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SALT LAKE CITY — Many people say that Hollywood is running out of ideas because of the the growing number of remakes and sequels being made. However, remakes aren't always a bad thing, and here are five cases where the remake is better than the original film.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was written in 1964 as a children's book by British author Roald Dahl. It was later made into the movie "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" in 1971. The remake of the movie starring Johnny Depp was released in 2005 as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
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The main reason Depp's version of the film was better was because of, well, Depp. He had a much more enthusiastic and whacky portrayal of the Willy Wonka character that added more life and laughs to the movie. I will admit that the Oompa Loompas were better in the original movie, but overall the revamped version delivered a more solid storyline of the boy who found the "golden ticket."
This movie was also based off a book that was written by Charles Portis in 1968. The original film starring Wayne was released in 1969. The remake was released in 2010 and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards.
This was a hard pick because I love John Wayne, but Jeff Bridges did a better job of executing the character of the ruthless, cold U.S. Marshal. The remake was also better because the cinematography was more realistic and believable which made the action all the more intense.
Most people don't even know that "Gone in 60 Seconds" was a remake which tells you that the first version wasn't that great. The original was written, directed, produced by, and starred H.B. 'Toby' Halicki. It was released in 1974. Then along came Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie and the film was remade with more action, witty dialogue and some seriously awesome cars.
While I am not typically the biggest fan of Nicholas Cage, he actually plays his role well as an ex-car thief that gets blackmailed into stealing 50 cars in one night.
I realize that I will probably get a lot of grief for this choice because many consider the original 1984 film to be a classic. However, both movies are namely about music and dancing and the level of dancing skill is much higher in the 2011 movie. The remake is almost exactly the same as the first movie, but with a few minor differences and better acting. And Miles Teller plays a funnier version of the sidekick, Willard.
I will also admit that I have some bias because I dislike synthesizer-filled 80's music and I think Kevin Bacon is annoying. So the original "Footloose" was doomed to fail from the very start in my eyes.
This is another movie that many people didn't realize was a remake. The original movie starred the famous "Rat Pack" with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. The 1960 "Ocean's Eleven" was filmed as a more cheesy take on the Las Vegas casino heist.
The 2001 release is better because each character plays their role perfectly and the banter between George Clooney and Brad Pitt is epic. The plot of the 2001 movie is focused more around figuring out how the heists were completed and the movie keeps your head spinning until the very end.
Do you agree or disagree with the list? What remakes do you think were better than the original? Let us know on the comment boards, Facebook or email me.
