Remakes better than originals
by Pictoris | created - 06 Aug 2015 | updated - 13 Oct 2015 | PublicAn old proverb says that the remakes are rarely as good as the originals. Rarely. But, the following titles are all remakes with better ratings than the original movies.
In your opinion, which one is the best remake? (not necessarily the best movie)
Discuss here!
Live poll here!
And thank you to jalapenoman, Dibyayan_Chakravorty, misspaddylee, ElMaruecan82 and sarizonana for their suggestions!
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1. The Departed (2006)
R | 151 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg
Votes: 1,421,865 | Gross: $132.38M
The Departed (Scorsese, 2006) better than Infernal Affairs (Lau & Mak, 2002).
2. Scarface (1983)
R | 170 min | Crime, Drama
In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Votes: 916,189 | Gross: $45.60M
Scarface (De Palma, 1983) better than Scarface (Hawks & Rosson, 1932).
3. Heat (1995)
R | 170 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A group of high-end professional thieves start to feel the heat from the LAPD when they unknowingly leave a verbal clue at their latest heist.
Director: Michael Mann | Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight
Votes: 719,136 | Gross: $67.44M
Heat (Mann, 1995) better than L.A. Takedown (Mann, 1989).
4. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Passed | 100 min | Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery
San Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising after his partner is murdered.
Director: John Huston | Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre
Votes: 166,543 | Gross: $2.11M
The Maltese Falcon (Huston, 1941) better than The Maltese Falcon (Del Ruth, 1931).
5. The Thing (1982)
R | 109 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.
Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur
Votes: 466,456 | Gross: $13.78M
The Thing (Carpenter, 1982) better than The Thing from Another World (Nyby, 1951).
6. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.
Directors: Victor Fleming, King Vidor | Stars: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr
Votes: 428,517 | Gross: $2.08M
The Wizard of Oz (Fleming, 1939) better than The Wizard of Oz (Semon, 1925). Suggested by jalapenoman.
7. Ben-Hur (1959)
G | 212 min | Adventure, Drama
After a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.
Director: William Wyler | Stars: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet
Votes: 253,600 | Gross: $74.70M
Ben-Hur (Wyler, 1959) better than Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (Niblo, 1925). Suggested by jalapenoman and Dibyayan_Chakravorty.
8. His Girl Friday (1940)
Passed | 92 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying.
Director: Howard Hawks | Stars: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart
Votes: 63,135 | Gross: $0.30M
His Girl Friday (Hawks, 1940) better than The Front Page (Milestone, 1931). Suggested by misspaddylee.
9. Scent of a Woman (1992)
R | 156 min | Drama
A prep school student needing money agrees to "babysit" a blind man, but the job is not at all what he anticipated.
Director: Martin Brest | Stars: Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell, James Rebhorn, Gabrielle Anwar
Votes: 328,664 | Gross: $63.90M
Scent of a Woman (Brest, 1992) better than Scent of a Woman (Risi, 1974).
10. The Ten Commandments (1956)
G | 220 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
Moses, raised as a prince of Egypt in the Pharaoh's household, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people from slavery.
Director: Cecil B. DeMille | Stars: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson
Votes: 77,826 | Gross: $93.74M
The Ten Commandments (DeMille, 1956) better than The Ten Commandments (DeMille, 1923).
11. A Star Is Born (1954)
Passed | 154 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
A film star helps a young singer and actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career on a downward spiral.
Director: George Cukor | Stars: Judy Garland, James Mason, Jack Carson, Charles Bickford
Votes: 19,672 | Gross: $14.93M
A Star is Born (Cukor, 1954) better than A Star is Born (Wellman, 1937).
12. 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
R | 122 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A small-time rancher agrees to hold a captured outlaw who's awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. A battle of wills ensues as the outlaw tries to psych out the rancher.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Ben Foster, Logan Lerman
Votes: 331,010 | Gross: $53.61M
3:10 to Yuma (Mangold, 2007) better than 3:10 to Yuma (Daves, 1957).
13. Ocean's Eleven (2001)
PG-13 | 116 min | Crime, Thriller
Danny Ocean and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon
Votes: 618,975 | Gross: $183.42M
Ocean's Eleven (Soderbergh, 2001) better than Ocean's Eleven (Milestone, 1960).
14. Man on Fire (2004)
R | 146 min | Action, Crime, Drama
In Mexico City, a former CIA operative swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.
Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell
Votes: 389,482 | Gross: $77.91M
Man on Fire (Scott, 2004) better than Man on Fire (Chouraqui, 1987).
15. True Grit (2010)
PG-13 | 110 min | Drama, Western
A stubborn teenager enlists the help of a tough U.S. Marshal to track down her father's murderer.
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin
Votes: 357,442 | Gross: $171.24M
True Grit (Coen, 2010) better than True Grit (Hathaway, 1969).
16. The Mark of Zorro (1940)
Approved | 94 min | Action, Adventure, Family
A young Spanish aristocrat must masquerade as a fop in order to maintain his secret identity of Zorro as he restores justice to early California.
Director: Rouben Mamoulian | Stars: Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Basil Rathbone, Gale Sondergaard
Votes: 10,977 | Gross: $4.36M
The Mark of Zorro (Mamoulian, 1940) better than The Mark of Zorro (Niblo, 1920).
17. An Affair to Remember (1957)
Not Rated | 115 min | Drama, Romance
A couple falls in love and agrees to meet in six months at the Empire State Building - but will it happen?
Director: Leo McCarey | Stars: Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Richard Denning, Neva Patterson
Votes: 33,066
An Affair to Remember (McCarey, 1957) better than Love Affair (McCarey, 1939).
18. The Fly (1986)
R | 96 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
A brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.
Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz, Joy Boushel
Votes: 201,833 | Gross: $40.46M
The Fly (Cronenberg, 1986) better than The Fly (Neumann, 1958).
19. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
PG | 120 min | Drama, Thriller
An American doctor and his wife, a former singing star, witness a murder while vacationing in Morocco, and are drawn into a twisting plot of international intrigue when their young son is kidnapped.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda de Banzie, Bernard Miles
Votes: 69,543 | Gross: $10.25M
The Man Who Knew Too Much (Hitchcock, 1956) better than The Man Who Knew Too Much (Hitchcock, 1934).
20. The Next Three Days (2010)
PG-13 | 133 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A married couple's life is turned upside down when the wife is accused of a murder.
Director: Paul Haggis | Stars: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Michael Buie
Votes: 206,574 | Gross: $21.15M
The Next Three Days (Haggis, 2010) better than Anything for Her (Cavayé, 2008).
21. The Strawberry Blonde (1941)
Passed | 99 min | Comedy, Romance
Quick-tempered yet likable Biff Grimes falls for the beautiful Virginia Brush, but he is not the only young man in the neighborhood who is smitten with her.
Director: Raoul Walsh | Stars: James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, Rita Hayworth, Alan Hale
Votes: 4,267
The Strawberry Blonde (Walsh, 1941) better than One Sunday Afternoon (Roberts, 1933). Suggested by misspaddylee.
22. The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005)
Not Rated | 108 min | Crime, Drama, Music
Will Thomas still lead a life of crime and cruelty, just like his thuggish father, or will he pursue his dream of becoming a pianist?
Director: Jacques Audiard | Stars: Romain Duris, Aure Atika, Emmanuelle Devos, Niels Arestrup
Votes: 20,493 | Gross: $1.02M
The Beat that my Heart Skipped (Audiard, 2005) better than Fingers (Toback, 1978).
23. Pale Rider (1985)
R | 115 min | Drama, Western
A mysterious preacher protects a humble prospector village from a greedy mining company trying to encroach on their land.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Clint Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Sydney Penny
Votes: 64,681 | Gross: $41.41M
Pale Rider (Eastwood, 1985) better than Shane (Stevens, 1953). Suggested by ElMaruecan82.
24. True Lies (1994)
R | 141 min | Action, Comedy, Thriller
A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used-car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton
Votes: 280,845 | Gross: $146.28M
True Lies (Cameron, 1994) better than La totale! (Zidi, 1991).
25. The End of the Affair (1999)
R | 102 min | Drama, Romance
A desperate man tries to find out why his beloved left him years ago.
Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Julianne Moore, Stephen Rea, Heather-Jay Jones
Votes: 23,934 | Gross: $10.66M
The End of the Affair (Jordan, 1999) better than The End of the Affair (Dmytryk, 1955). Suggested by sarizonana.
26. The Quiet American (2002)
R | 101 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
An old British reporter vies with a young U.S. doctor for the affections of a beautiful Vietnamese woman.
Director: Phillip Noyce | Stars: Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, Do Thi Hai Yen, Rade Serbedzija
Votes: 29,732 | Gross: $12.99M
The Quiet American (Noyce, 2002) better than The Quiet American (Mankiewicz, 1958).
27. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Horror, Musical
A nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed.
Director: Frank Oz | Stars: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Levi Stubbs
Votes: 86,334 | Gross: $38.75M
Little Shop of Horrors (Oz, 1986) better than The Little Shop of Horrors (Corman, 1960).
28. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
R | 113 min | Crime, Romance, Thriller
A very rich and successful playboy amuses himself by stealing artwork, but may have met his match in a seductive detective.
Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary, Ben Gazzara
Votes: 100,500 | Gross: $69.30M
The Thomas Crown Affair (McTiernan, 1999) better than The Thomas Crown Affair (Jewison, 1968). Suggested by sarizonana.
29. The Last House on the Left (2009)
R | 110 min | Horror, Thriller
After kidnapping and brutally assaulting two young women, a gang unknowingly finds refuge at a vacation home belonging to the parents of one of the victims: a mother and father who devise an increasingly gruesome series of revenge tactics.
Director: Dennis Iliadis | Stars: Garret Dillahunt, Monica Potter, Tony Goldwyn, Michael Bowen
Votes: 100,356 | Gross: $32.75M
The Last House on the Left (Iliadis, 2009) better than The Last House on the Left (Craven, 1972).
30. Death Race (2008)
R | 105 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Ex-con Jensen Ames is forced by the warden of a notorious prison to compete in our post-industrial world's most popular sport: a car race in which inmates must brutalize and kill one another on the road to victory.
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson | Stars: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane
Votes: 218,875 | Gross: $36.32M
Death Race (Anderson, 2008) better than Death Race 2000 (Bartel, 1975).
31. Mother's Day (I) (2010)
R | 112 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
The sadistic members of a villainous family return to their childhood home to terrorize the new home owners and their guests.
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman | Stars: Rebecca De Mornay, Jaime King, Shawn Ashmore, Briana Evigan
Votes: 18,376
Mother's Day (Bousman, 2010) better than Mother's Day (Kaufman, 1980).
32. We Are What We Are (2013)
R | 105 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
The Parkers, a reclusive family who follow ancient customs, find their secret existence threatened as a torrential downpour moves into their area, forcing daughters Iris and Rose to assume responsibilities beyond those of a typical family.
Director: Jim Mickle | Stars: Bill Sage, Ambyr Childers, Julia Garner, Wyatt Russell
Votes: 22,113 | Gross: $0.08M
We Are What We Are (Mickle, 2013) better than We Are What We Are (Grau, 2010).
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