# Best Movie Remakes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380 "2009-12-23T22:24:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/21 "2009-12-24T04:31:21Z")
Father of the Bride with Steve Martin is also quite good. I think better than the original. Is the sequel better than the original’s sequel? ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/22 "2009-12-24T05:09:55Z")
The Fly was much better as a remake. ---
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/23 "2009-12-24T05:20:58Z")
I prefer Charles Laughton’s _Hunchback of Notre Dame_ to the earlier & subsequent versions. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/24 "2009-12-24T05:54:29Z")
I prefer **Sorceror** (1977) to _Le salaire de la peur_ (1953). They’re both good. There’s a noticeable difference in the remake, but I don’t know if it’s because of technical advances, changing styles, or just a bigger budget. In the original, it seems we’re supposed to see the tension on the faces of the actors. In the later version we get to see more of the action and the tense situations that the characters find themselves in. I suspect lots of people prefer the original for exactly the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/25 "2009-12-24T06:08:59Z")
I’d have to say that _The Children’s Hour_ in 1961 was significant in its reworking of 1936’s _These Three_ in that it included the lesbian angle which was a huge no-no in 1936. It was a better movie too. Although _These Three_ is not without its own charms. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/26 "2009-12-24T06:15:57Z")
> [@Trick\_Rider](#): > > _Cheaper by the Dozen._ I know the remake was trash, but I could at least get through it. I found the original to be unwatchable, utter crap. Just terrible. I couldn’t get through either one. What was especially disturbing was the image of a woman bearing twelve children and yet having a perfectly toned and trim body afterwards. I mean, talk about suspension of disbelief! ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/27 "2009-12-24T06:17:27Z")
[The Ring](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298130/) is better than [Ringu](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0178868/), says I. (Or to be diplomatic, maybe each film is better-tailored to the sensibilities of its country of origin. Not being Japanese, I couldn’t say.) ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/28 "2009-12-24T06:22:10Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > [The Ring](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298130/) is better than [Ringu](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0178868/), says I. > > (Or to be diplomatic, maybe each film is better-tailored to the sensibilities of its country of origin. Not being Japanese, I couldn’t say.) Yeah…I found **Ringu** to be better in terms of getting the story across, but **The Ring** actually gave me chills. Also, my own contribution is **3:10 to Yuma**. Admittedly, I have not seen the original. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/29 "2009-12-24T08:20:24Z")
_The Ten Commandments_ - not only a successful remake, but by the same director nonetheless! ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/30 "2009-12-24T13:06:12Z")
I’ve not seen the 1947 _Kiss of Death_ with Richard Widmark, and it is supposed to be very good, but the 90’s version with David Caruso and Nicolas Cage is fantastic. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/31 "2009-12-24T13:07:19Z")
Oh, BTW, anybody in this thread says Miracle on 34th Street, I’m burning your dog. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/32 "2009-12-24T13:44:35Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > I’ve not seen the 1947 _Kiss of Death_ with Richard Widmark, and it is supposed to be very good, but the 90’s version with David Caruso and Nicolas Cage is fantastic. This comment alone is worth burning _your_ dog! ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/33 "2009-12-24T13:45:40Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > Oh, BTW, anybody in this thread says Miracle on 34th Street, I’m burning your dog. > > –Cliffy I just zipped him into his special asbestos suit. . . Miracle on 34th Street 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/34 "2009-12-24T14:07:31Z")
Also, the 1942 Alan Ladd version of _The Glass Key_ is SLIGHTLY better than the 1935 with George Raft. Boy, that Ned Beaumont sure could take a punch. ---
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/35 "2009-12-24T14:54:27Z")
When that wikipedia list said that Barbarella was remade by Rodriguez in 2009 I went off to try to get a copy. Unfortunately, it is apparently in development, with a 2010 release date. ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380/36 "2009-12-24T14:58:54Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > If by “good, interesting” you mean phenomenally stupid, and by “terrifying” you mean “boring”, and if by “Best” you mean “wholly unnecessary” remake, than I totally agree. > > Another vote for _Friday, Mohicans_ and _The Thing_. Beat me to the punch! Though I wouldn’t go as far as you to Dismiss the Dawn of the Dead remake. The remake had a great opening sequence… Some interesting moments but better than the original? I’d rather wake from the dead and feast on friends and family before I’d agree with that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-remakes/522380.md?page=1)