Has anyone seen a good movie remake ?

Question

Has Hollywood run out of ideas for films..Every 6 months or so a remake comes out .Posiedon,The Omen,Starsky and Hutch and now The Wicker Man ..what ever happen to originality ..

Answer 1

I don't think I have ever seen a remake which was better than the original. Seems like they spend three times the money and use half the thought and end up with something not nearly as enjoyable. Half the time they're doing word for word remakes - and what's the point in that?

I disagree with whoever thought the new Italian Job was better than the original and Ocean's 11 was a pretty poor movie in either incarnation.

Answer 2

I agree I wish these producers would stop taking the easy options and remaking classics and/or successful popular films just to make a quick buck.

There are many remakes that are actually quite good but not better than the original eg The Italian Job, King Kong. The only remake I can think of which is better than the original is the Ocean 11. The original had a great cast (as did the remake) but was too long and the buildup to the heist was v.slow).

Answer 3

Not recently, no. But years back, the film "The Razor's Edge" based on W. Somerset Maughan's novel was remade starring Bill Murphy in a serious role. It was so much better than the original b/w version! Had a more modern viewpoint and made a lot more sense! I especially loved the way Sophie was portrayed by Teresa Russell. She won all the sympathy! In the original, which really went by the book and didn't look into the story deeply, she is made to be a villainous character. Isabelle is the hero in the b/w version, but tables turn on her in the remake. Because times and morals have changed.
I love "The Razor's Edge" but I would have hated it without the remake!

Answer 4

I have to say that I've not really enjoyed watching a remake of an original movie - though I've not see The Wicker Man yet so can't judge this one!

Answer 5

And what about remakes of remakes? I hear they're remaking the Fly, which was first remade in the 80s after updating the original 60s version.

How long before the remake Titanic?

Answer 6

I know I am not really answering the question but I have to say that Charlie an d the Chocolate Factory was one of the worse remakes I have seen. I love the original and when I heard that they were doing a remake starring the gorgeous Johnny Depp I was really looking forward to it. I was very disappointed.

I have to say I did enjoy Amytiville Horror

Answer 7

actually i thought that the remake of texas chain saw was pretty good it did have quite a good atmosphere which the original had i think it kept to it quite well, there are certain films you cant do like the wicker man, you can not create that ambience no way..some films are not made for remakes

Answer 8

It's rare that a movie remake is superior to the original, most of them are cr*p (the remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre was particularly poor, you could also add the remakes of Psycho and The Haunting).

Having said that, the remake of Cape Fear with Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte was a significant improvement on the original. It's a much more shocking and morally ambiguous film than the Gregory Peck movie with his squeaky clean family.

Dawn of the Dead was a much better film than George A. Romero's one. It was faster, funnier and scarier than the original.

Answer 9

I thought David Cronenberg's remake of The Fly (1986) was superb - infinitely better than the b&w original (in my opinion anyway).

Staying in the 80's - the 1988 remake of The Blob was also exceptionally good.

I agree though, the vast majority of recent remakes are utter dross.

Answer 10

neil- you are right on. THE THING was an awesome remake, so very scary (also liked the original) and i usually hate remakes, especially lately with all the cheap horror remakes