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The Greatest Remakes of All Time
Movie remakes have been around since almost the beginning of cinema. Often a remake is criticized as being unnecessary, but really the only ones that would be necessary to begin with are ones where the original is notably bad. But one thing is for sure: they’re not going anywhere.
To the best of my knowledge and ability, I think the following would be/could be identified as the top 20 greatest remakes of all time:
(1978)Original: (1956)
(2007)Original: (1957)
(2011)Original: (2009)
(1991)Original: (1962)If you’re a fan of Robert De Niro and you don’t like creepy disturbing characters in movies, don’t watch this one. He nails it as he always does.
(2007)Original: (2005)
(1964)Original: (1961) The original was made by Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Some Japanese movie fans roll their eyes at westerners who only seem to know this one director of theirs. However, his legendary movie making and influence on western cinema can’t be denied.
(1941)Original: (1931)The original did fine in the box office, but its quality would keep it from being remembered over time. It was heavily hampered by the ”Hays Code.” A former politician was hired to chair the “Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America,” which heavily censored movies to death. But it was still around in 1941, so Humphrey Bogart’s managed to rise above it.
(2019, 1994, 1949, 1933)Original: (1918)Usually I hear people say they prefer either the 2019 or 1994 version, which may be a point-in-time thing. However, it seems to be one of those stories we don’t mind being retold every 25 years or so.
(2001)Original: (1960)
(1995)Original: (1989)
(2010)Original: (1969)Both the original movie and the performance of its star actor John Wayne, earned a lot of praise and critical acclaim in its day, so it was a gutsy move by the Coens to do a remake. But it paid off: it was a hit at the box office, and though it never won any, it was nominated for ten Oscars.
(1960)Original: (1954) Again, an Akira Kurosawa remake. This one is often shortlisted as one of the greatest films ever made, but the remake is no slouch. It’s fun, action-packed, and was a huge success in its year of release. People still talk about it to this day, especially fans of westerns.
(1954, 1976, 2018) Original: (1937)All three remakes are loved on their own merits, though I’ve only seen the 2018 version. I liked it so much that I’m almost afraid to watch the previous two; which, I confess, is rather silly. I’m sure Streisand and Garland can hold their own just fine.
(1959)Original: (1925). This original has a unique story. Apparently it made huge money, both domestically and internationally, with numbers that wouldn’t be surpassed for 25 years. And it was applauded by critics in newspapers all over the world. Yet, somehow, it lost a ton of money. I guess it was pretty expensive to make. So was the remake, but it made a killing.
(1982)Original: (1951)From what I’ve read, the original was well loved and continues to be for people who are big sci-fi fans. But it’s lost by most in the huge shadow of the classic remake.
(1992)Original: (1987) I’m sure Quentin Tarantino considers his source material a classic film, but the fact that none of us have ever heard of it is a big testament to the greatness of Reservoir Dogs.
(1980)Original: (1932)I haven’t seen the original, so I’m not sure if the main character introduces anyone to his little friend or not.
(2006)Original: (2002)This one surprised me. The original was a Hong Kong made film.
(1959)Original: (1951)Yet another movie that I didn’t know was a remake. And another that is international, this one being German.
(1939)Original: (1925) I just watched the 1925 version today, and I can’t believe how different the two stories are. I guess there was a lot of Oz material in Vaudeville shows around this time, so a lot was taken from those. It was also neither popular nor profitable, as opposed to the one made 14 years later that we all know and love. And for what it’s worth, though it has many big differences, Judy Garland’s version is truer to the book.
Honourable Mentions:His Girl Friday (1940); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005); Freaky Friday (2003)
Of course, we’ve all been let down by bad remakes, but the following have the distinction of being the lowest rated remakes on Rotten Tomatoes. Each have a 0% score:
Bad Remakes
(2008) – Characters get a voicemail message on their phones, which turns out to be from their future selves warning of their horrifying end to their lives in the near future. Sounds scary, but evidently it was more disappointing than frightening.
(2016) – College students are staying in a remote cabin in the woods, and they end up succumbing to an infectious, flesh-eating disease. The original, released in 2002, has much better ratings.
(2014) – A teenage girl seeks revenge on her parents’ killers. It’s a high octane action film based on a Japanese animated movie of 1998. And apparently went over like a fart in church.
Other Notable Letdowns: (2010), (2012), and (1998). There’s also that came out in 2017. They obviously thought the franchise had great potential, and with it having failed sequels they thought it would be a good idea to reboot it with Tom Cruise. I haven’t seen it, but with a 15% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 5.4 on IMDb, I think I’ll pass. Speaking of Tom Cruise and failed remakes, there’s (2005) and (1953).
For some reason, remake of 2006 is pretty low rated as well. I admit it may not be as good as some of the originals of the 60’s and 70’s, but I laughed out loud at several points in the movie. Plus, Steve Martin was a great Clouseau.
And the remake that is our movie of the week…
Congratulations . This is your week.
Best Actress:
Kathy Bates as Evelyn Couch in
Best Actor: Patton Oswald as Remy in
Best Quote: “My chest hairs are tingling! Something’s wrong.” – Mr. T as Earl Devereaux in
And I still haven’t seen Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. I will though. Heard it was really good.
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