The Best Movie Remakes

Over at Gone Hollywood they’ve posted a list of what they characterize as “15 Of The Best Movie Remakes Ever”. I think their definition of “remake” is overly broad. They’re using it in the sense of an adaptation.

By that standard most movies are remakes since they’re adapted from novels, video games, stories, news stories, or even editorials. Using that definition Casablanca is a remake because it’s an adaptation of a play. I think that “remake” should be used more narrowly in the sense of a movie that’s another take on the material in a previous movie. Even using that definition remake covers an enormous amount of territory.

For example, there’s the glorious Technicolor remake of A Prisoner of Zenda with Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr. It is a short-for-shot remake of the previous classic version of the same story starring Ronald Coleman and Madeleine Carroll. But it’s in Technicolor. Another example is The Mask of Zorro which mines some of the same material as the Tyrone Power-Linda Darnell The Mark of Zorro. It’s so different I can hardly think of it as a remake.

Most remakes which really are remakes are simply not worth the celluloid, videotape, or bits. I think, for example, of the incredibly awful 1966 version of Stagecoach, a remake of the John Ford classic in which he virtually invented the language of the modern Western. Or there’s Meet Joe Black a tepid remake of 1934’s fascinating Death Takes a Holiday starring one of my favorite actors, Fredric March, and one of the most beautiful actresses ever to grace the cinema Evelyn Venable (who lead an interesting life after she retired from the movies).

However, some remakes cause you to re-evaluate your view of the original movie and some are even better than the originals.

As dwelt upon at length in Sleepless in Seattle, An Affair to Remember is many people’s favorite movie, a classic tear-jerker romance. It was remade a few years ago as Love Affair but was itself a remake of the earlier Love Affair starring Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne (which I prefer).

John Wayne’s 1948 3 Godfathers was a remake of the 1936 picture Three Godfathers. Which is better? The 1936 picture is certainly darker but it’s a close call.

I think that by far the greatest remake ever made is John Huston’s 1941 classic, The Maltese Falcon. Yes, it’s a remake of a 1931 picture also called The Maltese Falcon. The 1931 picture isn’t bad but it doesn’t reach the standard of the ’41 version. Bogart and Astor. Gives me chills just thinking about it.

Any thoughts on great movie remakes? Any that are actually better than the originals?

7 comments… add one
  • PD Shaw Link

    39 Steps comes to mind, but only because you recently blogged that the Ralph Thomas version was one of your favorite movies.

    White Christmas. One of the cable channels was showing this least season back to back to back with Holiday Inn; I’m not sure I remember which is which anymore, or whether one is particularly superior to the other.

    High Society and Philadelphia Story. I think a number of people prefer the ramake; I don’t.

  • I think that High Society is a great document rather than a great movie. Getting that cast into a single movie. I particularly relish the scenes with Der Bingle and Satchmo. I don’t think they’re acting. I think that’s the way it was between them.

  • Maxwell James Link

    Hmm. I’m not sure if it meets your criteria but I think the 2005 remake of King Kong was considerably better than the original in important ways (though I’d be the first to agree that it was far too bloated in length).

    Similarly, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (2005) in some ways surpassed Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971), though I’m not at all sure I’d say it was better overall. Both have their charms.

    Technically, The Bourne Identity (2002) could be called a remake of The Bourne Identity (1988). I haven’t seen the latter but the former is pretty good.

    Generally speaking I agree though – most remakes are a waste. Too many directors want to remake classics that simply can’t be improved upon.

  • PD Shaw Link

    On further reflection, I realize 39 Steps is based upon a novel so it wouldn’t be in your definition of a remake. I’ve also been thinking of the James Bond movies, like Never Say Never Again, but they’re obviously based on a book as well.

    I think The Mummy (1999) is probably superior to the original, mainly because I think he was one of the lesser of the original Universal monsters.

  • sam Link

    Speaking of remakes and things that can fill one with dread [supra]… (or maybe not, I mean, Mike Nichols….)

    BlackVoices revealed yesterday that [Chris] Rock will be taking on his greatest challenge yet, scripting a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “High and Low” to be helmed by “Charlie Wilson’s War” director Mike Nichols.

  • Michael Reynolds Link

    I thought AVATAR was a pretty good remake of Disney’s POCAHONTAS. Although I’m not quite sure why the Indians were blue.

  • No doubt Cameron was trying to capitalize on Smurf nostalgia.

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