More often than not, the word “remake” is cause for concern, precisely because lots of viewers believe that remakes are unlikely to be better than what’s come before.
It’s a fair take, to be honest; sometimes, movie remakes can feel like little more than a way for studios to make more bankable cash. And if the team behind a particular remake fails to innovate or improve on the core conceit, the resulting movie can end up feeling a bit soulless, like a pointless exercise in trading on a name.
But that’s not true of every movie remake ever. Cinematic history is full of examples of movie remakes that are better than the original, either because the new filmmakers put their own spin on the idea, or managed to update the original idea with newly-developed tools.
In some cases, these features can even end up becoming the definitive version of a particular tale, or they can help bring a classic idea or genre to a brand-new audience. Here are just a few examples of remakes that were better than the original movie.
‘A Star is Born’ (2018)
Though “A Star is Born” has been remade numerous times with phenomenal stars in the frame each time (and the Barbra Streisand version could easily clinch this spot), I think I might be most taken by Bradley Cooper’s 2018 version.
It’s a story that follows the same beats, but it doesn’t feel outdated whatsoever. Melodramatic though it may be, the 2018 version of “A Star is Born” lives and dies by the chemistry shared by its flawed leads and, frankly, I fail to see how you couldn’t be taken in by Cooper and Lady Gaga. It’s a raw, powerful, and emotional update of the classic tale, and it’s a totally enchanting watch.
‘Casino Royale’ (2006)
Rebooting the legendary spy franchise with “Casino Royale,” a take on the very first Bond story, proved to be a masterstroke, as it produced one of the very best James Bond movies to hit the big screen in a long time.
It abandoned some of the sillier trappings of past adventures and established Daniel Craig as a suave, charismatic, and fiercely capable spy. “Casino Royale” is packed full of thrilling sequences and establishes Craig as a lethal, living weapon, capable of doling out serious damage from the very opening scene.
Sure, the 1967 “Casino Royale” was a spy spoof, and only really borrowed the title of Ian Fleming’s first story, but the story was adapted for TV back in 1954... and Martin Campbell’s 2006 version is easily the best take yet.
Watch on Paramount Plus (With Showtime)
‘Dune’ (2021)
Denis Villeneuve’s take on “Dune” is a bold sci-fi epic that’s got to be up there as one of the most exciting genre movies in recent memory — and it deserves to eclipse David Lynch’s 1984 misfire.
Villeneuve’s “Dune” is massive in scale and scope; it might have a slower start and run a little long, but the enthralling, explosive “Dune: Part Two” proved that we needed to have room to set everything in motion for Paul’s meteoric rise. It’s a genuine treat of a film and stands as easily one of the most immersive cinematic experiences I’ve had in a long time.
Watch on Max
‘Little Women’ (2019)
Before “Barbie” mania took the world by storm, Greta Gerwig unleashed her 2019 adaptation of “Little Women” on the world. Even though Louisa May Alcott’s novel has been revisited several times over, Gerwig’s version surely has to be the best take we’ve had.
The March sisters (Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, and Eliza Scanlen) are each cast perfectly and, through both their performances and Gerwig’s carefully plotted script, we get to know them, their wants and characters. It’s a work that was already full of personality, but this entertaining and moving flick only serves to enhance what’s there.
Watch on Hulu
‘The Thing’ (1982)
Even if it didn’t impress upon release, John Carpenter’s “The Thing” has rightly been reappraised as an excellent piece of sci-fi horror and a faithful take on John W. Campbell’s 1938 novella about Antarctic researchers encountering a shapeshifting menace capable of assuming the form of anything it takes over.
“The Thing” is a taut exercise in survival and paranoia and an out-and-out genre classic. Buoyed by its terrific ensemble and, of course, the brilliant use of practical effects to bring the twisted creature’s many forms to life, this is still as thrilling as ever.
Watch on Peacock
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