What movie should be remade and what movie shouldn’t?

In recent times it seems like every other day a movie is being remade or, yet another sequel is coming out. Perhaps the phrase is true that there is nothing new under the sun. I consider myself to be somewhat of a movie buff and watching movies is one of my favorite pastimes. I am not totally against the trend of remaking films; in fact some remakes have been very successful.

Take Footloose for example. The original Footloose, starring Kevin Bacon and released in 1984, is a great movie and the remake, released in 2011, was quite good and brought the story to a new generation. Personally, I am able to watch and enjoy both versions without feeling let down or frustrated. However, remaking movies is a craft that must be done carefully, as it can go really wrong, especially when it comes to very popular older movies that have a passionate fan base.  Messing with such movies runs the risk of upsetting a lot of fans and ultimately losing a lot of money. This brings up the question, which movies should be remade and which ones shouldn't?  Let me share some of my thoughts.

To be honest, I find it much easier to think of movies that shouldn't be remade than those that should. One of the first movies that comes to mind is the original Jurassic Park movie. Of course, there have been a lot of sequels that had varied success, but I would be horrified if someone tried to remake the original. In my opinion, Jurassic Park is one of the best movies ever made, and despite its age, its visual effects still look good today. Personally, I find some of the more recent CGI far more obvious and fake than anything in Jurassic Park.

In addition, I think the original Star Wars movies should not be remade. It is bad enough that some additions have already been made to them, for example, additional special effects, but to actually try to remake them would truly be a fool's errand. There are few movies that have reached the level of popularity of the Star Wars films and for me, like many others, the original movies hold a special place in my heart as I have watched them since childhood. I have no doubt it would be nearly impossible to find people to replace the stellar cast and, while the visual effects have aged, this just adds to the charm of the movies. For me, it wouldn't bother me if the prequels and sequels were remade as I don't like them that much, but the original trilogy definitely should not be touched.

When it comes to movies that should be remade, there has actually been one movie trilogy that has been on my mind recently: the Back to the Future trilogy. With a great cast, fantastic soundtrack and extremely interesting storyline, it is hard to find anything wrong with these movies. Of course, some of the effects have aged, but in my opinion, just like with the original Star Wars trilogy, the retro feel of these effects adds to the charm of the movies, rather than taking anything away. Until recently, had you asked me if I thought the Back to the Future movies should be remade, I would have told you 100% no way. The movies are perfect as they are, and any remake would be a letdown.

However, recently I saw a suggestion on YouTube about having Tom Holland, the star who played Spiderman in the most recent adaptions, play the main character, Marty. And to be honest, this really struck me as a casting that could work. I often think the success of remakes comes down to timing and casting. Finding the right people to play the iconic roles is probably the most necessary part. Initially, I thought no one could do the role as well as Michael J. Fox, who originally played Marty, but if anyone could, I think it would be Tom Holland. He has a similar jovial kind of onscreen personality and humor. Honestly, I'm still on the fence about whether these movies should be remade, but I think one of the best things about remakes is, if done well, they give us more movies to enjoy. I love re-watching the Back to the Future movies, so a well-made remake would not only introduce the story to a younger generation, but also give me and others more good movies to enjoy.

Belinda

Vocabulary

movie buff (noun) – a someone who is very knowledgeable and passionate about films

fool's errand (noun) – a task or activity that has no hope of success

stellar (adjective) – of an extremely high standard

iconic (adjective) – very famous or popular

jovial (adjective) – cheerful and friendly

on the fence (idiom) – not able to decide something