A “remake” can be either a freshening up of a classic or older film or it could be a complete mess of a once admired film. In either case, remaking a movie allows the crew involved to be creative and modernize classically appealing storylines and plots. There are arguments stating that there isn’t any ingenuity in remakes, but, it takes innovative thinking to make an older film relevant (and watchable) to today’s audiences.
Some Good Remakes:
Ocean’s Eleven (2001) – A re-envisioning of the first film, “Ocean’s” is anchored to the central plot of thieving multiple Las Vegas casinos and features an A-List cast. The most distinct difference between the two films is the ending. The original 1960’s movie starred the Rat Pack.
War of the Worlds (2005) – According to Wikipedia, the 2005 “Worlds” isn’t a definite remake, but in comparison to the description of the 1953 movie, the central themes, “mass destruction, fleeing masses of refugees, the failure of humans to stop the invasion, and the final death of the Martians from bacterial infection” are the same. Steven Spielberg shows us that fight against invaders. Both movies were a hit at the box office and related to “conflict” circumstances in the real world around the time they were in theaters.
I am Legend (2007) – Generally, the story is the same as the two original movies, Robert Neville is the only man (he knows of) immune to a disease turning everyone into zombies. It’s the particulars, i.e. interacting with manikins and zombies in less than human form, that are some of the differences. The fight to live/be rescued is a reoccurring struggle and combating solitude remains a core story point. The first movie, 1964’s “The Last Man on Earth,” is Italian and starred Vincent Price. The 1971 version “The Omega Man” starred Charlton Heston.
The Manchurian Candidate (2004) – Critics have stated what a terrific remake this is, that it upholds the main ideas of the first film – that exploitation and brainwashing are becoming an influence on the featured political contest. This updated version doesn’t conceal the brainwashing aspect, but puzzles the audience as to whether there are other conspiracy strategies at work as well. Originally released in 1962 it starred Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey.
King Kong (2005) – A colossal film with its origins being an even more colossal film. There is just something larger than life about King Kong. Regardless if reviewers weren’t too positive about the remake and regardless of lower than expected box office gross, nothing is as huge as “King Kong.” The original movie premiered in 1933 and was noticed for its innovative special effects, especially for that era.
Some Not-So-Good Remakes:
Because we like to stay positive, here (briefly) are a few of the not-as-hot-as-the-above-remakes released in recent years.
Bad News Bears (2005) – Holding fairly closely to its predecessor’s story it still struck out at the box office (yes, pun intended). The original was released in 1976.
The Fog (2005) – Steering off course from the original’s plot, the thrill aspect was just a little too foggy for this remake. The original was released in 1980.
School for Scoundrels (2006) – The remake has a different ending than the original and guess which ending is better (and British)? The original, “School for Scoundrels or How to Win Without Actually Cheating,” was released in 1960.
The Time Machine (2002) – Having a more romantic feel, this version received mixed reviews with an overall more idealistic feel than a sense of wonder. The original was released in 1960.
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