(And I’ll head off further comment – although I know it has plenty of enemies on this Board, I loved Peter Jackson’s version)
The Day the Earth Stood Still – I’ve already commented on this at considerable length. But, just to cite one feature, it’s bizarre that Gort looks even less believable in the remake. a Man for All Seasons – well, maybe not the worst, with all that talent (Charlton Heston, John Gielgud, and Vanessa Redgrave back as the only one from the original, now with a meatier role), but the most pointless remake until the one of Psycho. Why remake what was already perfect? The Absent-Minded Professor – Disney remade it twice – once with Harry Anderson on TV, once with Robin Williams to show off theit CGI. Why?
Sleuth – I know the remake is considered much better, with Harold Pinter rewriting “hack” Anthony Schaffer’s work, but I prefer the Hack, myself. At least he’s quotable. The remake is pretentious.
I’ll disagree that all remakes are bad. The classic counterexample being The Maltese Falcon – Huston’s version is the third one, and it blows its predecessors out of the water. The Wizard of Oz is another example – Larry Semon’s silent version is a curiosity (Oliver Hardy as the Tin Man!) and Baum’s own silent versions are weird little things.
King one could debate, I suppose, if one had the time. But when you throw in Kubrick, I’d have to say that you have an unusual definition of the word “hack.”
I’ll admit I kind of liked the re-made Manchurian Candidate.
In the interest of furthering everyone’s disgust with me, I’ll also admit to enjoying the re-made song Fortunate Son done by Wyclef Jean which played during the opening credits.
If the romantic triangle in Pearl Harbor had been omitted, I daresay it would have been an okay film (and about 45 minutes shorter). FDR saying he has no time for bullshit? Cool!
We still would have the fictional pilots who were at both PH and on Doolittle’s Raid, but so be it.
I Am Legend, Remake of The Omega Man
*Godzilla (200?) *Remake of Godzilla (1964)
*The Lion King *Remake of *Kimba the White Lion *(yeah, I said it) Speed Racer The Flintstones
Which, in turn, is a remake of The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price. All of them are supposedly based on Richard Matheson’s novel “I Am Legend”, but none of them is really faithful to it. Arguably the Price version comes closest, but the recent Will Smith version is more watchable. One o’ these days I’d like to see it (like I’d like to see so much SF literature) filmed straight.
The 3rd remake has the hero shooting an injection into a martian. That deviates far from the idea that they did not have natural defenses to our germs.
Judging whether a remake was better means you compare the movies. The story is irrelevant.
The original had a scene in the beginning where they kind of see the craft under the ice. To get an idea of the shape of it they all stand around the edge of it. Then they realize it is round and they have a flying saucer under them. A cool movie moment.
The original was terrifying ,but then I was about 8 when I saw it the first time.
It would still have had (cook’s assistant) Cuba Gooding, Jr. and (greenhorn pilots) Josh Hartnett and Ben Affleck shooting down an entire Japanese Navy air wing by themselves.
And the worst speeches ever given on film by whichever Baldwin was in it.
So? That’s cool. Like the new kid in the rebel alliance destroying the Death Star almost single-handedly. It’s entertainment for god’s sake, not an encyclopedia.
Actually, the story is relevant. If it is closer to the source material, if it respects more the intent of the original creator, then the remake is superior to the original film.