10 Great Movie Remakes
These days it seems like movie remakes are all the rage, and over the past few years, I’ve listened to a lot of people complaining about remakes on principle alone. While a lot of them are horrible abominations unto the God of Movies, there are a few out there that are pretty good. In fact, there are some that are legitimately superior. I’m not saying that I’m an advocate for remakes, but even I feel like there are some movies that should be remade.
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- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellWilford BrimleyKeith DavidA research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.Of course, I’m talking about the 1982 version and not the 2011 one. This film is pretty much regarded by experts and internet trolls alike as the greatest remake of all time.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsJeff BridgesMatt DamonHailee SteinfeldA stubborn teenager enlists the help of a tough U.S. Marshal to track down her father's murderer.Well, in my humble opinion, walking funny and saying “Pilgrim” don’t make you the epitome of machismo, and wearing an eye patch shouldn’t win you an Oscar! I’ve tried to re-watch the original after the remake came out and it’s hard to get through the entire thing.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsGeorge ClooneyBrad PittJulia RobertsDanny Ocean and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.The remake manages to capture the essence of the original with leads that are too cool for school and a sense of humor that manages to make it one of the better movies of the new millennium.
- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsDaniel CraigEva GreenJudi DenchAfter earning a licence to kill, secret agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007. Bond must defeat a private banker funding terrorists in a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, in Montenegro.The original never really makes it clear exactly who 007 really is. The remake, though, makes it abundantly clear that the new 007 is Daniel Craig.
- 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.Fans of the original are outraged over the remake, I can’t really be that surprised. After all, any good foreign film will be remade by Hollywood, and this one just so happens to be one of the best.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartDoris DayBrenda de BanzieAn American doctor and his wife, a former singing star, witness a murder while vacationing in Morocco, and are drawn into a twisting plot of international intrigue when their young son is kidnapped.When the same director decides to helm the remake of his original, it’s going to be hard to poke holes in it. And when that same director claims that the remake is the superior version, well, no one really has the right to argue, especially when Alfred Hitchcock is said director.
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsClint EastwoodGian Maria VolontèMarianne KochA wandering gunfighter plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge.Despite the fact that the film is a complete ripoff of Yojimbo, I love it anyway. In fact, I love it so much it’s almost impossible to decide which one is my favorite.
- DirectorJohn SturgesStarsYul BrynnerSteve McQueenCharles BronsonSeven gunfighters are hired by Mexican peasants to liberate their village from oppressive bandits.It’s no secret that it’s a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s classic Seven Samurai. While I might never admit that this movie is better than the original, I will say that it’s a damn fine movie. With the likes of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson starring, the movie has immortalized itself as a classic man’s movie.
- DirectorFrank OzStarsSteve MartinMichael CaineGlenne HeadlyTwo con men try to settle their rivalry by betting on who can swindle a young American heiress out of fifty thousand dollars first.Just remember that in Hollywood there’s a thin line between homage and blatant rip-off. Luckily, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is neither. Let’s just hope the upcoming remake is halfway decent.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsAl PacinoMichelle PfeifferSteven BauerIn 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.Brian De Palma managed to completely modernize the film by setting it in the drug-fueled underworld of Miami.