What Do You Think Of Movie Remakes?

[naomi24]

So often movie remakes seem to be a pale imitation of the original so I wonder why the makers bother. I watched a recent version of 'Little Women' - well, I tried to watch it and after about 20 minutes gave up on despair. When something is a classic, like the 1949 version of the story which stuck faithfully to the book, I have my doubts that any other production can ever out-perform it. I feel the same way about music. New versions of classic songs are rarely an improvement.

Now a new version of the supreme classic West Side Story is hitting our cinemas. The wonderful Spielberg is in the driving seat and it's reputed to be better than the original. Wow!! Can that really be? Fingers crossed.

[rowanwitch]

The remake of True Grit was a lot better than the John Wayne original
Mostly I think it depends on the cast bringing something new to the characters.

[dannyk13]

Seldom is a remake as good as the original, although I think there may be the odd one that is.

[rowanwitch]

Of course sometimes the original is so bad .... I am thinking of the semi animated Lord of the rings...

[burlyshirley]

Not a big fan of movie remakes. I remember watching a TV film some years ago, Susan Hill's Lady in Black which was absolutely terrifying and extremely well acted and then along came Hollywood with their version, which was nothing like the original and all hyped-up Hollywood rubbish. It had a totally different ending too ! I love West Side Story and have seen two stage versions which were brilliant. I suspect Spielberg would stick to the original script and make a damn fine film !

[Ken4155]

I honestly don't think i have ever seen a remake that even stands up to the original, Naomi, let alone better it. Two examples spring readily to mind. The Wicker Man with Edward Woodward was a quite chilling thriller while the remake starring Nicolas Cage was mind-numbingly dull. The Mean Machine, with Burt Reynolds, was amusing in parts and good entertainment throughout. The British version with Vinny Jones was absolutely dire.

[drmorgans]

Planet of the Apes?

[davebro]

I find them inferior. (Everyone seems to cite True Grit as being an exception but I beg to differ.)

[naomi24]

Oh yes, Ken! The Wicker Man is a great example. The original was superb!!

[dannyk13]

The Lady Vanishes remake was dire compared with the original starring Charles Laughton.

[chanel5]

I agree remakes are often very poor.
The one exception that I have found is the version of Wuthering Heights that stars Tom Hardy as Heathcliffe and Charlotte Riley as Cathy. Sarah Lancashire plays Nelly. I really enjoyed that one.

[naomi24]

It's looking good, Shirl Girl - and good to see the fabulous Rita Moreno in a new role - albeit now much older and with grey hair.



Chanel, I don't know if I've seen that version of Wuthering Heights - another of my favourite books. I'll check it out.

[calmck]

I just hope "Cool" is back where it should be and that the film follows the stage production more closely

[andy-hughes]

Remakes are rarely a good idea.

The notion that the original attracted an audience, therefore a new version will attract the same audience and / or a new one is a serioulsy shakey premise, and as has been pointed out, it is hardly ever successful.

Nicholas Cage's Wicker Man is famous for one of the most stupid lines of dialogue ever, made all the more hilarious for the OTT manner in which he delivered it - "Step away from the bicycle!!!!!!!"

If anyone has subjcted themselves to the remake of Get Carter with Sylvester Stalone, they will have observed that the entire thrust of the film - a local hard man returning from London - and the appropriate cultural clashes, are competely absent, as is the laconic cold murderous personality Michael Cane delievered so perfectly.

As for The Avengers - the 'Steed and Mrs Peel' Avengers that is, the less said the better, and similarly The Stepford Wives.

With the possible exception of Planet Of The Apes, I am unable to think of a single re-make that has been worth the price of a ticket, or the time to view it on television.

[emmie]

very rarely does a remake come up to the original. We are due to go and see Spielberg's version of West Side Story, on Saturday, will see if they can improve on it, though i absolutely adore the original film

[emmie]

Wuthering Heights with Laurence Olivier can't be bettered, nor the original film with Katherine Hepburn in Little Women, she is perfect as the headstrong Jo.

[sandyRoe]

Two remakes that were nowhere near as good as the originals were Dr Zhivago and The History of Mr Polly.

[andy-hughes]

I think part of the problem is, if a film is well-made and successful, then audiences embrace the original cast and atmosphere as the definitive version, and therefore a re-make is almost always doomed to failure.

In the same way that you can't re-write a novel, it is almost impossible to improve on a successful film - but studios try because they are looking at dollar signs, rather than reality.

[ToraToraTora]

remakes are usually terrible:
Rollerball
The Italian Job
Get Carter
Total Recall
The day the Earth Stood still
there are some exceptions but I just wish the suits would look beyond the dollar signs.

[ToraToraTora]

oh yes the wickerman, already perfect in the original, a dogs dinner with Nick Cage, what was he thinking? he can pick and choose.

[ToraToraTora]

OK as an aside for a bit of fun, who can tell me the connection between OFAH and the Wicker man?