Movie remakes that shouldn't have happened..

[Uncle Spielberg]

Not true.

The remake doesn't have to be better than the original, but it mustn't be shameful. Credit has been given for both quality of the film and improvement on / comparison to the original, but in the end we've done this impressionistically rather than mathematically.​

By including it they simply imply wasn't shameful.

Kermode thinks War of the Worlds is one of Spielberg's best films.

 

[brakespear]

I don't know if you've finished reading the thread, but no. I was listing films that are well thought of, held in high esteem, or loved greatly that are remakes, assuming that due to individual tastes, some will be seen as better. As mentioned, I too prefer seven samurai to magnificent seven, but there might be some who prefer westerns to asian cinema so go the other way.

I could have included the ring, but think it's wrong that anyone likes the remake.

I've seen both versions of the haunting. I enjoyed the remake, but it wasn't scary. My enjoyment of it is mainly through the cast (except CZJ). I don't think anyone thinks the remake holds a candle to the original, but I wasn't that impressed by the original when I saw it.

Yeah, sorry I read the rest of the thread after posting and saw your other posts And thanks for the info on 'The Haunting' remake.

 

[Albumen]

Heat

The 2014 remake?

 

[Acker79]

The 2014 remake?

Nope. Michael Mann's 1995 Heat is a remake of Michael Mann's 1989 LA Takedown.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

War of the Worlds

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
It is, simply, the alienation-invasion movie to beat all alien-invasion movies: meticulously detailed and expertly paced and photographed, with sights so spectacular and terrible that viewers will have to consciously remind themselves to close their mouths when their jaws drop open.
100
Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
Contains all of the hallmarks of classic genre Spielberg: It shows you things you've never seen before, instills an accompanying sense of awestruck wonder, and delivers long stretches of heightened, delirious excitement that remind you why people started going to the movies in the first place.
100
Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
An attack-of-the-aliens disaster film crafted with sinister technological grandeur -- a true popcorn apocalypse.
91
Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern
With this genuinely big entertainment, powered by a beating heart, Steven Spielberg has put the summer back in summer movies.
90

 

[Acker79]

Kermode thinks War of the Worlds is one of Spielberg's best films.

I think Kermode is wrong.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I think Kermode is wrong.

It is middle order for me but certainly a fine film imo.

 

[Albumen]

Nope. Michael Mann's 1995 Heat is a remake of Michael Mann's 1989 LA Takedown.

I'm not sure you can count* TV movies really. But I love the original actor was called Scott Plank!

(*if there are any rules in this thread!)


I have a soft spot (or possibly guilty pleasure) for Spielberg's WOTW. It's probably Cruises best film bar Magnolia, and Spielbergs best of the last 10 years (although that's not saying a lot)

 

[Nibble]

I thought War of The Worlds was quite good, needed some sharper editing but I really got engaged with the start of the film.

The thing about film magazines with the exception maybe of Sight & Sound is that it is in their interests to keep in with film studios/Directors because their content depends largely on their access to film sets, upcoming news and interviews. Aside from the actual reviews without those large articles the print magazine has not much to offer.

As for the thread subject there have been some shocking remakes. Tim Burton's planet of The Apes and Clash of The Titans being two that stand out as well as many mentioned on here.

Some that I enjoyed were Payback, the re-make of Point Blank (which I think may be a remake itself). Not as good as Lee Marvin film but Mad Mel Gibbo Gibson does a good tough guy.

I actually thought the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo English language version was superior to the original. The first original was okay but the other two were pretty laughable. The pacing was all off. Although they addressed this by re-editing and releasing all three as a stand alone, long form TV series in Scandanavia and apparently it worked far better than 3 separate films.

Wasn't Last Man Standing directed by Walter Hill a remake of one of those Samurai films? That worked pretty well, atmospherically anyway. Dustbowl US in the 30's is depicted superbly and Bruce Willis is good in it.

The Wicker Man one was godawful. Directed by Neil LaBute who has made some absolutely shocking films but is surprisingly a magnificent playwrite. Odd.

P.S I haven't seen it but I hear the Oldboy remake is a pot of crap.

 

[Acker79]

Some that I enjoyed were Payback, the re-make of Point Blank (which I think may be a remake itself). Not as good as Lee Marvin film but Mad Mel Gibbo Gibson does a good tough guy.

...

Wasn't Last Man Standing directed by Walter Hill a remake of one of those Samurai films? That worked pretty well, atmospherically anyway. Dustbowl US in the 30's is depicted superbly and Bruce Willis is good in it.

Last Man Standing was another remake of Yojimbo. Can't see any reference to Point Blank being a remake, but only done a cursory search.

 

[Nibble]

Last Man Standing was another remake of Yojimbo. Can't see any reference to Point Blank being a remake, but only done a cursory search.

I may be mistaken, just one of those things you have in back of the mind for some reason. Maybe it's from a book is what I'm thinking of.

 

[Acker79]

I may be mistaken, just one of those things you have in back of the mind for some reason. Maybe it's from a book is what I'm thinking of.

It is based on the pulp crime novel 'the hunter' by Donald Westlake, if that helps explain it? There's talk of it being remade by Mark Wahlberg, maybe that's why?

 

[Nibble]

Oh, one more I watched recently was the English version of Pusher. The Pusher trilogy was a great series of films directed by Nicholas Winding Refn. The remake, however, is an aimless mess. Turning a great film with subtext and great cinematography into a so-so British gangster film.

 

[Nibble]

It is based on the pulp crime novel 'the hunter' by Donald Westlake, if that helps explain it? There's talk of it being remade by Mark Wahlberg, maybe that's why?

That's it. Cheers!

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Very much this.

And whoever it was who decided that remaking The Pink Panther with Steve Martin as Inspector Clouseau was a brilliant idea should be taken outside and shot.

Glad you agreed with me about the ladykillers.

And, much though I like Steve Martin, I totally agree about the Pink Panther.

 

[Nibble]

Could you count Lord Of The Rings as a remake? Probably not but I loved the animated version. Unfortunately they only had the budget to do one book but I remember the way they animated the Black Riders TERRIFIED me as a child. In a great way.

 

[Trufflehound]

Glad you agreed with me about the ladykillers.

What makes it all the worse for me is I love every single other film the Coen brothers have made before and since. This is the only blot on their landscape in my opinion - and a grim one at that.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Tim Burton fare from the past decade or so could be included, if we're willing to put in his renditions of Wonderland and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Apes and especially Charlie and the Choc were abysmal and stainers of a legacy.

 

[Boys 9d]

Without repeating some of the films already nominated, I should like to add King Kong and Wages Of Fear although I am not sure if the remake of the latter was a TV movie.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I thought War of The Worlds was quite good, needed some sharper editing but I really got engaged with the start of the film.

The thing about film magazines with the exception maybe of Sight & Sound is that it is in their interests to keep in with film studios/Directors because their content depends largely on their access to film sets, upcoming news and interviews. Aside from the actual reviews without those large articles the print magazine has not much to offer.

As for the thread subject there have been some shocking remakes. Tim Burton's planet of The Apes and Clash of The Titans being two that stand out as well as many mentioned on here.

Some that I enjoyed were Payback, the re-make of Point Blank (which I think may be a remake itself). Not as good as Lee Marvin film but Mad Mel Gibbo Gibson does a good tough guy.

I actually thought the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo English language version was superior to the original. The first original was okay but the other two were pretty laughable. The pacing was all off. Although they addressed this by re-editing and releasing all three as a stand alone, long form TV series in Scandanavia and apparently it worked far better than 3 separate films.

Wasn't Last Man Standing directed by Walter Hill a remake of one of those Samurai films? That worked pretty well, atmospherically anyway. Dustbowl US in the 30's is depicted superbly and Bruce Willis is good in it.

The Wicker Man one was godawful. Directed by Neil LaBute who has made some absolutely shocking films but is surprisingly a magnificent playwrite. Odd.

P.S I haven't seen it but I hear the Oldboy remake is a pot of crap.

I think WOTW's is a very decent film Nibble, but then I would say that wouldn't I ? It is not the horsesh*t some people say and has some great moments. Ok the ending may be " weak " but then that is how the book ended so it can only go on the source material. I think the backlash was more against Cruise and although a great and reliable actor imo his nutjob views and ways has alienated ( clever or what ? ) a lot of people. The rising of the alien spacecraft from the ground was a great piece of cinema. It is a solid 8 from me.