in 1923, filled with hundreds of extras, enormous sets and the hefty gauntlet of the Bibles most extraordinary chapter. When DeMille set out to remake it in 1956, all eyes were on him to see if the aging master could live up to the epics of his golden eraand with a budget of $13 million and the momentous presence of Charlton Heston, he did just that. This may be Hestons best and most memorable film, as he steals the thunder from the sets, the effects, and yes, even God himself. Grounded at the heart of this classic is a larger-than-life hero that only has one actor in history fit for the part.
The Ring (2002)
In what is probably the only example where an American remake was scarier than the Japanese original (
Ringu), this was a creepy, enticing film of suspense that kept audiences hanging on till the startling end. A great way of building mythology around modern technology (though by now, with its VHS tapes, its already dated), this was a clever and well-plotted little mystery.
War of the Worlds (2005)
Technically, this is an adaptation of a novel, not a remake of a movie. However, Spielberg takes his plot mainly from the 1953 film version, which set the invasion in California. Here, Spielberg gives an apocalyptic take on the story, using it as a smart and provocative political allegory. The film is thematically dark, visually impressive, and edge-of-your-seat thrillingI know the film has its critics, but I personally do not get it; I think this is one of Spielbergs best.
The Departed (2006)
Martin Scorsese probably wasnt the first name people would have associated with a remake of the Hong Kong potboiler
Infernal Affairs, but he gives the story of an undercover mob mole a great personal touch and a surprising energy that handed himself a well-deserved first Oscar and the rest of the world a first-rate crime drama.
Fist of Legend (1994)
Jet Li made a bold and potentially lethal statement about himself when he decided to remake Bruce Lees 1972
Fist of Fury (aka
Chinese Connection). While everyone wants to make the claim of being the next Bruce Lee, Jet Li managed to succeed in making an entertaining, action-packed update of Lees original. Showcasing Jet Li at his best, the film probably is better than the crude original, no offense to Lee fans.
When TV Repeats Itself Right Sometimes, repeating a previously-successful TV series can be a good thing. The big-screen leaps of
The Fugitive (1993) and
Mission Impossible (1996) were tense, thrilling films, superbly made. British mini-series
Traffik became a minor hit with Steven Soderbergh at the helm a decade later in 2000, and the UKs
The Office thankfully translated well (some argue even better) when it jumped ashore to the USA shortly after its 2001 debut. On the small screen, overshadowed by the
X-Files, the updated
Outer Limits series of the mid-90s was a worthy successor to the 1960s original that was frequently a much better show, and easily gave its bigger-budget paranormal competitor a run for its money. Of course, the biggest success story of all time is
Battlestar Galactica.
Who would have thought that a tacky and horribly scripted, though perhaps charming (to its fans), 1970s
Star Wars rip-off (Lucas sued them) could three decades later turn into what is, in my opinion, the best television series ever made? Certainly not me, thats for sure. This is easily one of the great science fiction works of all time, in any medium, and it still astounds me to consider how awful its roots are.
Remakes That Should Have Been Good, but Sucked
King Kong (2005)
What happened here? Success went to
Peter Jacksons head. One could see this in
Return of the King and its never-ending endings and constant slow-motion shots of people crying. But that was practically restraint compared to the indulgence of
King Kong. Jackson seemed perfectly suited to the material, especially as an enthusiast of Merian C. Coopers still-breathtaking 1933 original. But when a fanboy gets an unlimited budget, an armful of Oscars and the reassurance that whatever he does will be brilliant, the result is this: a film thats an exciting and visually stunning update on the original that smartly carves out the Beauty and the Beast themes at the heart of the tale, but that gets overwhelmed by its own enthusiasm. Theres a good movie in there somewhere, probably when the film gets down to a running time of about 2 hours. Unfortunately, Jacksons second crack at it on home video was an extended version.
Planet of the Apes (2001)
Tim Burton seemed like a good candidate for a remake of the classic original, with his unique sensibilities sure to bring a dark and original spin on the quirky 1968 film. But not only did he produce a dull, plodding film without any ounce of heart (not to mention a totally idiotic ending), he also coined the marketing buzzword re-imagining to describe this mess, even though the only strict remake in history was Gus Van Sants 1998 experiment.
Island of Doctor Moreau (1996)
John Frankenheimers remake of countless other tellings of H.G Wells story should have been chilling: a man stranded on an island where a mad doctor has been conducting grotesque experiments mixing humans and animals. Add in Ron Perlman, Val Kilmer and Marlon Brando as the sinister doctor, and it sounded like an intriguing project. Instead we get this hammy, hokey mess that remains an embarrassment to all involved.
Remakes That Should Never Have Been Considered in the First Place
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Hey, lets get a music video director to do a glossy, super-gory version of the original with
Jessica Biel in the lead. Yeah, we dont care that the original cant really be improved upon in the fist place. And we also dont care to create suspense and build tension like the original did. While were at it, well forget that the original was good because of the rough, documentary quality and bloodless suspense and just go in the total opposite direction like every other teen horror movie in history.
Halloween (2007)
See above.
Psycho (1998)
Gus Van Sants experiment is certainly a strange one: a literal remake of
Psycho, re-creating every single angle, detail and shot from Hitchcocks 1960 original. Its certainly a first. Apparently, though, Van Sant forgot to ask himself the obvious question: whats the point?
Mr. Deeds (2002)
Im sure most fans of this movie have no idea that its a remake of the
Frank Capra-directed and
Jimmy Stewart-starring 1936 classic
Mr Deeds Goes to Town, a typical Capra feel-good fable that won the Oscar for Best Director. No doubt both of the aforementioned men rolled over in their graves when
Adam Sandler turned it intowell, an Adam Sandler comedy. And a
bad Adam Sandler comedy, at that.
House of Wax (2005)
Paris Hilton. Need I say more?
Remakes That Suck as Much as the Originals
The Nutty Professor (1996)
Okay, this film and the original have their fans. I suppose neither of them are awful, but to me if you cant come up with an original idea then at least steal from the
good comedies.
Flubber (1997)
Forgetful
Robin Williams remake of a dumb Disney movie from the 1960s about a bouncy blob of green goo. Yeah, its as funny as it sounds.
Poseidon (2007)
Okay, I have a soft spot for action spectacle. But this isnt guilty-pleasure action spectacle, its how much of my life have I just wasted action spectacle. The 1972 original sucked too, though, and shows that the hollow special effects blockbuster predates
Star Wars, despite what journalists today believe.
The Eye (2008)
Yeah, this American remake of the Japanese original stars Jessica Alba and totally blows. But you know what? The original absolutely sucked too, a cookie-cutter Japanese supernatural thriller in the vein of
Ju-on and
Ringu but without any of the scares or originality of those films.
Good Remakes That Arent Quite Remakes But Sort of Are
Evil Dead II (1987)
Is it a remake or a sequel? Fans have long pondered this. The film does not link up to the cliffhanger ending of the originalinstead it starts the story over. That should signal it as a remake, but its also weird the way its called
Evil Dead II. In truth, the film is both: originally, it was to open with a re-cap of the first
Evil Dead before proceeding to continue the story. However,
Sam Raimi couldnt get the rights to use the footage. Instead, he had to basically re-film it all over again, but he chose to simplify it as well (instead of a group of friends, it is merely one girlfriend). The moment where the film truly links up to the sequel portion comes when the POV camera rams into
Bruce Campbell and sends him hurtling through the woods.
Metropolis (2001)
Fritz Langs 1927 classic still stands as one of the most awe-inspiring films of all time, even after 80 years. This little-seen remake is an imaginative animated interpretation from the genius behind
Astroboy. Playing the material loosely (very loosely), this is a visually stunning and captivating tale of robots and humans living in a towering city in the distant future. However, the film is actually an adaptation of a Japanese manga that was based on
Metropolis, but not directly: mastermind Osamu Tezuka never actually saw Langs originalhe just liked the poster and used that visual as inspiration to make his own story.
THX 1138 (1971)
George Lucas made probably the most successful student film of all time in 1967 with
Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138: 4EB. He later used this as the basis for his first full-length directorial debut in 1971. But its less a remake and more an inspiration, since the short film didnt have any plot or characterit was simply a montage of a man running through corridors. Instead, Lucas used that visual reference as the basis for a story of a futuristic dystopia, culled from novelists Aldous Huxleys
Brave New World and George Orwells
1984.
Wizard of Oz (1939)
While the classic film is based on the series of childrens books by L. Frank Baum, those books themselves had already been portrayed a few times before, none of which are very faithful (or good). The earliest is 1910s
The Wizard of Oz, featuring Dorothy on the Kansas farm with men dressed up in donkey suits like you think of in vaudeville acts (one man for the back end and one man for the front end). A few more shorts came in 1914, with 1925s feature-length version nearly being a slapstick comedy.
About Schmidt (2002)
Most people dont realize that this is a loose remake of
Ingmar Bergmans 1957 breakthrough
Wild Strawberries. Sure, theres no weird dream sequences, and
Schmidt is certainly a lot warmer and features a topless Kathy Bates. But both films are about an aging protagonist facing retirement, forcing him to reflect on his life; realizing it is empty and meaningless, he gets in his car and embarks on a road trip to re-discover himself. Both films are excellent character pieces, although Bergmans is expectedly steeped in symbolism.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Is this film a rip-off of a late-80s Hong Kong crime drama? A lot of people seem to think so. Tarantino denied that it was a remake of
City on Fire, but admitted that film was also one of his favorites. The 1987 thriller, starring
Chow Yun-Fat, was about an undercover cop who slowly infiltrates a crime gang, as their jewel heist goes wrong. However, similarities end there, and both films are totally different entities, with different plotsand even that base similarity is a fairly general one. However,
Reservoir Dogs definitely owes the greater part of its existence to
City on Fire, even if its not a remake per se
Star Wars (1977)
A lot people also seem to think that
Star Wars is a remake of Akira Kurosawas 1957 adventure fable
The Hidden Fortress. The answer is both no and yes. No because the two films are entirely different and have only a few, general similarities. But yes because there are indeed similarities, and its no coincidenceLucas first 1973 treatment was a flat-out remake of Kurosawas film. He abandoned trying to remake it however, and, over the next three years and four screenplay drafts, slowly evolved it into a unique entity, which is why it is more apt to say it is inspired by
Hidden Fortress, rather than a remake of it. 1999s
Phantom Menace is actually a much closer adaptation than the 1977 original.
Hidden Fortress (1957)
However, most people dont realize that
Hidden Fortress itself is partially based on another film! One of Kurosawas earliest films was from 1945, called
They Who Tread the Tiger's Tail (among many other translations). It was about a medieval Lord escaping through enemy territory with his bodyguards. The film is only an hour long, and from this basic plotline, Kurosawa redid it ten years later with the scope and scale he always envisioned now that he was Japans top director.
Guilty Pleasures
One Million Years B.C. (1967)
This was one of the cinematic staples of my childhood. Yes, it has 60s sex symbol
Raquel Welch in a bikini for most of it, but it has something more interesting to pre-adolescent boys: dinosaurs! Not just regular ones, thoughthese ones are conjured up and animated by the only special effects auteur in history,
Ray Harryhausen. The film was originally a caveman drama from 1940 called
One Million B.C.there, hairy white guys in leopard-skin cloths fought each other and occasionally a giant iguana. Harryhausen (controversially) kept the giant iguana, but in the 1967 version the film becomes a special effects fantasy filled with encounters with great prehistoric beasts, as tyrannosaurus rexs and triceratops battle each other to the death and rip human beings out of trees in a ridiculous historical anachronism thats secondary to the imagination on display. Its pretty cheesy today, but even still the dinosaur sequences have an incredible excitement to them.
Night of the Living Dead (1990)
Tom Savini got some mixed feelings when he directed this in 1990. It wasnt just that he was re-making a horror classiche was a special effects technician known for his over-the-top gore, and many felt not only would he not know how to direct, but that none of the suspense would be retained, that it would just be a special effects demo reel. Thankfully, this is a fun second look at the story of Romeros original. Aside from the novelty of being in color, the film indeed featured impressive make-up and gore effects, but it still managed a few scares and is generally faithful to the original film with its human drama. In fact, Savinis unique final act is in some ways a more interesting one that stays true to the thematic undertone of Romeros trilogy (minus the racial allegory of the originals endingan allegory that Romero insists is unintentional).
Godzilla (1985 and 1998)
Go ahead and laugh at me, but personally, Ive always felt that the Roland Emmerich-Dean Devlin
Godzilla blockbuster was an absolute blast. It was exciting and fantastic and had some amazing special effects. Yeah, the characters were a bit thin, but I felt that Hank Azaria and Jean Reno brought great personality to the film, and Matthew Broderick had an appropriate level of cheesy earnestness for the role. Its a comic book on film. I meandid people expectgood acting or something? Honestly. Its a Godzilla flick. Its about a 200 storey dinosaur destroying city landmarks. What were people expecting? If you turn off your brain and just enjoy the spectacle this is a fun and entertaining little popcorn movie that is easily better than anything Michael Bay has ever done. The 1985 remake was no less entertaining as well. Dated today, it still has that same fun charm that the 1998 Hollywood version does, and as a true sequel to the original (well, the American edit of the original), it brings back Raymond Burr and finally kills the monster for good. True, the original 1954
Gojira was a somber and serious allegory about the atomic bombing of Japan; I would
love to see this more sophisticated approach taken again. However, the legacy of Godzilla comes from its slew of sequels, with men in rubber suits beating the crap out of each other on miniature sets of cardboard buildings. This is easily one of the better capturings of that sort of filmmaking.
Remakes You Might Not Have Known AboutMagnificent Seven (1960): Actually a remake of Kurosawas
Seven Samurai.
Basic (2003): The John McTiernan-directed thriller starring Sam Jackson and John Travolta is actually a loose remake of Kurosawas
Rashomon.
Ladykillers (2003): The Cohen brothers film starring Tom Hanks was originally made in 1955 with Alec Guiness and Peter Sellers.
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962): Old-timey naval drama was famously made in 1935 with Clarke Gable in Marlon Brandos role. It was remade afterwards with Mel Gibson in the lead.
Man on Fire (2004): Denzel Washington revenge flick was originally made in 1987.
Evil Dead (1981): Cult film was originally a 1978 short called
Within the Woods, made by Sam Raimi and his buddies. Resembles students making movies in the backyard, which is pretty much what it was.
Breathless (1983): Jean-Luc Goddards medium-defining 1960 masterpiece was remade with Richard Gere in 1983. Quickly written off, its slowly becoming a cult film.
Insomnia (2002): Disappointing Chris Nolan film is a remake of a really good Swedish film of the same name from 1997.
The Lost Battalion (2001): This little-seen (but terrific) TV movie from A&E about WWI actually was first told not long after the historic events actually happenedin 1919!
Meet Joe Black (1998): Brad Pitt film was actually made in 1935, where it was called
Death Takes a Holiday.
Vanilla Sky (2001): Tom Cruise film was originally a much better movie from Spain called
Open Your Eyeswith Penelope Cruz in both versions.
The Killing Hour (aka
The Clairvoyant) (1982): Giallo-like mystery B-film is loosely based on Irvin Kershners 1978 Faye Dunaway thriller
Eyes of Laura Mars. Or maybe I just count this one as a rip-off.
Meet the Parents (2000): Ben Stiller-Robert DeNiro comedy was originally made in 1992 to little success. Anymore remakes I have forgotten about, do let us know!