Remakes that do NOT suck
This is a short list and that's the point. Remakes are uncreative, insulting, stupid, ridiculous, immature, pretentious and unctuous 99.99% of the time. Here are the few examples of when they're actually worth a damn. That does NOT mean I think any of these are better than their predecessor.
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- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroNick NolteJessica LangeA convicted rapist, released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer who originally defended him.Works well because Scorsese actually expands from the original story with more flawed and realistic characters and even brings back Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck. There's a real example of class.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioMatt DamonJack NicholsonAn undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.Seriously, what is there to say? Badass as hell doesn't cover it.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsDaniel CraigRooney MaraChristopher PlummerJournalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for 40 years by young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander.While this one is certainly good, shame on the producers for not even waiting a full year after the release of the Swedish version before green-lighting this English-speaking version.
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsRussell CroweChristian BaleBen FosterA small-time rancher agrees to hold a captured outlaw who's awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. A battle of wills ensues as the outlaw tries to psych out the rancher.Holds up very well thanks to the performances by Crowe and Bale, but especially because of the fight scenes. This is about as rough and brutal as any Western Hollywood's ever made and it's quite good.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsJeff BridgesMatt DamonHailee SteinfeldA stubborn teenager enlists the help of a tough U.S. Marshal to track down her father's murderer.This one flattens the original. The acting in the 1969 version has aged so badly that its almost unwatchable. John Wayne holds up well but Jeff Bridges is far superior as Cogburn. Most importantly, this one actually makes the girl a real character. Kudos to the wonderful, Hailee Steinfeld!
- DirectorLouis LeterrierStarsSam WorthingtonLiam NeesonRalph FiennesPerseus, a demigod and the son of Zeus, battles the minions of Hades and the Underworld in order to stop them from conquering Olympus and Earth.I'm sorry, but aside from the cinematography, this one beats the original in every way. In the 1981 version, the special effects are horrible, the acting is deplorable, and you'll need a few drinks to even finish it. Nostalgia is the only thing keeping it alive. In the remake however, the acting's at least coherent, the the special effects are great and the pegasus in particular is magnificent to behold.
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellWilford BrimleyKeith DavidA research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.One of the only decent 'horror' films anymore. Not great, but still effective and certainly praise-worthy.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsGeorge ClooneyBrad PittJulia RobertsDanny Ocean and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.The cast and the dialogue sell it to epic proportions, but it's the amazing writing that makes this one a timeless gem