15 Film Remakes That Had been An Insult to the Authentic

Remakes have persistently been a big a part of the movie business virtually for the reason that starting. From masterpieces which might be typically acknowledged to be higher than the unique, reminiscent of David Cronenberg‘s The Fly, to absolute disasters that make one marvel why anybody thought {that a} remake was even obligatory within the first place, reminiscent of Jon Favreau‘s The Lion King, it seems that Hollywood won’t ever run out of previous 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 here are essentially the most egregious movies that insult their supply materials just by being a remake of the unique film.

15

‘A Nightmare on Elm Avenue’ (2010)

Directed by Samuel Bayer

Residing as much as being a real nightmare remake, A Nightmare on Elm Street offers jump-worthy moments however fails in its modernized narrative. The film stars Rooney Mara and Kyle Gallner as their buddies are slaughtered of their sleep, one after the other, however a monstrous man with razor blades on his arms known as Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley). The pair, scared to sleep, do all the things to remain awake and uncover a stunning secret from their shared childhoods.

There’s nothing within the fashionable model that screams “This franchise influenced an period of horror motion pictures.” The unique 1984 movie not solely scared viewers with its originality, however it additionally explored darker themes of traumatic repression and questioning actuality. The 2010 model felt easy within the worst method by utilizing the narrative as a filler between gory and bloody kill sequences as an alternative of counting on the story to permit the horror to make sense. The fashionable remake moreover revamped the enduring villain from playful to creepy, doing an injustice to his legacy and the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Discover how there hasn’t been one other try since? —Ali Teske

14

‘Yours, Mine & Ours’ (2005)

Directed by Raja Gosnell

Practically 4 many years after the beloved household movie starring Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda graced the display in 1968, Yours, Mine & Ours tried to convey a brand new technology a story of 1 blended household of 18 kids. Dennis Quaid stars as Frank Beardsley, a widowed Naval officer who falls in love with a free-spirited, additionally widowed, designer Helen North (Rene Russo). The pair marry, and the difficulty begins between Frank’s eight kids and Helen’s ten. The film lacks the attraction of the unique, feeling extra like a pressured remake to compete with the 2003 remake of Cheaper By the Dozen.

Audiences of the period fell in love with the cohabitation of the 1968 Beardsley-North clan, particularly the wet evening they moved into the enormous home. The kids’s battle arose earlier than the wedding however developed into how might Helen mom Frank’s kids and the way might Frank father Helen’s, all of them studying to assist and love one another by means of the hiccups. The 2003 model spent extra time on the kids’s conflict with one another and their mutual settlement to interrupt their blended households up. Gimmicky and shallow, for audiences in search of a healthful household comedy, flip again time and revisit the classic performances of Ball and Fonda. —Ali Teske

13

‘The Day the Earth Stood Nonetheless’ (2008)

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Making an attempt to remake the enduring stand-out science fiction film of 1951 reminds one of many saying, “If it ain’t broke, do not repair it.” The Day the Earth Stood Nonetheless is re-imagined with Keanu Reeves starring as Klaatu, a human-like extraterrestrial who visits planet Earth with a strong robotic counterpart whose motives to protect peace are seen as a risk by the federal government. Seemingly fueling more cash into the particular results than the script, the 2008 film failed to know why the unique film was so good.

The 1951 movie was a commentary on the Chilly Struggle and the atomic weapons period, adamantly fueling the Nineteen Fifties fears of alien sightings. The target was to provide social commentary on society’s self-destruction, pleading for worldwide peace. Whereas Reeves is a superb sci-fi lead, his appearing prowess by no means had an opportunity with the bare-bones narrative. The Day the Earth Stood Nonetheless is a watch that feels just like the runtime stands nonetheless, making it an insult to certainly one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time. —Ali Teske

12

‘Jacob’s Ladder’ (2019)

Directed by David M. Rosenthal

Misplaced inside itself simply because the titular character is meant to be, Jacob’s Ladder was a remake that introduced nothing new to the display, a product of Hollywood’s machine of remakes. The film stars Michael Ealy as Jacob, a person returning residence from Afghanistan after dropping his brother in fight. He begins to query his sanity and actuality as his thoughts tortures him with hallucinations and paranoia. Sounds nice, however was not for critics and audiences. The alleged thriller was a whole bust in depicting the psychological effects of war.

The pointless remake misplaced all of the introspective conversations with the concern of demise and the vivid surrealism of the unique starring Tim Robbins. The 1990 narrative actually dedicated to the fabric, whereas the film virtually three many years later lacked the funding obligatory to supply the depth of the movie’s ending. —Ali Teske

11

‘Level Break’ (2015)

Directed by Ericson Core

It is actually troublesome to match the enchantment of a Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves motion film. The remake of Point Break is a narrative of testing loyalties starring Luke Bracey as Johnny Utah, an FBI recruit who befriends the chief of a daredevil heist group, Bodhi (Edgar Ramírez). As Utah embeds within the gang of thrill-seeker criminals, the intoxicating expertise of the stunts has the FBI questioning whether or not Utah’s loyalties have shifted.

The remake’s greater stunt funds is the one factor the motion film entertains with. The 1991 authentic was ridiculous in premise, however that is what made it a fan favourite, elevated by performances. Level Break of 2015 lacks emotional reference to the characters, focusing extra on the spectacular stunt work and fewer on the narrative of switching allegiances. Failing to land, the terrible remake pushed audiences to the breaking level of pretending it did not exist and choosing the unique. —Ali Teske

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 identify directed by Norman Jewison, who additionally directed Within the Warmth of the Evening and Jesus Christ Celebrity. Directed by John McTiernan, who had primarily directed motion motion pictures reminiscent of 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 evening imaginative and prescient scene. For instance, throughout this scene, not solely is it arduous to inform who’s being chased or who’s doing the chasing, on account of the evening imaginative and prescient, but in addition the scene strikes one way or the other each too slowly and too shortly on the similar time, making this scene even more durable to look at. As well as, the Rollerball scenes are edited so frantically that it’s arduous to inform what’s even taking place, versus the graceful modifying of the unique film.

9

‘Street Home’ (2024)

Directed by Doug Liman

Street 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 Edge of Tomorrow, the story follows a bouncer named Dalton who turns into the guardian of a tiny Florida city.

Street 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. Nonetheless, within the authentic, the incident that lastly results in Dalton defeating the villain, on this case Wesley, is a cat and mouse sport that results in the demise 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 components of martial arts movie with the struggle 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 Evening 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 most important 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. Nonetheless, 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 utterly absent from the 2016 model, thus leaving audiences with the type 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 film first launched in 2017. It’s the fourth incarnation of The Mummy franchise that started with the 1932 film of the identical identify. 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 making an attempt to outlive in opposition to 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 absolutely incapable of caring about any of the opposite characters. This tells the viewers they need to not care if something occurs to the principle solid if even the principle character refuses to. As well as, Nick additionally positive aspects supernatural skills, together with invincibility, additional eradicating any rigidity that having a strong undead mummy as an antagonist ought to present. Moreover, the film spends an excessive amount of time making an attempt to determine a cinematic universe as an alternative 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 Simple Favor, the story follows a bunch of researchers named Erin, Abby, Holtz, and later Patty, performed by Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, respectively, that begin a magical 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 dialog 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 fairly 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 by means of 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 identify after the 2006 model. Directed by Sophia Takal, who additionally directed episodes of One of Us Is Lying and Gossip Girl, the plot follows a bunch of sorority sisters that discover themselves stalked by a murderous cult of frat boys enhanced by a magic bust of the faculty’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 entails a lady being stabbed repeatedly by the hand of an unseen killer in opposition to 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 is just not solely too pointless to be significant, but in addition too delicate 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 identify by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 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 transferring 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 prevalence is crafted with low-cost CGI, even the collapse of the home on the finish, leading to a far much less engrossing expertise attributable to 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.

3

‘Whole Recall’ (2012)

Directed by Len Wiseman

Total Recall is a science fiction motion movie first launched in 2012. It’s a remake of the 1990 movie of the identical identify by RoboCop director Paul Verhoeven. Directed by Len Wiseman, finest identified for steering the primary two Underworld motion pictures, the story follows a manufacturing facility employee named Douglas Quaid, played by Colin Farrell, as he uncovers a authorities conspiracy involving his reminiscences.

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 by means of this distinctive thriller. Within the remake, nonetheless, this thriller is totally absent, leading to a way more generic story. As well as, the whole lot 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 full of pink sand, mutants with numerous physique abnormalities, and retrofuturistic cities with a number of metal construction, which is absolutely 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 identify. Directed by Jon Favreau, the plot follows a lion named Simba, performed by Donald Glover, on his journey to grow to be king.

The visuals of The Lion King are significantly 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 in any way, not solely taking away the emotion of the character, but in addition offering unintentional comedy by contrasting this lack of a response with such a traumatic occasion. This lack of facial expressions additionally hinders the voice appearing. As an example, the 2D animation within the authentic enabled the voice appearing 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 identify by legendary director Alfred Hitchcock, identified for traditional motion pictures reminiscent of Vertigo and North by Northwest. Directed by Gus Van Sant, who additionally directed Good Will Searching and My Personal Non-public 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 Marriage ceremony Crashers fame.

The remake is sort of 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 by means of 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 similar within the remake, as is almost 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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