# Necessary and Unnecessary Remakes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357 "2017-03-30T16:39:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/21 "2017-03-30T20:03:40Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > About this–I haven’t seen the same name remake, but I liked it when it was called _Battle Beyond the Stars_, _The Three Amigos_, and _A Bug’s Life_. (And of course the original _Seven Samurai_.) How many not-a-remakes have been made of _The Searchers_? > [@Poysyn](#): > > I keep hoping they will remake **The Last Starfighter** , **Dreamscape** and **Enemy Mine** , but especially Starfighter. I know these are all of a beloved time, but I never got the love for Enemy Mine. It just wasn’t that engaging. But _Last Starfighter_, sure (even though it can be seen as a thinly disguised _Ender’s Game_) and _Dreamscape_, absolutely. (Especially without the luscious but always edge-of-bitchy Kate Capshaw.) But include… _Explorers_ on that list. Even the rat was named Heinlein. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/22 "2017-03-30T20:06:32Z")
**Ghostbusters**. The original was funny and goofy. The new one is just smirking and mugging. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/23 "2017-03-30T20:15:37Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > How many not-a-remakes have been made of _The Searchers_? > I know these are all of a beloved time, but I never got the love for Enemy Mine. It just wasn’t that engaging. But _Last Starfighter_, sure (even **though it can be seen as a thinly disguised _Ender’s Game_** ) and _Dreamscape_, absolutely. (Especially without the luscious but always edge-of-bitchy Kate Capshaw.) But include… _Explorers_ on that list. Even the rat was named Heinlein. \*The Last Starfighter \*was released in 1984, _Ender’s Game_ was published in 1985. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/24 "2017-03-30T20:19:57Z")
**Ocean’s Eleven** may not have been necessary, but it’s excellent. From what I remember, the original **Ocean’s 11** is pretty good, but I really should see it again. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/25 "2017-03-30T20:20:07Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > \*The Last Starfighter \*was released in 1984, _Ender’s Game_ was published in 1985. I know but we’re post-cinema-Ender’s. It was an abused trope. A friend wrote one of the first “game becomes reality” novels about then and as the series progressed over the years, he was continually fending off claims of copycattism-to-plagiarism. He could skewer a panel attendee from five hundred paces with exact publication and authorship info. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/26 "2017-03-30T20:20:17Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > \*The Last Starfighter \*was released in 1984, _Ender’s Game_ was published in 1985. But [the short story](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ender's_Game_%28short_story%29) was published in 1977. (ETA: Does that invalidate AB’s friend’s skewer?) ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/27 "2017-03-30T20:37:34Z")
Obligatory mentions to John Carpenter’s **The Thing** and David Cronenberg’s _The Fly._ The originals are still worth watching, though, and have their own strengths. If I’d want anything remade, it’s **The Beast With a Million Eyes**. The original is typical '50s B-movie schlock, but the screenplay had the blue prints for something far less frivolous. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/28 "2017-03-30T20:39:55Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > About this–I haven’t seen the same name remake, but I liked it when it was called _Battle Beyond the Stars_, _The Three Amigos_, and _A Bug’s Life_. (And of course the original _Seven Samurai_.) I would disagree with you on this. _Seven Samurai_ and the two _Magnificent Seven_ movies are about a group of people who are individually competent coming together for a cause. _Battle Beyond the Stars_ apparently belongs in this genre (I haven’t see it). But _Three Amigos_ and _A Bug’s Life_ are different. They’re about a group of incompetent people learning to become competent. Another similar genre is the heist movie, where you’ve also got a group of people coming together. But in a heist movie, they’re looking to benefit themselves not helping some cause. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/29 "2017-03-30T20:47:56Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > We need a remake of _Reflections in a Golden Eye_ with anthropomorphic CGI animals. And a Hip-Hop sound track. [This](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflections_in_a_Golden_Eye_(film)) film? Color me puzzled. That is, monochrome golden hued with a single red object. The original _Ocean’s 11_ was superb. Really captured the feel of Rat Pack Vegas. It had one of the all time great closing credit [sequences](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6L8ansZhk0). The remake was … what??? I’m not sure. Stupid and then some without any real style. Furthermore, it wasn’t really a remake. A whole 'nother film. Just call it something else with different character names and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/30 "2017-03-30T20:53:30Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I would disagree with you on this. _Seven Samurai_ is about poor citizens hiring a group of warriors to defend them against a recurrent gang of robbers. _The Magnificent Seven_ is about poor citizens hiring a group of warriors to defend them against a recurrent gang of robbers. _Battle Beyond the Stars_ is about poor citizens hiring a group of warriors to defend them against a recurrent gang of robbers. _Three Amigos_ is about poor citizens hiring a group of warriors to defend them against a recurrent gang of robbers. _A Bug’s Life_ is about poor citizens hiring a group of warriors to defend them against a recurrent gang of robbers. The twist of _Three Amigos_ was that the villagers doing the recruiting mistook actors for actual warriors. A Bug’s Life copied that from _Three Amigos_. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/31 "2017-03-30T20:59:21Z")
BTW, [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WklPABGo77k) is _Battle Beyond the Stars_. ---
**Author:** ![txjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@txjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txjim)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/32 "2017-03-30T21:02:45Z")
> [@Sefton](#): > > I agree that **Dreamscape** would be a great choice for a remake. I’d also like to see someone take on **Streets of Fire**. > > (snip) +1 One of my guilty pleasures (along with _Up the Creek_) and, although I love the casting of Rick Moranis as the asshole manager, a different take on the subject would be welcomed. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/33 "2017-03-30T21:09:44Z")
Cronenberg’s take on **The Fly** went in a different direction from the Vincent Price version. “Be afraid. Be very afraid” is as enshrined in pop-culture as the original’s high pitched “Help meeee!” An excellent remake. John Carpenter’s \*\*The Thing \*\*brought back the shapeshifting from Campbell’s short story, which really ramped up the paranoia. While I love the HowardHawks/Christian Nyby original, a super carrot can’t compete with a spider crab-legged head for giving the heeby-geebies. All remakes of **I Am Legend** will be necessary until they finally get one right. The premise of _Plan 9 From Outer Space_ lends itself to being remade as a decent B-movie, especially as we’re still in the middle of a zombie craze. Aliens creating a zombie army to conquer Earth? It could work. Unfortunately, the title would thwart any attempt at being anything other than a campy spoof. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/34 "2017-03-30T21:12:32Z")
The remake of _The Italian Job_ was, if not absolutely necessary, at least a new take on the idea, and a worthy addition to our movie-watching options. In the world of TV, I think the new _Hawaii Five-O_ is even better than the original version, and I loved the original version. Oh, and I agree about _The Fly_ and _The Thing_. Both did good jobs reinterpreting the pretty good originals. ---
**Author:** ![txjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@txjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txjim)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/35 "2017-03-30T21:13:18Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > … > The original _Ocean’s 11_ was superb. Really captured the feel of Rat Pack Vegas. It had one of the all time great closing credit [sequences](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6L8ansZhk0). > … Did anyone else think of the closing Buckaroo Banzai scene when watching that clip? Which, by the way, doesn’t need a remake but sure needs a sequel ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/36 "2017-03-30T21:14:37Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > What about _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_ vs _Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_? Unnecessary remakes: Anything by Tim Burton. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/37 "2017-03-30T21:19:39Z")
At the risk of being at risk, _Star Trek: Into the Wrath of Kahn_ and _Star Wars VI: A Newer Hope_ could really have benefited from more originality. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/38 "2017-03-30T21:30:42Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#): > > All remakes of **I Am Legend** will be necessary until they finally get one right. And what was wrong with the Vincent Price version? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/39 "2017-03-30T21:37:30Z")
**The Brady Bunch** movie was a hugely funny take on the TV series. **Charlie’s Angels** , on the other hand, sucked. Of all the sequels, **Rise of Planet of the Apes** was the best. There have been two remakes of **The Pit and the Pendulum** , each worse than the last. ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357/40 "2017-03-30T21:41:44Z")
Oh, just thought of Spielberg’s **War of the Worlds**. Kinda felt like Tom Cruise had too much sway in the thing? I mean, goddamn, he’s the _only_ person with the wherewithal to change the solenoids!? Jesus. And staying true to the original when the scientific reasoning is long-debunked, in a science fiction movie!? The train scene was cool though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessary-and-unnecessary-remakes/783357.md?page=3)