Is There A Such Thing As A GOOD Movie Remake? Which?

[saifan]

John Carpenter's The Thing. Probably the greatest remake of all time (although it was based on the same short story and not the movie so...)

[GroobySteven]

The Equalizer was a great movie, once you got past the first 40 minutes, which were a little boring. It's not even close to the original TV show though. No son, doesn't place the ad until the last minute of the film, doesn't drive the sweet car. It's very different. But once the violence begins to happen, it's a good movie.

We didn't get "The Sweeney" on this side of the pond. Was the movie version of that worth seeing? If you cast Plan B in a movie, it kind of makes a joke of seeing it as you'd rather go with your Plan A movie.

The Sweeney movie was horrible, Ray Winstone was perfectly cast - and it was just an arsey film.

[Robinhood81]

I really liked the true grit remake too!


I think too many good movies are remade though and of late the time between then is even shorter, it's crazy.

[Jimmy W]

I think 'Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' was a superior remake. I understand it had the benefit of a Hollywood budget and big name stars, but maybe that's what it needed.

[Jimmy W]

On then other hand, I hated the Dances With Wolves remake they called Avatar

[RallyCola]

I think 'Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' was a superior remake. I understand it had the benefit of a Hollywood budget and big name stars, but maybe that's what it needed.

i find the rapace version to be better than the craig/mara rendition.

[RallyCola]

I think it's a generational thing. There is a part of me that likes the 60's version where the money gets burned. But I actually do like 2000's version with Clooney and Pitt better, it's more of a proper heist movie, where the original is truly less structured. I think it's the same thing with The Italian Job. I love the original (with the exception of Noel Coward, and that horrible song at the end), but think the story for the more recent version is a much tighter story, and has better visuals and flow. The 60's version car chase with the car going over the dome scene, it's pretty worthless, and you could tell it was just thrown in. The recent version with the subway/sewers, and train just seems to fit the story better.

For the actual topic though, here's a quick list of 20 I can think of off the top of my head.
1.) The Departed - although I love Infernal Affairs too.
2.) Zatoichi
3.) Scarface
4.) The Fly
5.) 13 Assassins
6.) Casino Royale
7.) A Fistful of Dollars
8.) True Grit - actually like the new one better
9.) Airplane - Yes, it is a remake of "Zero Hour."
10.) Saboteur - Hitchcock remaking his own film
11.) Man on Fire
12.) Bob & Doug MacKensie's Strange Brew - Remake of Hamlet.
13.) True Lies
14.) The Ten Commandments
15.) The Thomas Crown Affair
16.) Magnificent Seven
17.) Twelve Monkeys
18.) Heat
19.) Oldboy
20.) Gone in 60 Seconds

i would agree with Ocean's 11 being better with Clooney than Sinatra.

you have old boy on the list. Are you insane? The american remake was terrible.

[itsmall80]

On then other hand, I hated the Dances With Wolves remake they called Avatar

I still don't know how that craptacular movie made big money.

Just seen Footloose remake a few weeks back. Original was much better, but the remake was not that bad...had a quite a few throwbacks towards the original.

Dont get me started on Robocop remake...yes there was a Robocop movie worst then Robocop 3.

[saifan]

i find the rapace version to be better than the craig/mara rendition.

Craig is so much better than Nyqvist that it pretty much tips the scale for me.

Both based on a book though so is it a remake or a new adaptation?

[Jericho]

Planet of the Apes.
I like the original, but prefer the remake!