From brainwashed sleeper agents to a witch coven disguised as a
dance studio. These movie remakes are way better than everyone remembers!
The original 1968 sci-fi classic "Planet of the Apes" was more than just an action-packed
adventure. Starring Hollywood legend Charlton Heston, it was capped off by one of the greatest
twist endings in cinema history, written by the master of surprise twists himself,
Rod Serling. A thoughtful and thought-provoking film with unsubtle layers of social commentary,
its thrills and spills were punctuated by a powerful anti-war message at a time when
fears of nuclear annihilation were very real. Nearly fifty years later,
Rupert Wyatt and Matt Reeves would launch a well-received reboot series starring Andy Serkis.
"NO!"
But somewhere in the middle, "Planet of the Apes" became the subject of a 2001 remake
by Tim Burton — and did solid numbers at the box-office, but was quickly forgotten. Burton's
effort was dragged by critics as poorly produced action schlock with thinly written characters,
and felt almost nothing like the original. Though some of the criticism was valid,
the film is seen very differently if you can separate it from the Heston original. On its
own merits, Burton's version isn't bad at all, it's just a very different movie,
foregoing the more cerebral, slow-paced drama for fast-paced, big budget action.
When viewed as a blockbuster extravaganza, one can overlook its flaws and enjoy it much more
as a roller-coaster adventure with top notch special effects and impressive action sequences
and makeup. One could argue the film may have been better off as an original story. But as it stands,
Burton's "Planet of the Apes" is a sorely underrated remake, largely forgotten by time
as a one-off between the original "Apes" films and the 2010's rebooted franchise.
An iconic '80s war movie, the original "Red Dawn" pitted a group of American
fighters against Russian soldiers. Set in a world where the Soviet Union has grown its influence,
the film begins with a Russian assault of the United States. But as armies of Soviet
soldiers parachute into Colorado, one group of young men and women,
led by actor Patrick Swayze [SWAY-zee], rise up to fight back against their commie invaders.
In 2012, fresh off of his Marvel debut in "Thor," emerging action hero Chris
Hemsworth starred in a long-delayed remake of "Red Dawn." The film boasted
an equally eyebrow-raising supporting cast that included Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Josh Hutcherson,
Adrianne Palecki, and Josh Peck. Instead of the Soviets this time around, though,
the invaders are Russian-backed North Korean soldiers, and Hemsworth stars as
a young Marine who pulls together friends and allies to fight them.
Roasted by critics for its lack of depth, many seemed to completely miss the point
of this remake of "Red Dawn." Though the original may offer somewhat better characters,
this 2012 version is everything a fan of the genre could want: high octane action,
run-and-gun fight scenes, and a briskly-paced, ridiculous war story. As much as die hard fans
of the original will tell you it doesn't compare, if you can remove your rose-colored
nostalgia goggles, you'll find the remake is a silly, old school action movie worth watching.
Some remakes become underrated not because the critics whiffed on them,
but because they are remakes of long-forgotten films. Such is the case with the 1988 comedy
"Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine, which received good reviews
and did reasonably well at the box office, but rarely makes anyone's list of best remakes.
"Pretend to enjoy yourself. Laugh out loud."
The film was rejiggered from the premise of a 1964 film called "Bedtime Story." That
film starred Marlon Brando and David Niven as womanizers and con artists
who set their eyes on the same target: a wealthy heiress played by Shirley Jones.
The '80s version, directed by Frank Oz, had Martin and Caine in the same roles. Caine was scamming
unsuspecting women out of their fortunes through various high-concept, long con-type schemes and
was repelled by Martin's crude, lowbrow common con-man tactics. Taking Martin's character under
his wing, the two eventually agree to team up and work on a rich heiress named Janet,
played by Glenne Headly. But after some clever twists, the question becomes: Who's conning who?
The comedic chemistry between Martin and Caine was terrific in this clever
'80s comedy. Decades later, it's still remembered as one of Martin's best,
even if it rarely gets the recognition it deserves.
A spiritual sequel to George Romero's 1968 film "Night of the Living Dead," his '78
flick "Dawn of the Dead" brought zombies back to theaters with a bit more focus on violence
and gore. A highly influential film, it set the action within the confines of a shopping mall,
with a group of survivors in a zombie apocalypse under siege by the undead. Often copied, few
could hold a candle to its sheer audaciousness and social commentary, but more than 25 years later,
writer James Gunn and director Zack Snyder took a crack at a straight-on remake.
Starring Mekhi Phifer, Ving Rhames, Sarah Polley, Jake Weber, Ty Burrell, and Matt Frewer,
it was faithful to the original in terms of its overall plot progression. But with solid action
and over-the-top amounts of gore that displayed the talents of Gunn and Snyder just before they
broke through to become superhero auteurs, it took the premise to new places. Although,
it can be argued that it lacked the deeper meaning that made Romero's original so substantive.
Nevertheless, those looking for all-out zombie action got exactly what they were looking for,
and Snyder has never made any apologies for his focus on spectacle.
Unfairly held up against Romero's masterpiece,
the 2004 version of "Dawn of the Dead" was largely unloved upon its release,
but over time has earned a following. Today it's seen as one of Snyder's best films,
with Bloody Disgusting going as far as to call it one of the greatest horror remakes ever.
If you're simply looking for big budget action and state-of-the-art special effects,
there's a great Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, and Michael Keaton film from 2014 perfect for you.
Unfortunately, it was titled "RoboCop," so nobody wanted anything to do with it.
Criticized for missing the point of the 1987 classic, this is one remake that seriously suffers
from unjust comparisons. The original film was directed by Paul Verhoeven, starred Peter Weller,
and examined a nihilistic, cold near-future where private enterprise had taken over law enforcement,
employing over-the-top gore, language and violence. The remake had, well, practically
none of that. But what it kept was the always-cool image of a robot cop. And who wouldn't want that?
"I'd buy that for a dollar!"
While the original had its tongue firmly planted in its cheek, with razor-sharp political satire
and gut-bursting violence, the remake took a different route. The crux of the story remains
the same, with Detroit cop Alex Murphy mortally wounded and resurrected as a robot cop, but it has
an entirely different tone and largely drops the original's lust for graphic violence. Instead, the
plot serves as more incisive commentary on drone warfare, in a more serious take on the premise.
Unfortunately, the remake didn't land with audiences or critics;
script leaks and costume dissection killed the film before it even hit theaters, and inevitable
comparisons with the original finished the job. But 2014's "RoboCop" does what a remake should,
taking a time-tested idea and trying to do something new and different with it. In this
case, the remake uses sci-fi to offer a takedown of modern military politics,
and it works better than most were willing to give it credit.
One of Hollywood's seminal political thrillers,
John Frankenheimer's 1962 drama "The Manchurian Candidate" defined the genre.
With tensions between the United States and Russia at their highest, the film landed in theaters
smack dab in the middle of the Cuban Missile Crisis, making it all the more timely and topical.
In the film, a politically connected war veteran is unknowingly brainwashed into carrying out an
assassination of a key figure in an upcoming presidential election. Shortly afterwards,
the assassination of John F. Kennedy would make the film feel even more prophetic.
Some may have felt that the timeliness of "The Manchurian Candidate" made it an unlikely choice
for a remake, but remade it was in 2004 by director Jonathan Demme. This time starring
Denzel Washington, the remake was released during a period of similar unrest and heightened
paranoia in the United States following the events of 9/11. In this new version,
we meet Gulf War veteran Bennett Marco, whose fellow soldier Raymond Shaw is
now running for Vice President. But recent nightmares and an odd implant found under
his skin reveal a sinister conspiracy that may be hiding a horrifying truth.
Bringing the story up-to-date for the 21st century, the 2004 version of "The
Manchurian Candidate" brings a new angle that helps it stand out while still living
up to the ideals of the original. Though well-reviewed, it is rarely discussed among
great modern remakes. But with political tensions on the rise at home and abroad,
perhaps the time has come to yet again remake one of the best thrillers of the 1960s.
How do you remake one of the greatest, most iconic Westerns of all time? Well, John Sturges' "The
Magnificent Seven" was in fact a retelling of the Akira Kurosawa film "The Seven Samurai" that
moved the action from Japan to the Wild West, so perhaps people shouldn't be so skeptical.
Then again, Sturges' "Magnificent Seven" is a classic for a reason. It presented Yul Brynner
at his best and made stars out of Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Charles Bronson and James Coburn.
But Antoine Fuqua's remake was less about its direction and genre-defying innovation,
but instead it boasted a diverse dynamic cast and some solid suspense.
Telling the story of a drifter and gunslinger hired by the people of a small town to help
defend against a marauding villain, and bringing in six more outlaws to help him with the cause,
the plots of both the original and the remake are fairly similar. But,
smartly choosing not to emulate the style and tone of the Sturges classic,
the remake goes for a Western thriller vibe. Some key changes to the story made it more
of a tense character drama with a focus on the heroes' personal scores and tragic backstories.
Co-starring Ethan Hawke, Peter Sarsgaard, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Chris Pratt, the talent in front of
and behind the camera is undeniable. And coupled with "The Manchurian Candidate" and "The Taking
of Pelham 123," clearly Denzel doesn't shy away from lending his talents to challenging remakes.
The newer "Magnificent Seven" delivers the goods in very different ways than the original,
and taken together, they would make an excellent double feature.
"Alright, let's do it."
"Yeah!"
A cult classic of supernatural horror, 1977's "Suspiria" was directed by Italian
filmmaker Dario Argento, and was famous for its striking visuals and overwhelming synth score.
More about its look and feel than its story, it followed a young student arriving at an elite
dance academy run by a coven of otherworldly witches. In the midst of a power struggle,
the witches are working to resurrect an ancient evil known as Mother Suspiriorum.
The story plays out as a suspenseful mystery, as murders pile up to reveal supernatural secrets.
The 2018 remake, starring Tilda Swinton and Dakota Johnson, is nearly the polar opposite,
though it retells the story practically beat-for beat. Instead of a mystery, the audience now knows
the school's secret right off the bat, but watch as its newest student is recruited into their
blood cult. While the original was a strikingly colorful extravaganza, the remake is a beautifully
shot but otherwise more grounded, gritty film focused more on character than shock value.
With a strange, disquieting tone that escalates as the film progresses,
reviews of 2018's "Suspiria" were decidedly mixed, with some critics describing it as shocking,
and others bold and daring. Though divisive, the remake is an unmissable movie for
anyone who loves the art of film; be warned, however, as it's not for the faint of heart.