Sometimes a movie reboot is just what the doctor ordered. The original had a great idea but horrible execution, and the reboot or remake comes along to right the wrongs of the past.
However, it’s not a guaranteed recipe for success. Hollywood’s overreliance on remakes and reboots has led to general apathy among moviegoers. Sometimes it’s because an arguably perfect movie is remade, which is something nobody has ever asked for. Other times, it’s more proof that the original idea doesn’t work.
This is something that got us thinking: what are the best and worst examples of reboots and remakes in movie history? We went digging for answers; here’s what we found.
Best – Dredd (2012)
Based on the 2000 AD comic strip, 2012’s Dredd is a much more faithful and enjoyable adaptation compared to the 1995 version starring Sylvester Stallone.
The Karl Urban film does a far better job of matching the tone of the source material, coming off as more deadpan than serious. Combined with a sense of stytle and flair that perfectly encapsulates the early 2010s, you have everything you need for a successful reboot.
Worst – Total Recall (2012)
I have no idea why they decided to remake Total Recall other than, well, you know, money.
The problem with the 2012 version of the film is that, unlike Dredd, sometimes you lean a little too much into the style of the current era. That’s the biggest problem with the movie compared to the original: it lacks the subtlety and dryness that made the Arnold Schwarzenegger version a classic.
Best – The Birdcage (1996)
A popular trope in Hollywood is remaking foreign films into American versions.
That’s the case with 1996’s The Birdcage, based on the 1978 film LA Cage aux Folles. This is a filmmaking approach that has mixed results, but thanks to the performance of its ensemble cast, notably Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, The Birdcage is a comedy classic.
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Worst – The Lion King (2019)
The live-action Disney remakes have had a mixed reaction, and that’s putting it nicely.
Still, there’s a certain allure to seeing our favorite animated Disney films redone in live action. That’s not the case with The Lion King, though, since, well, there aren’t any humans in it. The “live action” here is just a more realistic CGI animation, which in turn leads to a more realistic feeling movie. As a result, it loses a lot of the magic, heart, and charm of the original.
Best – Dune (2021, 2024)
The biggest problem with David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Dune is that it was impossible to capture the entire novel in one film.
Denis Villeneuve’s decision to split the novel up into two movies, combined with the excellent direction and cinematography his films are known for, results in one of the greatest theatrical adaptations of all time.
Worst – The Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)
Yeah, I have no idea why they decided to make a Blues Brothers movie without John Belushi.
This one is as bad as you’d expect. Stick with the original.
Best – Ocean’s 11 (2001)
Are George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Brad Pitt the modern-day versions of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.?
That’s a tough one, but I do at least know this: Ocean’s Eleven is a fantastic film whose success has led to two sequels (one decent, one underrated), as well as plans for another. The writing is sharp, the cast has impeccable chemistry, and the runtime just flies by. I’m not ashamed to admit that I love these movies and can’t wait for Ocean’s Fourteen.
Worst – The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008)
Remember when I talked about there not being a need to remake classic movies? Here’s a good example.
1951’s The Day the Earth Stood Still is an all-time classic whose message hit a little more at home in the early ’50s. Not only does it not have the same impact today, but retooling the message away from the Cold War and more to climate change resulted in the movie feeling a little too preachy at times.
Best – Casino Royale (2006)
As much as I love GoldenEye, it became clear relatively quickly that the James Bond franchise was in desperate need of retooling after Pierce Brosnan’s run.
Four years after his final film, the franchise was hard rebooted with Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig. The plan worked: Casino Royale gives us a younger, grittier, less experienced, but still confident James Bond, who resonated better with viewers than the over-the-top, sometimes wacky tone the franchise had become known for.
Worst – Psycho (1998)
A shot-for-shot remake of the Alfred Hitchcock classic? What could go wrong? Well, a lot, actually.
I’m not joking, either; Gus Van Sant’s 19998 version of Psycho is literally a shot-for-shot remake with Vince Vaughn, of all people, as Norman Bates. When asked why he’d do a shot-for-shot remake of the classic, Van Sant infamously said, “Why not? It’s a marketing scheme. Why does a studio ever remake a film? Because they have this little thing they’ve forgotten about that they could put in the marketplace and make money from.”
Best – The Maltese Falcon (1941)
1941’s The Maltese Falcon is actually a remake of a 1931 film with the same name. However, that 1931 film was greatly affected by the Hays Code, which was a form of self-censorship that applied to most major studios from 1934 through 1968.
As a result, the original movie was essentially restricted due to some more risque topics, all of which were adapted from the 1930 novel of the same name. The 1941 film, however, avoided these pitfalls and eventually became one of the greatest and most influential movies of all time.
Worst – Fantastic Four (2015)
The Fantastic Four franchise is in good hands now, thanks to the success of their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Fantastic Four: First Steps. It wasn’t always that way, though.
The iconic superhero team saw box office success in the early 2000s, but a 2010s remake wanted to make things darker and grittier. Instead, it nearly killed the box office allure of some of the most important superheroes in all of comics.
Best – Batman Begins (2005)
Speaking of comic book heroes, Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins successfully resurrected the Batman franchise from the depths of Joel Schumacher’s overly campy (and honestly downright terrible) movies.
Nolan’s Batman universe is more grounded in reality, but it isn’t always taking itself too seriously. It results in a fantastic reboot to an iconic hero, paving the way for one of the most influential comic book trilogies of all time.
Worst – A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
In 2009, the Friday the 13th franchise rebooted in a film that adapted from various past entries in the iconic horror series. It wasn’t anything to write home about, but it made nearly $100 million at the box office.
Off the back of that success, we saw a reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street just a year later. It, too, was a box office success, but that was in spite of the movie’s quality. Wes Craven’s original films are horror masterpieces, while the remake lacks the creativity of those Wes Craven films.
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