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SALT LAKE CITY - The minds behind "Dumb and Dumber" have been working on a "Three Stooges" film for years and their efforts will finally hi the screens Friday. The Stooges reboot made us think of the vast amount of remakes and reboots Hollywood has been spitting out lately and we decided to make a list.
Here are five good and five bad reboots/remakes.
Land of the Lost (Bad)
Here's another beloved TV show that was turned into a movie. People look back on the V show with fond memories and nostalgia, but what Will Ferrell and crew put together all but ruined those memories.
The melodramatic TV show we watched on Saturday mornings was turned into a crass comedy with a cast of buffoons who missed the mark on making us laugh.
Star Trek (Good)
"Star Trek" was a TV show turned movie franchise, turned TV spin-off, turned movie adaptation of TV spin-off, turned different TV spin-off, turned a bunch of other things, turned reboot movie. Wow, that's a lot. But what we're talking about is that last reboot.
J.J. Abrams took "Star Trek" and managed to appease many hard core fans and attract a new audience. Not everyone loved what Abrams did with Kirk, Spock and the rest of the U.S.S Enterprise, but overall people loved the film and he breathed new life into an old franchise.
Planet of the Apes (Bad)
It pains me to say this, because I am a Tim Burton fan, but his take on the classic "Planet of the Apes" was just bad.
There's not much to say about this film other than the sooner we forget about it and pretend it never happened the better.
Conversely, 2011's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" could go on the "good" reboot list.
X-Men: First Class (Good)
The first X-Men movie caught us off guard because it was a superhero movie that we liked. It had our favorite characters dukeing it out and a story to boot. Then we got X2 and things just got better, then we X-Men United and then, much to our horror, we got X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Needless to say fans had a bitter taste in their mouths and many didn't know what to expect from First Class. We soon found out we had nothing to worry about, while the film wasn't a total homerun, it was entertaining with interesting characters and story we could get behind.
The Pink Panther (Bad)
This is another tough one because Steve Martin is a legend. I think it is illegal in some states to defame his name, but there's no way around it, the Panther remakes were a poor choice.
Sure, there were some laughs here and there, but if you're going to remake a classic it needs to be on par with the original, and Panther couldn't do it. We love Martin, but as Clouseau, he was no Sellers.
True Grit (Good)
When it was announced that the Coen brothers were remaking the John Wayne classic the reaction was mixed. People thought if anyone could do the original Grit justice it was Joel and Ethan Coen, but at the same time most people thought trying to do it justice was a waste of time. Why mess with a classic?
Well, they messed with a classic and the result was a film every bit as good as the original and enough of a change to keep us all entertained and excited.
Psycho (Bad)
Alfred Hitchcock terrified audiences with "Psycho" back in 1960 and the film still stands of one the greatest films of all time. Fast forward to 1998 and we got a new "Psycho" from Gus Van Sant. What new twists did he give to an all time classic? Not one.
The film was a shot for shot remake that shouldn't even be breathed in the same sentence with the original. Sometimes films should just be left alone and this was one of those times.
Casino Royale (Good)
James Bond may be British, but he's an American favorite and Casino Royale" and the gritty Daniel Craig was the reboot the long running franchise needed.
Royale gave us a Bond we'd never seen before, but one we loved just as much. There was the right amount of action, wit and romance. And Craig showed us that Bond has real human emotions, love, anger, compassion and heart break.
The follow-up to Royale, "Quantum of Solace" was a bit of a letdown, but we all have our fingers crossed for "Skyfall" this November.
Wild Wild West (Bad)
"Wild Wild West" was a TV hit back in the 60's. People ate up the "James Bond" of the old west. Jim West had gizmos and adventures that kept audiences captivated for four seasons. Naturally, Hollywood would want to give the TV show a big budget film adaption, and that's exactly what they did in 1999. Will Smith took over as Jim West with Kevin Kline by his side and the films was a total train wreck. The acting was bad, the script was a mess and the jokes didn't land.
Batman Begins (Good)
"Batman" had a big rebirth in 1989 with Tim Burton's "Batman." Burton left the franchise after the second installment and things just got worse and worse from there.
1997's "Batman & Robin" turned off audiences and even made them weary of another reboot from director Christopher Nolan. Those fears were quickly tossed aside and replaced with excitement for the caped crusader as soon as they saw "Batman Begins."
Nolan took the dead franchise and turned it into something phenomenal. "Batman Begins" gave us faith in Bruce Wayne again. The film was a huge success, both at the box office and with critics. Nolan followed that up with "The Dark Knight" which is regarded by many as the best superhero movie of all time. That film made over $1 billion worldwide and the highly anticipated conclusion to the franchise, "The Dark Knight Rises," is due in theaters July 20.
Nolan's Batman reboot was so successful Warner Bros. has already announced they will reboot the franchise again after The Dark Knight trilogy concludes.
What are your favorite/most loathed reboots and remakes? Let us know on the comment boards and on Facebook.
