Remakes of classic films are always a little bit hit and miss for every Heat there is a Rollerball, for every Dune parts 1 and 2 there is a Planet of the Apes or Total Recall, and don't even get me started on the remake of the Karate Kid.
For a remake to be better than the original it has to contain the ethos of the source material but change it a little, either bring it up to date with modern themes, special effects or better acting. It can ramp up the humour like the Longest Yard did or it could dial up the violence like Dredd, both of which are worthy remakes. Special effect have come on in leaps and bounds and films like The Fly and War of the Worlds are so much better than the originals from the 1950's just for this reason, the storyline hasn't really changed just been updated.
The film that springs to my mind when I think of the best remakes is Ocean's 11. They took the uber coolness of the rat pack with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davies Jr, Dean Martin and the rest of the Rat Pack, kept the idea of the casino heist but threw in a few little twists with a modern slickness to it. Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Roberts, Garcia the cast was amazing, highly stylised with a soundtrack that complemented it all and the shot of the group after the heist with the fountains in the back ground is one of the best shots in Hollywood history. It also helped they changed the ending to let the 'bad' guys win and take the money.
Then there are the totally pointless remakes, Psycho is the best example of this, the original is one of the best films ever made, why did they feel the need to do basically a shot for shot remake with Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates? The Wicker Man also deserves a little mention here, taking a classic and making it a parody of itself, with Nicholas Cage being the most Cagesque he could be. I could go with films such as The Italian Job, Ghostbusters (the female led one) which in themselves aren't bad films but they are trying to cash in on the brand name of the originals to tap into peoples nostalgia, if they'd of had different names then they would have been passable films. Then there are the films I never even knew were remakes until it was pointed out to me like The Wizard of Oz, which apparently was originally a 1920's silent film to begin with and not the cinematic masterpiece we know and love today. People are often shocked when I say this is one of my favourites but what's not to love? Good story, great musical numbers, amazing special effects for the time and it stands the test of time.
Now it's here that I have to point out all of the above is my opinion and if you don't agree with it well then that's your prerogative, it's wrong but it's still yours.
Why am I talking about remakes? Well, the trailer has just dropped for the rebooted Naked Gun film, due out in August staring Liam Neeson as Detective Frank Drebbin. The original trilogy, which in itself was a reboot of the shortlived TV series Police Squad are amongst my favourite films of all time and are works of pure comedy genius. They combine sharp wit with slapstick humour and even though I've seen them dozens of times I can't help but laugh out loud at them. I remember when I was younger watching them for the first time with my dad, curled on the sofa while mum was at work, we had a ritual of watching films she wouldn't approve of for a 10 year old....Robocop, Terminator, The Nightmare on Elm Street series and the aforementioned Naked Gun.
There are so many hilarious moments over the entire series of films, who can't help but burst out laughing at Drebbin impersonating the opera singer or the safe sex scene with the giant condoms, the death of the Japanese fighting fish with the unbreakable pen, impervious to everything but water. The anti- graffiti wall, Nordberg and his near death antics, the nice beaver, the three handed slap the list could go on and on.
A personal highlight of mine is the parody of the Odessa Steps sequence from the third film. Now it has to be noted here that I studied the original from the 1920's Russian silent cinema's Battleship Potempkin for my degree. In fact Peter Titterington, one of the best teachers I've had the pleasure to learn from, called it a seminal piece of filmography and it's been copied so many times in so many ways, but this is possibly the funniest, especially when the Pope makes an appearance. It encapsulates everything I love about these films, on the surface it's a funny sequence but for those with a love of cinema it takes it to another level, which makes it funnier in my opinion.
Back to the trailer, I thought it was going to be a full remake of the original, but it seems like Neeson is playing Frank Drebbin Junior as it pays homage to the original, even with a nod to the unsavouriness that is OJ Simpson. I'll be the first to admit when I heard that it was being done I was more than a little apprehensive. I didn't think someone like Neeson could pull off the role with the right level of humour but with Seth MacFarlene involved I'm sure they'll be laughs a plenty. I'm holding out hope that it's a worthy successor to the originals but im going to leave you with a question, has Hollywood run out of original ideas and becoming reliant on rehashing old material.
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