Seven movie remakes that are as good as the original

JOE

Remakes aren’t always a bad thing.

Particularly when the original is already held in high regard, remakes can be a risky business. There will always be hardcore fans who will never think anything will topple the first edition, but sometimes Hollywood does get it right.

It isn’t always the case, but here is a list of some of the better movie remakes. Just slide the images from side to side to see how the two fare up against each other.

King Kong (1933 & 2005)

Even 85 years later, King Kong holds up remarkably well. It might not be as flash as modern CGI, but you really get the sense that the colossal ape is an intelligent creature with real emotions.

The 2005 remake from Peter Jackson proved to be a huge success with critics and fans alike, raking in a whopping $550 million worldwide.

Ocean’s 11 (1960 & 2001)

Two sequels and a spin-off later, 2001’s Ocean’s 11 is regarded as a modern classic. Over 40 years beforehand though came another movie of the same name starring Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis.

The original has a lot of the humour and style that made George Clooney’s remake so popular, even if it wasn’t as well received by critics at the time.

The James Bond series (1962-2015)

Whilst the plotlines like Thunderball and Never Say Never Again were repeated, the James Bond series tends to go for a fresh look with each new outing. From Sean Connery’s smooth-talking debut at a poker table to Daniel Craig’s no-nonsense approach, 007 rarely misses a beat.

Overlooking some of the poorer efforts (we’re looking at you Die Another Day), the James Bond series has given us over half a century of cinema gold (finger).

Godzilla (1954 & 2014)

Overlooking the 1998 effort with Matthew Broderick, 2014’s Godzilla was a hit amongst fans and critics alike. A lot of people who watched the original Japanese movie from 1954 felt it was a better representation of the legendary monster.

Everything is better once you get Bryan Cranston involved.

Star Trek (1966 & 2009)

It was never going to be easy making a movie based on a TV show that has been cherished by people all over the world for decades. Well, JJ Abrams decided to boldly go where many have gone before by looking to bring Star Trek to the next generation (sorry).

With a brand new all-star cast, 2009’s Star Trek raked in close to $400 million worldwide.

The Jungle Book (1967 & 2016)

While Rudyard Kipling’s classic children’s novel was also made into a movie in 1942, the original we’re looking at is the classic 1967 animation. Still as popular today as it ever was, there aren’t as many movies that have stood up as well as The Jungle Book.

Many people were understandably cautious of any modern remake, but the 2016 live-action movie proved to be a surprise hit, grossing over €996 million worldwide at the box office.

Scarface (1932 & 1983)

While they may have been based around two different characters, 1932’s Scarface was the inspiration behind Al Pacino’s Tony Montana. The original was mostly based on the life of gangster Al Capone, and rumour was that he himself loved the movie.

Brian DePalma’s Scarface (1983) will forever be a classic, and Pacino’s line of “say hello to my little friend” will never stop being badass.

Spider-Man (2002 & 2017)

Spider-Man isn’t exactly a stranger to the big screen, but Tobey Maguire’s Spidey will be particularly memorable to the younger generation. Tom Holland’s debut as the webslinger came in 2016’s Captain America Civil War, and he’s definitely grown into the role.

His titular role in Spider-Man: Homecoming was refreshingly fun for a Marvel movie, and he played a huge part in this year’s Avengers: Infinity War.

Just like these movies, Coca-Cola will always be a classic. Whether it’s Diet Coke, Coke Zero Sugar or Original, you can’t go wrong.