For Your Consideration …
Posted December 19th, 2006 by RD Heldenfels
As I mentioned in the post below, I am not keen on the idea of "The Prisoner" being made. And this weekend, my younger son watched the updating of "Miami Vice" and pronounced it bad; I can't remember if he ever saw the original but that and the "Prisoner" situation have me asking this question:
Has there ever been a remake as good or better than the original?
I'm going to try to think of one. Feel free to offer your own suggestions.
December 20th, 2006 at 5:46 am
Battlestar Gallactica–I'm not much of a fan of the current show (simply because I didn't start watching until mid-way through last season and I'm still a little lost), but it is certainly better than what I've seen of the original.
I guess one could make the argument for Doctor Who as well, but I consider the new version more of a continuation than a "remake."
And I won't go so far as to say that it is always better than the original, but the American version of The Office generally equals the British version (and does surpass it at times), which is surprising considering how awful the American version of Coupling was.
December 20th, 2006 at 8:21 am
"The Maltese Falcon" (1931) remade into the "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) with Bogart, Mary Astor, & Peter Lorre.
It's a bit of a stretch, "Coupling" (UK) was remake better than the original "Friends" (US)
December 20th, 2006 at 6:21 pm
Here are my five favorite:
The Thing
Cape Fear
Dawn of the Dead
Scarface
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
December 23rd, 2006 at 9:43 am
I'd disagree but I'm sure there are lots of Star Trek fans who think the new ones are superior to the original. Or is that too obvious?
December 23rd, 2006 at 3:07 pm
How about Ocean's Eleven? While it wasn't spectacular, it was a good sight better than the Rat Pack version which simply thought they could get by on charisma alone, IMO.
January 2nd, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Hmm, interesting thoughts. Would have to agree on "Battlestar Galactica" based on my colleagues' reactions (I haven't seen it much) and the awfulness of the original. I liked the original "Ocean's Eleven," especially the downbeat ending, so I might make that a tie. Not sure about "The Office" — although the U.S. version has managed to be good for far more episodes than the original had to come up with. I prefer the original "The Thing."
Not sure about "Maltese Falcon," since you start with Hammett's book; does a second movie version of a book qualify as a remake, or as something different done with the source material? That's a particular issue with mysteries, since they get done and redone, but not just mysteries. What about other shifts in media? Is TV's "Peyton Place" a remake of the movie or, again, just a reuse of the book?
Still, I have to concede that there are indeed remakes better than the original, and I should have thought about it more before posting.
Still interested in other ideas from you folks. May get a column out of this.