10 Movie Remakes That Are Better Than The Original
This past summer, the much loved Ghostbusters movie was “rebooted” with a re-release titled the same. You can read all our thoughts on this new version here. But suffice to say, it didn’t hold up to the greatness of the original. The 1984 version of Ghostbusters pretty much superseded the 2016 version in every conceivable way. Which was unfortunate, because I really wanted it to be good.
While the new Ghostbusters wasn’t that good, it was also probably never going to be better than the original. That’s just a losing battle. But that got me thinking. Was there ever a case where a movie was remade into a better version? Not surprising, the answers is yes! What we have here are 10 Movies that were remade into better versions. Enjoy!
10 Movie Remakes That Are Better Than The Original
1. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
remade: The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
This heist thriller, starting Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo, featured a fantastic game of “cat and mouse” this duo. Brosnan portrayed a rich art thief and Russo the insurance agent sent to recover his heist. Although the two had great onscreen chemistry, this hidden gem was often overlooked as it premiered too close to the similar-themed movie Entrapment (Sean Connery, Catherine Zeta-Jones), which overshadowed The Thomas Crown Affair with its higher profile cast.
2. Ransom (1996)
remade: Ransom! (1956)
Rene Russo stared in this triller as well, however this it it was with leading man Mel Gibson. Ransom was about a rich business man who’s son was kidnapped, and their struggles to get him back. Directed by Ron Howard, the movie grabbed immediate attention when the trailer showed the scene of Gibson changing the ransom reward to be a bounty on the kidnapper’s head instead.
3. Father of the Bride (1991)
remade: Father of the Bride (1950)
In the 90s, if you wanted to make a great comedy, casting Steve Martin was almost an instant recipe success. In Father of the Bride, Martin turned in an absolutely fantastic performance, helped by his fellow cast members Diane Keaton and Martin Short, about a father who is having issues coming to grips with his daughter growing up.
4. Ocean’s 11 (2001)
remade: Ocean’s 11 (1960)
This 1960s rat pack movie was remade in 2011 with an all star cast that featured the likes of George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy García, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Elliott Gould, Bernie Mac (among others) and was directed by Steven Soderbergh. With that kind of star power, it would be easy for Oceans 11 to become a clunky mess. But their onscreen chemistry was so good it spawned two sequels (of varying degrees of quality).
5. The Fly (1986)
remade: The Fly (1958)
Today, Jeff Goldblum is a bankable name that’s been in blockbusters such as Independence Day and Jurassic Park. But one of his first breakout performances has to be a Seth Brundle in The Fly. Both gross and suspenseful, The Fly was a fanatic movie about a scientist that went a little to far with his inventions. Jeff Goldblum absolutely nailed the performance in this role being both creepy and entertaining.
6. Scarface (1983)
remade: Scarface (1932)
1983’s remake of Scarface not only turned out a superior movie, but star Al Pacino brought us a ton of memorable moments that still live on to this day. 30 years later people are still quoting Scarface (Say hello to my little friend!). Scarface was an absolute triumph by writer Oliver Stone and this movie about a drug kingpin in Miami is definitely a must see.
7. The Thing (1982)
remade: The Thing (1952)
You can’t have a movie remake list with out talking about The Thing. This 1982 cult classic improved upon the original in so many ways that there is really no comparison. John Carpenter’s horror movie about an alien that can shape shift into any thing…any body is both terrifying and utterly fantastic. Even the attempted 2011 remake of The Thing still can’t knock off this version from being the best.
8. True Grit (2010)
remade: True Grit (1969)
This one may be a tad controversial, depending on how big of a John Wayne fan you are, but for me, the Coen Brothers absolutely knocked this one out of the park. Star Jeff Bridges gave us an amazing performance about a U.S. Marshall that helps a stubborn teenager track down her father’s murder. Coen Brothers movies can be hit or miss with me, but True Grit is definitely one of their better ones.
9 Casino Royale (2006)
remade: Casino Royale (1967)
Casino Royale were both James Bond movies, but the 2006 version helped to reboot the franchise with Daniel Craig at the helm as Secret Agent James Bond. This new Bond was newer and grittier, having lost some of the humor and camp that had worked its way into the franchise. Overall, Craig’s bond movies have met with mixed reviews, but Casino Royale definitely did went a long way to giving this franchise a much needed refresh.
10. 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
remade: 3:10 to Yuma (1957)
Actors Russle Crowe and Christian Bale give a great tribute to the thrilling age of Westerns in 3:10 to Yuma. The beauty of this movie doesn’t lie in its action sequences, but in the fantastic dialogue between Bale and Crow as they engage in a battle of wills as the outlaw (Crowe) tries to psych out the ranger (Bale) who is paid to escort him to court.
