12 remake movies that surpassed the originals

When Hollywood announces the release of a new remake, serious battles flare up among the audience, they say, such “alterations” have a very low percentage of success.

However, there are exceptions, and by the way, there are not so few of them, and some films are “cloned” so often that we sometimes forget about their original. Remakes are made in all genres – from horror films to musicals – and some déjà vu are truly masterpieces.

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1. A Star is Born (1954)

The original 1937 film was not based on the book or any other source material, but was re-shot four times (once in India in 2013). There is something so attractive in this story that each new generation gives out its own interpretation. Nevertheless, George Cukor’s 1954 remake with Judy Garland in the title role remains the best. Let Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga not be offended for their 2018 version, but Garland has yet to be surpassed.

2. Something (1982)

This sci-fi horror film by John Carpenter was filmed at the height of the Cold War and eventually gained the status of a cult horror film. His predecessor, Something From Another World (1951), was also good against the backdrop of the mass of gaudy fantasy films from the 1950s, but Carpenter made his film deeper and more meaningful, and young Kurt Russell is very good at it.

3. Scarface (1983)

This is a remake of Howard Hawks’s 1932 painting by Brian De Palma, but already remade for the realities of the 1980s. The 1983 version is also a typical Al Capone-style gangster movie, but it was made by the iconic posh Al Pacino as a criminal and drug dealer. By the way, De Palma’s version was very strongly criticized for the excess of blood and violence in the picture.

4. Fly (1986)

As with The Thing, David Cronenberg’s remake is further proof that the passing and downright weak films of the 1950s can be remade into long-lasting movie hits. The success of “The Fly” in 1986 – this is already more advanced special effects and, of course, handsome Jeff Goldblum.

5. The smell of a woman (1992)

Initially, it was a very high-quality film of the same name by Dino Risi from 1974. He received a number of Italian prizes and was nominated for two Oscars, but lost to Akira Kurosawa’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Dersu Uzala. However, Martin Brest’s 1992 remake of Scent of a Woman has its advantages – again, Al Pacino’s unrivaled performance and the famous tango scene.

6. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Dozens of films have been made about Dracula since 1921, but Francis Ford Coppola’s version stands out because it, in fact, turned the monster into a passionate, emotional, loving person. Actor Bela Lugosi may have been the posh Dracula in the horror films of the 1920s and 1930s, but Gary Oldman brought style, sensuality and charisma to the picture in the 1992 version.

7. The Way Home: An Incredible Journey (1993)

Talking dogs and cats melted the hearts of children long before the internet. The first version of this film was 1963’s Incredible Journey, created by Disney based on the novel by Sheila Bernford. In the 1993 remake, the main characters, two dogs and a cat, have more feelings, emotions and more affection for each other.

8. True Lies (1994)

So, the protagonist of True Lies is an international super-agent who tries to be an unremarkable person. The French may disagree, but James Cameron’s remake after Claude Zidi’s comedy Total Surveillance (1991) is still excellent. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis also made this film unforgettable.

9. Insomnia (2002)

Erik Sjöldbjerg’s 1997 film somewhat tired the audience with a Norwegian-style lengthy detective story. A 2002 remake of Christopher Nolan “Americanized” the story and added a lot of action and thriller elements to the film. The choice of actors was also a win-win – this is Al Pacino and Robin Williams.

10. Unfaithful (2002)

Claude Chabrol’s 1969 film The Unfaithful Wife got its American interpretation from Adrian Lyne, who invited Richard Gere and Diane Lane to play a seemingly happy couple living a boring philistine life, and then the wife begins a whirlwind romance on the side. In the remake, more attention was paid to the wife and her emotions.

11. Crazy (2010)

It is a remake of George Romero’s 1973 horror film directed by Breck Eisner, although the script has undergone significant changes. In the 2010 version, there was no longer an emphasis on the role of the military, but an outbreak of aggression among the residents of the town was vividly shown. The film has become a more tense and nerve-racking thriller with an emphasis on the struggle for survival.

12. Pete and his dragon (2016)

Disney loves to turn old cartoons into new hits with live actors, and screenwriter and director David Lowry brilliantly rewrote the story of the boy and his best friend the dragon. The 1977 original was just sweet and funny. The remake, on the other hand, has become a very touching and heartbreaking picture thanks to computer animation and simply excellent work of the film crew.