# There has never been a movie remake better than the original **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2007, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907 "2007-10-08T04:08:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ferd\_Burfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@Ferd\_Burfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferd_Burfel)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/41 "2007-10-08T14:12:56Z")
As much as I like Jody Foster, [_Freaky Friday_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0322330/) was much better than [_Freaky Friday_.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076054/) ---
**Author:** ![Ferd\_Burfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@Ferd\_Burfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferd_Burfel)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/42 "2007-10-08T15:02:14Z")
I just thought of another one. [_Casino Royale_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381061/) was infinitely superior to [_Casino Royale_.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061452/) ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/43 "2007-10-08T15:48:44Z")
I liked The Wiz better than The Wizard of Oz. Many will think me insane to admit that. But I consider myself courageous. If none of my sistas and brothas come in here to back me up, I will consider them less than brave…cause I _know_ they feel the same way, deep inside. ---
**Author:** ![Hueur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d9b06d/32.png) [@Hueur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hueur)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/44 "2007-10-08T15:52:20Z")
I thought the remakes of _The Thomas Crown Affair_ and _La Femme Nikita_ were better than the originals. It would be also be interesting to find out if anyone who thought the remake was better saw the original movie first. I saw the remakes of both of the above movies first, then saw the original. Perhaps I’m biased because I saw the remake first. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/45 "2007-10-08T15:55:54Z")
> [@](#): > > I liked The Wiz better than The Wizard of Oz. Many will think me insane to admit that. But I consider myself courageous. If none of my sistas and brothas come in here to back me up, I will consider them less than brave…cause I know they feel the same way, deep inside. Did you see the stage show? Dorothy was originally (as in every other version) a young girl. They changed it for the movie to a woman because the producers didn’t think thr flick would make it without a major “name” playing the lead, which pretty much ruined the movie for me. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/46 "2007-10-08T16:16:01Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] The first \*BenHur \*is 187.5 times better than the remake. [/QUOTE] Gotta disagree with this one. IMHO, they were _both_ good, but _very_ different. The first version kept closer to the book, but both took liberties with the plot. The flashing boobies in the first one were a surprise when I first saw it. ---
**Author:** ![Ferd\_Burfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@Ferd\_Burfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferd_Burfel)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/47 "2007-10-08T18:10:36Z")
Here are two more. \*[Always](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096794/) \*was better than \*[A Guy Named Joe](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035959/) \* _[Heaven Can Wait](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077663/) \* was better than_ [Here Comes Mr. Jordan](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033712/) \*. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/48 "2007-10-08T18:56:17Z")
Magnificent Seven is good, but it’s certainly not better than Seven Samurai. Steve McQueen’s lame story about some guy who jumped naked into a cactus “because it seemed like a good idea at the time” should have been left on the cutting room floor. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/49 "2007-10-08T19:15:33Z")
[QUOTE=madmonk28] You might also ask your dad if he like “the Magnificient Seven” as **Duck** notes, it is a remake of “the Seven Samurai.” [/QUOTE] . I wouldn’t say “remake”. The plots are very similar, but the setting, dialog, and many other things are hwaaaaay different. \*\* Merkwurdigliebe \*\* “Can I say Battlestar Gallactica? I’ve never seen the original…”. No you can’t. You have no idea of what you’re talking about if your haven’t seen both. The new BSG shares only a name with the older “real” Battlestar, which was lighthearted, fun, action froth. Dudes who were a fan of the older series (My Bro, for example) generally hate and despise the new series. **CalMeacham** You really need to watch both versions of The Flight of the Phoenix to pass judgment. Although I agree the older version was better, I enjoyed the new version greatly. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/50 "2007-10-08T19:54:10Z")
[QUOTE=madmonk28] You might also ask your dad if he like “the Magnificient Seven” as **Duck** notes, it is a remake of “the Seven Samurai.” [/QUOTE] He loves both, but would probably argue ‘The Magnificient Seven’ just stole the plot without actually remaking it. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/51 "2007-10-08T19:59:58Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] **CalMeacham** You really need to watch both versions of The Flight of the Phoenix to pass judgment. Although I agree the older version was better, I enjoyed the new version greatly. [/QUOTE] I will not sit silently while James Stewart is insulted with a comparison to Dennis Quaid. And as much as I like Giovanni Ribisi, Hardy Krüger’s Heinrich Dorfmann was far more chilling. ---
**Author:** ![Clockwork\_And\_Candy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b782af/32.png) [@Clockwork\_And\_Candy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clockwork_And_Candy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/52 "2007-10-08T20:21:24Z")
_The Mummy_ (1999) is a great improvement over the 1932 version. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/53 "2007-10-08T21:05:45Z")
I don’t think any of the remakes of **Invasion of the Body Snatchers** were as good as the original. Of course, I wasn’t that fond of the original novel. I’d sooner see a good version of **the Puppet Masters** (which has already had one bad and one mediocre + version) ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/54 "2007-10-08T22:39:07Z")
[QUOTE=Nzinga, Seated] I liked The Wiz better than The Wizard of Oz. Many will think me insane to admit that. But I consider myself courageous. If none of my sistas and brothas come in here to back me up, I will consider them less than brave…cause I _know_ they feel the same way, deep inside. [/QUOTE] I HATED The Wiz! I saw Stephanie Mills on Broadway and the film version starring _Ms. Ross_ really disappointed me. The music was great - I really disliked the settings and the general feeling of the film. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/55 "2007-10-08T23:18:26Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] \*\* Merkwurdigliebe \*\* “Can I say Battlestar Gallactica? I’ve never seen the original…”. No you can’t. You have no idea of what you’re talking about if your haven’t seen both. The new BSG shares only a name with the older “real” Battlestar, which was lighthearted, fun, action froth. Dudes who were a fan of the older series (My Bro, for example) generally hate and despise the new series. [/QUOTE] Well, I have seen both, and **Merkwurdigliebe** is right. The remake is vastly superior to the original in every way. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/56 "2007-10-08T23:28:15Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] Well, I have seen both, and **Merkwurdigliebe** is right. The remake is vastly superior to the original in every way. [/QUOTE] That’s like saying “an apple is vastly superior to an orange”. The two shows share the same name, that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Obligate\_Carnivore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Obligate\_Carnivore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obligate_Carnivore)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/57 "2007-10-08T23:29:14Z")
Pretty sure I’m in the minority, but I greatly prefer Charlie and the Chocolate Factory over its 70s counterpart. I feel it was much closer to the original feel of the book and the music was better. Although I can’t deny the pure campiness of the original that appeals to many people. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/58 "2007-10-08T23:52:16Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] That’s like saying “an apple is vastly superior to an orange”. The two shows share the same name, that’s about it. [/QUOTE] That’s ridiculous. For one thing, oranges are far superior to apples. For another, the two shows have _exactly the same plot_. They’re eminently comparable, and indeed, that seems to be the first thing everyone says about the new show: it’s a lot better than the original. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/59 "2007-10-09T00:29:36Z")
[QUOTE=Ferd Burfel] \ _[Heaven Can Wait](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077663/) \* was better than_ [Here Comes Mr. Jordan](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033712/) \*. [/QUOTE] It was also much much much better than [Down To Earth](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0231775/) eta I’ve also been thinking about _ **Bedazzled** _. Peter Cook/Dudley Moore is usually an unbeatable combination, and it might just be my crush on Brendan Fraser, but his Bedazzled (with Elizabeth Hurley) was much better. It had a tighter script, but YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907/60 "2007-10-09T00:36:09Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] That’s like saying “an apple is vastly superior to an orange”. [/QUOTE] Right. A luscious, freshly picked apple floating in ice water in the middle of a desert, and a slightly manky orange with some of that green powdery mould growing on the bottom of it. Okay, a luscious, freshly picked apple with some pacing and direction problems in the third bite, but still. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-has-never-been-a-movie-remake-better-than-the-original/421907.md?page=4)