Top 10 Reboots and Remakes That Nobody Asked For
In desperate attempt to make some money, Hollywood took these old franchises and remade them to try and create something new. WatchMojo presents the Top 10 Remakes and Reboots that were completely unnecessary. But what will take the top spot on our list? Planet of the Apes, Psycho, or A Nightmare on Elm Street? Watch to find out!
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Big thanks to James Moberly for suggesting this idea, and to see how WatchMojo users voted, check out the suggest page here: http://WatchMojo.comsuggest/Top%2010%20Unnecessary%20Reboots%20in%20Film
#10: “Total Recall” (2012)
Total Recall Trivia
What made the original “Total Recall” so well received was its uniqueness – Mars’ atmosphere, the alien mutants, and the ambiguous feeling of what is real or a dream… and it was never afraid to get a little silly. The 2012 remake… was anything BUT unique. For one, the whole movie takes place on Earth; which means no Mars and no mutants –there’s still a three-breasted woman, but what’s the point? While it has some impressive action sequences, it takes itself too seriously and lacks any of the reality versus dream ambiguity. Overall, it does no justice to the original film or the short story, and it’d be better if this “Total Recall” WAS recalled.
#9: “The Karate Kid” (2010)
Top 20 Reboots and Remakes That No One Asked For
As we said, not all remakes are bad, and this one is far from it. The original “Karate Kid” tells of the new kid in the neighborhood learning karate from a wise mentor to defend himself against a bully. The 2010 remake follows a similar premise, except the kid moves from halfway across the world to China, and learns the art of Kung Fu instead of karate… why isn’t it called “The Kung Fu Kid” then? Joking and martial arts confusion aside, the movie adds a surprising level of depth to the mentor, and strengthens the student-teacher relationship. So, was this remake needed? Not really; but that doesn’t mean that fans can’t still appreciate what’s been done.
#8: “Footloose” (2011)
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Who could forget this bit of teenage rebellion? A charismatic Kevin Bacon arrives at a town where rock music and dancing are forbidden, and raises everyone’s rebellious spirit. A silly but entertaining plot for an ‘80s flick, but how well does it hold up in a 2011 remake? While there is a lot of energy coursing through the cast, especially during the dance scenes, the film tends to steer away from the drama of the situation in favor of these dance numbers –unlike the original where priorities were reversed. Other than that, it feels more like a duplicate of its predecessor in terms of the storyline; so you could just kick off your Sunday shoes and watch the original instead.
#7: “Annie” (2014)
Though originating from a comic strip, many remember Little Orphan Annie in the 1982 feel-good movie –or its 1999 TV remake- about the optimistic redhead escaping her hard knock life and winning over a cold billionaire. This 2014 remake of the film shows Annie in a literal darker shade… not an unwelcomed change, but how does the rest of the film hold up? Bet your bottom dollar it doesn’t. The soundtrack is mostly rearrangements of the original tunes… and they leave a lot to be desired. The film’s also very generous with awkwardly placed meta-jokes about it being a musical. Add materialistic characters and a predictable plot, and you’ll see why modernizing “Annie” can be a hard knock misfire.
#6: “Poltergeist” (2015) No one really asked for a “Poltergeist” remake, but that didn’t stop producer Sam Raimi and director Gil Kenan from giving it a shot. For those living under a rock, 1982’s “Poltergeist” centers on a family haunted by evil ghosts that can communicate with the youngest daughter. It was a new concept at the time and raised the bar for haunted house films; ironically, the 2015 remake is nothing new. It’s the same story as the original – the only notable differences being an overuse of CGI, and a rather abrupt ending. While not without a few fun moments, was it really worth remaking a cult classic if you can’t capture the fear that its predecessor brought?
#5: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005)
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Despite its critical praise, author Roald Dahl hated 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” because of its deviations from his original book’s plot. Would he have liked Tim Burton’s 2005 remake any better? We seriously doubt it – while the scenery and visuals are stunning –as with most Tim Burton productions, what ultimately dooms this remake is the characterization of the two main characters. Charlie himself lacks any child-like realism, while Willy Wonka... comes off as creepy and childish –Sorry Johnny Depp, but this was NOT the role for you. Though not universally hated, it can’t hold a candle to the original… you know, the one that had ACTUAL Oompa-Loompas instead of Deep Roy clones?
#4: “The Amazing Spider-Man” franchise (2012-14)
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A few years after the end of Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” trilogy, Sony put Marc Webb in the director’s seat of a new film for Spidey. This reimagining featured a new cast, new visuals, and a new take on the familiar origin story. Despite rehashing some plot points; the first movie was well received for its entertaining and emotional story, as well as having a much better romance. The sequel, however, is where things took a bad turn – juggling too many stories and villains, and adding some less-than-subtle foreshadowing to a series that ended too soon. The romantic tragedy, however, was spot-on. Fortunately, Spidey has another chance to get it right with his homecoming into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
#3: “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (2010)
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The original “Nightmare on Elm Street” was a terrifying success, creating one of the most famous horror icons ever – Freddy Krueger, and his ability to kill people in their dreams. Surely with a 2010 remake announced they would do their best to honor the source material, right? Well, not really. Their first mistake was replacing Robert Englund as Freddy –this new guy and the material he’s given take away the horrific charm of the original. The film suffers more through a heavy reliance on cheap jump scares rather than the surreal psychological terror. All this “reimagining” did was soil the good name of a beloved slasher icon, and strip the franchise of the fright its predecessors gave.
#2: “Planet of the Apes” (2001)
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Another Tim Burton remake that made audiences go ape. The original 1968 “Planet of the Apes” is still looked upon as a fantastic sci-fi film made stronger by its social commentary and twist ending. Burton’s remake, however, leaves much to be desired – while the visuals and costumes are excellent, they aren’t enough to support a lack of character chemistry, an unbalanced story structure, and very awkward moments. The icing on this reimagined mess of a cake is the ridiculous and head-scratch-worthy plot twist in the finale. While this film was a box-office success, calling it a critical success is out of the question. However, years later, a new reboot series would rise to bring life back into the franchise. Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few unneeded honorable mentions. “The Wicker Man” (2006) “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (2003) “Arthur” (2011)
#1: “Psycho” (1998)
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Taking the number one spot is an experimental mess. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film, “Psycho,” is a psychological horror classic about a woman on the run who ends up in a motel run by a mentally disturbed mama’s boy. It’s been called one of the best slasher films of all time… and the 1998 remake effectively spits on that legacy. The remake barely does anything new, acting as a shot-for-shot remake in color –even though the black and white worked perfectly for Hitchcock’s vision. The one notable change – the acting got worse with abysmal performances by Anne Heche and Vince Vaughn. Let this be a lesson for Hollywood – if a classic isn’t broken, don’t try to remake it… emphasis on “try.” Do you agree with our list? What movie remake do you think didn’t need to happen? For more redundant Top 10s posted every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
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