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It’s a popular belief that most cinematic remakes pale in comparison to the original.
But is thatalwaysthe case?
Sometimes, and more often than you think, the remake actually ends up better than the original.
Both movies have the same “plot” of men sitting around tables playing cards.
Here are 35 movie remakes that are actually better than the original.
(The score, by Goblin, is still evocative after all these years.)
Both versions have their fans.
In September 2017, Andy Muschietti helmed a far more fleshed-out remake befitting the cinematic universe era.
Just don’t bother with the sequel.
The ‘61 original is cute, but the ‘98 version feels like home.
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Remakes aren’t a 21st century invention.
But neither was Brooks’ movie, which has gone on to achieve cult classic status.
Both times The Producers have become movies, they were not immediate hits.
It’s only the gift of time and hindsight that The Producers find true springtime.
In 2004, the movie was remade for the modern War on Terror.
(Both are adaptations of the play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur.)
Despite its star power, it still couldn’t hold a candle to Hawks’ immortal version.
Even with its dated technology, it feels far more timeless than its predecessor.
Both the 1934 original and the more popular ‘56 version were directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Grimy and gritty and sometimes gorgeous, Dredd outguns the original in every way.
The Blob (1988)
It’s admittedly hard not to laugh at a premise like The Blob.
It’s pink alien gelatin that slowly devours an entire small town.
Like, how hard is it to run away from?
It’s just that both scratch very different itches depending on one’s mood.
Man on Fire (2004)
You just can’t beat a collaboration like Tony Scott and Denzel Washington.
Based on the 1980 novel by A.J.
Quinnell, Man on Fire was first a different movie from 1987 with Scott Glenn in the lead role.
Sometimes, patience really is a virtue.
But what the story really needed was David Cronenberg.
To the surprise of everyone, Favreau’s vision is breathtaking and haunting with hypnotic high-fidelity VFX.
(Even back then, studios were keen to rely on pretty much whatever worked before.)
Scent of a Woman (1992)
Can Hollywood smell box office success?
The movie was nominated for many Oscars, with Pacino actually winning Best Actor at the 65th Academy Awards.
The Departed (2006)
Before Martin Scorsese released The Departed, there was Infernal Affairs.
True Grit (2010)
Leave it to the Coen Brothers to outdo a John Wayne classic.
It has vision, it’s just not all put together in the way it maybe should be.
An all-star cast, led by Timothee Chalamet, brings to life Herbert’s story with maximum impact.
Being a silent movie too, it cannot have a showstopper like “Over the Rainbow.”
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Eclipsing the Rat Pack is perhaps the greatest Hollywood heist of the century.
The original Rat Pack movie might have class, but the 2001 version has style for days.
Heat (1995)
It all comes down to the diner scene.
