With the recent release of Let Me In, based on Swedish film Let The Right One In (which in turn was based on a vampire fiction novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist) the question of the place of remakes in cinema is raised. They might help guarantee an audience, or they might provide an opportunity to pay homage to great source material – but are they always necessary?
Let Me In (2010) – Let the Right One In (2008)
A mere two years after Tomas Alfredson‘s fantastic Let The Right One In, director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) has released an American version- Let Me In. A bullied young boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Road) becomes friends with the new girl next door (Chloe Mortez, Kick-Ass), who just so happens to be a vampire. What follows is a confronting and challenging film about loneliness and belonging. It is by no means a bad film. It is still beautiful and brutal, eerie and atmospheric. It’s just that this film is almost exactly the same as the original. This makes the film good – because the original was so good – but also completely unnecessary.
Psycho (1998) – Psycho (1960)
You’ve got to give Gus Van Sant credit for having guts. Remaking Alfred Hitchcock’s classic – not just scene-for-scene, but shot-for-shot? It’s both crazy and courageous. That’s all I’m going to say about that, really.
Planet of the Apes (2001) – Planet of the Apes (1968)
Remaking a film where everybody already knows the twist at the ending – “Oh my god, it was earth all along!” – might seem like a stupid idea, but… No, wait. It was a stupid idea. It may be directed by Tim Burton, this is not a Tim Burton film – there is no charm and no heart (A bit like his most recent Alice in Wonderland, then). Still, this film is so very B-Grade that one can almost appreciate it on an entirely ironic level. Though it’s difficult to like Mark Wahlberg in this film, even ironically.
The Italian Job (2003) – The Italian Job (1969)
Another remake starring Mark Wahlberg, The Italian Job is not nearly as witty as the original, and many of the jokes fall flat. Throw in some actors who look like they’d rather be starring in anything – even Planet of the Apes – like Edward Norton, and it all becomes a bit uncomfortable. This is, however, a heist movie, and heist movies are always a fun ride. Just don’t watch both versions of the film in quick succession, because it’s not a ride you need to go on twice.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) – The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Ah. A passionless, expressionless alien. The role Keanu Reeves was born to play. An incoherent, special-effects heavy remake of the sci-fi cult-classic, this film begs many questions. Why are there white rabbits in this scene with the aliens? What’s with all the offensive religious under- (or over-) tones? Why is the audience being made to think of children procreating in a freaky alien Eden? Why did this film get made?
The Karate Kid (2010) – The Karate Kid (1984)
Well, technically the most recent film should have been called The Kung Fu Kid. So does it still count as a remake? This film – although it feels like nothing more than a vehicle for Will Smith’s son, Jaden – isn’t awful, but it’s not nearly as good as the original. Where in my youth I would’ve rewatched The (original) Karate Kid every weekend (because how could someone say no to such an inspiring tale?) the recent adaptation doesn’t have the same heart. Also, at more than two hours it’s just too young. This is the iPhone generation, remember? Kids don’t have that kind of attention span (nor do I, clearly.)
10 Things I Hate About You (2009-10) – 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
There is something so very wrong about this 90s teen classic being remade for television. Maybe because it seems to do an injustice to Heath Ledger’s memory? Maybe because it doesn’t include the same pseudo-riot grrrl soundtrack and pop-feminism? Maybe because the script isn’t very witty? All these things combined lead to the conclusion that: maybe the television series just isn’t that great.
King Kong (2005) – King Kong (1933)
After Lord of The Rings, Peter Jackson could have done whatever he wanted. He could have remade any franchise he wanted, because clearly that’s his thing. And he picked King Kong. This is a labour of love and, unfortunately, it shows. It’s too long, and there are too many dinosaurs (seriously, three Tyrannosaurus Rexes? Are that many Tyrannosaurus Rexes really necessary?). However, I may be in the minority when it comes to disliking this film. It’s certainly visually impressive, and (considering this is a movie about a giant monkey) emotionally engaging. (Kong Kong was also remade in 1976 starring Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges)
Dinner for Schmucks (2010) – Le Diner de cons (1998)
Sharing only the premise with the original film, Dinner for Schmucks is a comedy that lacks, er, comedy. Starring Paul Rudd and Steve Carell, the film encourages us to laugh at people who are different, before revealing that we should accept people who are different. Thanks, guys, important life lesson learned. With such reputable comedians involved, it’s disappointing that the film doesn’t live up to its potential. Even more so that it doesn’t live up to its source material.
Remakes are not always failures (though the majority of the films above aren’t exactly critically acclaimed), but that’s not to say that the concept of an adaptation is always a bad idea. However, there seems to be a distinction between ‘remake’ and ‘adaptation.’ Adaptations can change the original text, enhance, exaggerate, or subvert – it becomes something new and distinct. Many remakes are not reworked. They are merely very similar films that are produced for the wrong reasons: because the original film was ‘too old,’ and modern audiences couldn’t possibly appreciate a film that doesn’t star Brad Pitt or Paris Hilton. Or because a film is foreign, and subtitles are ‘too much effort’ to read. Making a film for the wrong reasons –underestimating an audience – usually means that the new film will also underestimate the audience.
Still, at least remakes mean that an audience can love something all over again. I’ll be hanging out for the remake of Harry Potter in twenty years time, anyway.
I can’t believe I forgot to include the British ‘Death at a Funeral’ (2007) and the American ‘Death at a Funeral’ (2010). Even the trailers are exactly the same!
Get Smart?
Or anytime Americans try to do something British, like the Office?