# Sequels (and remakes) that are (as good or) better than the original **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989 "2015-06-20T01:33:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/1 "2015-06-20T01:33:39Z")
In films I have: Bill and Teds Bogus Journey The Godfather 2 (As good) Goldfinger (?) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1979) The Thing (1982) It’s not a common occurrence. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/2 "2015-06-20T01:37:03Z")
Silence of the Lambs Die Hard ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/3 "2015-06-20T01:37:33Z")
The Maltese Falcon (1941) with Bogart ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/4 "2015-06-20T01:38:16Z")
drad dog wrote: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1979)” Sacrilege. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/5 "2015-06-20T02:05:35Z")
Remakes: _The Wizard of Oz_ (1939) _Frankenstein_ (1931) _His Girl Friday_ (1940) (a remake of _The Front Page_) The Alastair Sim version of _A Christmas Carol_ (1950) Sequels: _Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome_ ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/6 "2015-06-20T02:35:29Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > drad dog wrote: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1979)” > > Sacrilege. I love Kevin Mcarthy and Don Siegel but it’s just the way I roll The Fly too. Take that… ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/7 "2015-06-20T02:36:59Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Silence of the Lambs > Die Hard Those are originals of which there are better sequels. Pray tell? ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/8 "2015-06-20T03:06:02Z")
_Fistful of Dollars_ was equalled by\* For a Few Dollars More\*, and both were eclipsed by the perfection that is _The Good, The Bad and The Ugly_. Not quite sequels, not quite remakes, but different attempts at creating something from a common palette, refining and polishing and improving with each attempt. ---
**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:** [June 20, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/9 "2015-06-20T03:13:45Z")
I don’t expect many too agree with this, but I like _Sorcerer_ (1977) better than _The Wages of Fear_ (1953). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/10 "2015-06-20T03:17:05Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Goldfinger (?) _From Russia With Love_ already beats _Doctor No_. I’d also give the nod to _Spider-Man 2_ and _The Dark Knight_. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/11 "2015-06-20T03:32:35Z")
Aliens El Mariachi ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/12 "2015-06-20T03:39:39Z")
The Blob ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/13 "2015-06-20T03:48:36Z")
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/14 "2015-06-20T05:36:38Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Those are originals of which there are better sequels. Pray tell? **Die Hard** is based on Roderick Thorp’s _Nothing Lasts Forever_, which is a sequel to his novel _The Detective_, which was adapted to film in 1968 with Frank Sinatra in the title role. There were a few minor changes made to the plot (such as changing the protagonist’s name from Joe Leland to John McClane) but the most interesting trivia is that the filmmakers were contractually obligated to offer the lead role to Frank Sinatra again. He turned them down, but could you imagine a 73-year-old Sinatra gunning down terrorists in the Nakatomi Plaza building?!? **Silence of the Lambs** was a sequel to 1986’s _Manhunter_, based on Thomas Harris’s _Red Dragon_ (remade in 2002 under the original name.) I thought everybody knew this? I’ve never seen the original, but by all accounts, _Ocean’s Eleven_ (2001) with George Clooney and Brad Pitt was far, far better than the Rat Pack original. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/15 "2015-06-20T05:51:52Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > **Die Hard** is based on Roderick Thorp’s _Nothing Lasts Forever_, which is a sequel to his novel _The Detective_, which was adapted to film in 1968 with Frank Sinatra in the title role. There were a few minor changes made to the plot (such as changing the protagonist’s name from Joe Leland to John McClane) but the most interesting trivia is that the filmmakers were contractually obligated to offer the lead role to Frank Sinatra again. He turned them down, but could you imagine a 73-year-old Sinatra gunning down terrorists in the Nakatomi Plaza building?!? > > **Silence of the Lambs** was a sequel to 1986’s _Manhunter_, based on Thomas Harris’s _Red Dragon_ (remade in 2002 under the original name.) I thought everybody knew this? > > I’ve never seen the original, but by all accounts, _Ocean’s Eleven_ (2001) with George Clooney and Brad Pitt was far, far better than the Rat Pack original. I didn’t think those first two were in the same genre much less sequeled. The trivia makes it valid. The lambs: I also didn’t relate these, but they have completely different casts and crews. Nor remake or sequel exactly. I think a better example would be the Ripley movies The rat pack: Yeah its easy to do better than an old action movie before jokes were very funny and special effects didn’t exist. I haven’t given either one a good viewing. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/16 "2015-06-20T06:02:44Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Remakes: > _The Wizard of Oz_ (1939) > _Frankenstein_ (1931) > _His Girl Friday_ (1940) (a remake of _The Front Page_) > The Alastair Sim version of _A Christmas Carol_ (1950) > Sequels: _Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome_ Oh a wiseguy huh? You’re right, but: The Wizard is a musical, different genre than previous filmed version and different music than any play. I consider it an original work, and unduplicatable too. And Thunderdome better than Mad Max and road warrior? No way dude. I actually think Road Warrior belongs on the list but I haven’t see them in too long. I just remember thunderdome as a letdown. IMHO ---
**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:** [June 20, 2015, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/17 "2015-06-20T06:22:13Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Oh a wiseguy huh? You’re right, but: > The Wizard is a musical, different genre than previous filmed version and different music than any play. I consider it an original work, and unduplicatable too. I assume you mean _The Wiz_, the 1978 musical starring Diana Ross, and that it was not a remake of _The Wizard of Oz_ (1939). I suspect **Reality Chuck** may have meant that the 1939 _The Wizard of Oz_ itself was a superior remake, since there was an earlier (and much lesser-known) version from 1925. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/18 "2015-06-20T06:59:41Z")
Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness are both superior to Evil Dead (although the first several minutes of ED II are confusing until it becomes clear they’re a retconned retelling of the first movie, and Ash isn’t just a complete moron who’s repeating his earlier mistakes with a new girlfriend). I haven’t seen the remake to comment on it. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/19 "2015-06-20T08:55:40Z")
Battlestar Galactica 2003 is …not even in the same league as the goofball 70s one. ---
**Author:** ![Sasori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Sasori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sasori)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989/20 "2015-06-20T10:31:21Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > _Fistful of Dollars_ was equalled by\* For a Few Dollars More\*, and both were eclipsed by the perfection that is _The Good, The Bad and The Ugly_. > > Not quite sequels, not quite remakes, but different attempts at creating something from a common palette, refining and polishing and improving with each attempt. Heartily agreed. I always watch these back-to-back and am blown away how they just keep getting better and better. When I heard that Sergio Corbucci remade his excellent, but very grim _The Mercenary_ one year later as an humorous version, I was wary. Unneccessarily, as it proved: _Los Companeros_ might be a tad too long (especially for modern audiences), but Franco Nero and Tomas Milian have such great chemistry that I was laughing my ass off for over two hours. If Nero’s barrel dance wasn’t an inspiration for Captain Jack Sparrow, I’ll be damned. Bonus: Jack Palance drops his kit! 😃 Speaking of Milian…if you filed him as an permanent over-actor, check out Maurizio Lucidi’s _The designated Victim_ from 1971 (the wistful [title song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaNlKGbkqtw) is also sung by Milian). Often mislabelled as a giallo, it easily rivals Hitchcock’s \*Strangers on a Train \*both in the visual and acting department; Pierre Clementi’s totally different take on Robert Walker’s original part is a must-see. Excellent editing, too and the finale is positively riveting. It also features one of the finest Italian progressive rock albums, New Trolls _[Concerto Grosso,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaQd7lXUUrc)_ presumedly composed by L. E. Bacalov, which became a huge hit. The first three sequels of _Sasori_ are all very good, but the second trumps the first in every regard. \*Tremors II \*got a lot of flak, but I liked it just as much as the first. More a parody (or hommage, if you prefer), but I found _Flesh Gordon_ much more entertaining than _Flash Gordon._ Reason: Power warts! 🆒 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-and-remakes-that-are-as-good-or-better-than-the-original/722989.md?page=2)