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Living in a society filled with remake after remake and countless sequels that never measure up to the original movie leaves a person to wonder: Is the entertainment industry just out of ideas?
How many “Mean Girls 2” (2011) incidents or Disney movie remakes do we have to watch before a legitimately original movie is made? Not all remakes are bad. It just seems like most of the time classic movies and shows are recycled to fit modern society as the classics become outdated.
Half the time, many people are begging to see their childhood favorites reaired. Netflix brought on “The Magic School Bus” (1997), “Bill Nye, the Science Guy” (1993) and “Reading Rainbow” (1985). “Bring It On” (2000) is even being added on May 1. If anything, Disney should be bringing back “That’s So Raven” (2003) or “Lizzie McGuire” (2001).
It makes sense to remake movies or shows that are outdated or anything made before the ’80s. “Footloose” (1984) remade in 2011, “Hairspray” (1988) remade in 2007 and “The Parent Trap” (1961) remade in 1998 are good examples of how to revamp classics gracefully.
There is a line between rebooting a classic and doing it well. “Fuller House” (2016), a revamp from the original “Full House” (1987), had many mixed reviews. People were either excited over the remake or inherently disappointed by it.
A lot of times making movies more modern strays too far from what made the movie a favorite in the first place.
Acting makes or breaks the sequel or remake. Not many people want to see cheesy acting in the sequel to their favorite movie that was intended to have some serious drama.
When actors and actresses are brought back into a show that used to be popular back in the day, it doesn’t leave the viewer feeling the same way when the outdated acting and language is repeated to a modern audience. The acting just doesn’t come across the same and ends up sounding like a broken record.
One successful remake is “21 Jump Street” (2012). The original series aired in 1987, but the remake turned out to be really funny and is among one of the few movies to stray away from the original, yet turned out to be entertaining regardless.
A reality a lot of redone movies and shows face is that the further they get from the original, the more characteristics that made the original so memorable are lost in the process.
Bringing familiar pop culture faces on the big screen make modern moviegoers swoon over remakes if it means they get to see their favorite stars.
When “Charlie And the Chocolate Factory” (2005) came out as a remake of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971), most Johnny Depp fans wanted to see him take on a role that was out of the ordinary for him. The remake was very different from the original, straying away from focusing on the world of chocolate to the creepiness of the characters.
Remakes seem to be a never-ending part of the entertainment industry, but do you consider yourself a remake lover or a remake hater?
Carly Plemons can be reached at [email protected] or @plemnz on Twitter.
