Remakes have constantly been a big a part of the movie trade nearly for the reason that starting. From masterpieces which can be usually acknowledged to be higher than the unique, corresponding to David Cronenberg‘s The Fly, to absolute disasters that make one marvel why anybody thought {that a} remake was even essential within the first place, corresponding to Jon Favreau‘s The Lion King, it seems that Hollywood won’t ever run out of outdated concepts to revisit and reimagine.
Of this latter group, a few of them fail so badly at being a remake that they serve solely as an insult to the unique movie. Listed below are essentially the most egregious movies that insult their supply materials just by being a remake of the unique film.
10 ‘Rollerball’ (2002)
Directed by John McTiernan
Rollerball is a science fiction sports activities movie first launched in 2002. It serves as a remake of the 1975 movie of the identical title directed by Norman Jewison, who additionally directed Within the Warmth of the Night time and Jesus Christ Famous person. Directed by John McTiernan, who had primarily directed action movies such as Die Hard and Final Motion Hero, the plot follows a pair of rollerball gamers named Jonathan and Marcus as they uncover the conspiracy behind this rigged sport.
The modifying in Rollerball makes the movie borderline unwatchable. That is particularly clear within the notorious night time imaginative and prescient scene. For instance, throughout this scene, not solely is it laborious to inform who’s being chased or who’s doing the chasing, because of the night time imaginative and prescient, but additionally the scene strikes in some way each too slowly and too shortly on the identical time, making this scene even tougher to observe. As well as, the Rollerball scenes are edited so frantically that it’s laborious to inform what’s even taking place, versus the sleek modifying of the unique film.
9 ‘Highway Home’ (2024)
Directed by Doug Liman
Highway Home is an motion movie first launched in 2024. It’s a remake of the 1989 movie of the same name. Directed by Doug Liman, additionally identified for Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Fringe of Tomorrow, the story follows a bouncer named Dalton who turns into the guardian of a tiny Florida city.
Highway Home is a generic motion movie in distinction to the unique’s campy enjoyable. For instance, the remake ends in a generic rescue mission, with the villain, Brandt, kidnapping Dalton’s love curiosity, Ellie, forcing him to save lots of her. Nevertheless, within the authentic, the incident that lastly results in Dalton defeating the villain, on this case Wesley, is a cat and mouse recreation that results in the loss of life of Dalton’s ally Garrett, thus offering a tense buildup to the ultimate battle, versus the abrupt cliché within the remake. As well as, the ultimate battle itself is so generic that it even ends in an motion film explosion, whereas within the authentic it mixed parts of martial arts movie with the battle and stealth scenes, in addition to bodily comedy, as seen when Dalton dispatches one of many henchmen with a conveniently-placed taxidermy bear.
8 ‘Ben-Hur’ (2016)
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov
Ben-Hur is an epic historic drama movie first launched in 2016. It’s the third remake of the 1925 movie Ben-Hur: A Story of the Christ, following the 1959 model and the animated 2003 model, each of which starred Charlton Heston of Planet of the Apes fame. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, who additionally directed Night time Watch and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, the plot follows a Jewish prince named Judah Ben-Hur, performed by Jack Huston, who additionally appeared in American Hustle, as he seeks revenge after escaping slavery.
The largest deadly flaw in Ben-Hur is the dependancy to blockbuster motion. As an example, the 1959 model ended a contemplative scene of Ben-Hur and his household quietly taking within the crucifixion of Jesus. Nevertheless, on this scene from the 2016 model, Ben-Hur is randomly punched by a soldier, taking away the deep thoughtfulness this scene ought to have. As well as, the story is way much less clever. For instance, within the 1959 model, there’s a main plot level involving Ben-Hur saving and being adopted by a Roman commander, thus offering nuance to the Roman occupation. That is fully absent from the 2016 model, thus leaving audiences with the form of black and white morality becoming of an ’80s motion cartoon.
7 ‘The Mummy’ (2017)
Directed by Alex Kurtzman
The Mummy is an action-adventure fantasy movie first launched in 2017. It’s the fourth incarnation of The Mummy franchise that started with the 1932 film of the identical title. Directed by Alex Kurtzman, who additionally co-created Fringe and Sleepy Hole, the story follows an adventurer named Nick Morton, performed by Tom Cruise of Mission: Impossible fame, who finds himself attempting to outlive towards an undead Egyptian princess named Ahmanet.
Nick Morton is insufferable as a protagonist, in direct distinction to each Peter Cushing‘s and Brendan Fraser‘s protagonists within the 1959 and 1999 variations, respectively. For instance, Nick is clearly proven all through the movie to be totally incapable of caring about any of the opposite characters. This tells the viewers they need to not care if something occurs to the primary solid if even the primary character refuses to. As well as, Nick additionally features supernatural skills, together with invincibility, additional eradicating any rigidity that having a robust undead mummy as an antagonist ought to present. Moreover, the film spends an excessive amount of time attempting to ascertain a cinematic universe as a substitute of telling a compelling story.
6 ‘Ghostbusters’ (2016)
Directed by Paul Feig
Ghostbusters is a supernatural comedy movie first launched in 2016. It’s the third entry within the Ghostbusters franchise and the primary reboot (to be clear, loosely if not explicitly a remake). Directed by Paul Feig, who additionally directed Bridesmaids and A Easy Favor, the story follows a gaggle of researchers named Erin, Abby, Holtz and later Patty, performed by Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, respectively, that begin a mystical investigation enterprise.
Ghostbusters fails painfully with reference to its comedic timing. For instance, after Invoice Murray‘s character Martin is killed by a ghost, the Ghostbusters have a conversion with a cop that shortly turns right into a pressured try at random humor, thus treating the exit of one of many authentic film’s leads like a joke, and a reasonably unhappy and unfunny one at that. The unique Ghostbusters had much better comedic timing. As an example, at first, Peter, Egon and Ray are quietly approaching the ghost of an aged librarian, just for the ghost to show right into a threatening skeletal specter, offering comedy via the Ghostbusters’ startled reactions and the shock of the sudden shift within the librarian ghost.
5 ‘Black Christmas’ (2019)
Directed by Sophia Takal
Black Christmas is a slasher movie first launched in 2019. It serves because the second remake of the 1974 film of the identical title after the 2006 model. Directed by Sophia Takal, who additionally directed episodes of Considered one of Us Is Mendacity and Gossip Woman, the plot follows a gaggle of sorority sisters that discover themselves stalked by a murderous cult of frat boys enhanced by a magic bust of the school’s founder.
The kills in Black Christmas are extraordinarily tame. For instance, throughout a scene by which the sisters are attacked by the cultists of their home, the attackers are killed in a really cold method. Within the authentic model, essentially the most well-known scene includes a lady being stabbed repeatedly by the hand of an unseen killer towards a backdrop of Christmas carols, offering an eerie distinction between this darkish show of violence and the joyous celebration occurring all through the remainder of the home. Within the 2019 film, nonetheless, the violence isn’t solely too pointless to be significant, but additionally too gentle to enchantment to followers of gore.
4 ‘Poltergeist’ (2015)
Directed by Gil Kenan
Poltergeist is a supernatural horror movie first launched in 2015. It serves as a remake of the 1982 movie of the identical title by The Texas Chain Noticed Bloodbath and The Funhouse director Tobe Hooper. Directed by Gil Kenan, who additionally directed Monster Home and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the story follows a household being haunted by a collection of supernatural occurrences after shifting into a brand new home.
This remake has far fewer ghostly encounters, and fewer efficient ones as nicely. For instance, within the authentic film, there’s a scene by which an investigator seemingly tears off his personal face in chunks, using very efficient sensible results. Within the remake, nonetheless, each supernatural incidence is crafted with low-cost CGI, even the collapse of the home on the finish, leading to a far much less engrossing expertise on account of this subpar visible show. As well as, the spirit skilled character is way worse within the remake. As an example, the unique had Tangina Barrons, a clearly educated skilled with an air of secrecy to her. The remake, nonetheless, has Carrigan Burke, a tacky web character that forcibly reminds the viewers of Barrons’ most iconic line from the unique.
- Director
- Gil Kenan
- Runtime
- 93 Minutes
3 ‘Whole Recall’ (2012)
Directed by Len Wiseman
Whole Recall is a science fiction motion movie first launched in 2012. It’s a remake of the 1990 movie of the identical title by RoboCop director Paul Verhoeven. Directed by Len Wiseman, finest identified for guiding the primary two Underworld motion pictures, the story follows a manufacturing unit employee named Douglas Quaid, performed by Colin Farrell, who additionally appeared in The Batman and The Banshees of Inisherin, as he uncovers a authorities conspiracy involving his recollections.
Whole Recall removes the paradox that made the unique fascinating. For instance, the unique had maintained a way of uncertainty about whether or not or not Quaid is just imagining the occasions being proven or not, creating a way of intrigue via this distinctive thriller. Within the remake, nonetheless, this thriller is totally absent, leading to a way more generic story. As well as, the whole thing of the remake takes place on Earth, taking away the fantastical location of Mars from the unique. As an example, the remake has a generic grey dystopia, whereas the unique has a world stuffed with pink sand, mutants with numerous physique abnormalities, and retrofuturistic cities with plenty of metal construction, which is totally absent from the remake.
2 ‘The Lion King’ (2019)
Directed by Jon Favreau
The Lion King is a musical drama movie first launched in 2019. It’s a remake of the 1994 movie of the identical title. Directed by Jon Favreau, who additionally directed the primary two Iron Man motion pictures, the plot follows a lion named Simba, performed by Donald Glover, on his journey to turn into king.
The visuals of The Lion King are considerably inferior to these of the unique, as seen by the facial expressions. For instance, within the authentic, after Simba sees his father, Mufasa, die, he’s left with an expression of utter terror, emphasizing each his grief and anguish in a single body. Within the remake, nonetheless, Simba has nearly no expression by any means, not solely taking away the emotion of the character, but additionally offering unintentional comedy by contrasting this lack of a response with such a traumatic occasion. This lack of facial expressions additionally hinders the voice performing. As an example, the 2D animation within the authentic enabled the voice performing and the facial expressions to work collectively to convey the feelings all through. The remake, nonetheless, is extra akin to dubbing audio over Animal Planet inventory footage.
1 ‘Psycho’ (1998)
Directed by Gus Van Sant
Psycho is a psychological horror movie first launched in 1998. It serves as a remake of the 1960 movie of the identical title by legendary director Alfred Hitchcock, identified for traditional motion pictures corresponding to Vertigo and North by Northwest. Directed by Gus Van Sant, who additionally directed Good Will Looking and My Personal Personal Idaho, the plot follows a collection of murders that happen within the mysterious Bates Motel and its proprietor Norman Bates, performed by Vince Vaughn of Wedding ceremony Crashers fame.
The remake is nearly a shot-for-shot remake of the unique. For instance, there’s a scene within the authentic by which Norman, performed by Anthony Perkins who additionally appeared in Catch-22, barges via a door with a knife and makes an attempt to stab Lila whereas dressed like his mom, solely to be restrained by Sam. This scene is an identical within the remake, as is sort of each different scene, to the purpose of recreating Hitchcock’s angles and composition all through. All of this comes collectively to make this essentially the most pointless remake ever, and subsequently the largest insult to the unique by being such a poor imitation.
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