Best Movie Remakes (and Reboots)

Movie remakes vary from the good to the awful, but when they’re good – they’re great!

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40 Mortal Kombat, 2021

Original movie: Mortal Kombat, 1995; Director Paul W.S. Anderson

MMA fighter Cole Young seeks out Earth’s greatest champions in order to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe.

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39 Solaris, 2002

Original movie: Солярис, 1972; Director Andrei Tarkovsky

Grieving psychologist Chris Kelvin is sent to investigate a lonely space station orbiting the mysterious planet Solaris, where terrified crewmembers are experiencing a host of strange phenomena, including impossibly halcyon visitors that seem all too human. Once aboard, he confronts an unfathomable power that could hold the key to mankind’s deepest dreams and darkest nightmares.

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38 West Side Story, 2021

Original movie: West Side Story, 1961; Directors Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins

Manhattan, Upper West Side, 1957. Against the backdrop of the decaying tenements in the San Juan Hill neighbourhood and the constant threat of the wrecking ball, two warring gangs-tough Riff’s Jets and swaggering Bernardo’s Puerto Rican Sharks-fight for supremacy. Now, with a once-and-for-all, winner-takes-all rumble on the cards, an unexpected whirlwind romance at the high-school dance between former Jet brawler Tony and Bernardo’s delicate little sister María sets the stage for an all-out turf war. But what’s a gang without its territory? Above all, when the future is uncertain, what’s hope without love?

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37 The Magnificent Seven, 2016

Original movie: The Magnificent Seven, 1960; Director John Sturges

Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in The Magnificent Seven. With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue, the desperate townspeople employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns. As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.

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36 The Thing, 2011

Original movie: The Thing, 1982; Director John Carpenter

Paleontologist Kate Lloyd is invited by Dr. Sandor Halvorson to join his team who have found something extraordinary. Deep below the Antarctic ice, they have found an alien spacecraft that has been there for perhaps 100,000 years. Not far from where the craft landed, they find the remains of the occupant. It’s cut out of the ice and taken back to their camp but as the ice melts, the creature reanimates and not only begins to attack them but manages to infect them, with team members devolving into the alien creature.

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35 Dredd, 2012

Original movie: Judge Dredd, 1995; Director Danny Cannon

In the future, the overpopulated and chaotic Mega City One with 800 million inhabitants occupies the former territory between Boston and Washington and is surrounded by desert. Justice is brought by the judges, who have the power to judge and execute the sentence against those who break the law. The incorruptible Judge Dredd is summoned by the Chief Judge to evaluate the rookie Anderson, who has failed the test for judge but is a mutant with psychic abilities. They witness a murder and chase the killer in a 200-floor building. However the laboratory of slo-mo of the drug lord Ma-Ma is located in the 200th floor and she seals the building, trapping the two judges inside. Then she orders her clan to kill Dredd and Anderson in the beginning of a gore manhunt.

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34 Murder on the Orient Express, 2017

Original movie: Murder on the Orient Express, 1974; Director Sidney Lumet

Hercule Poirot, the best detective in the world, decides to travel on the Orient Express. The train accidentally gets stopped because of a small avalanche. Little did he know that a murder was planned and that a person on this train was capable of committing such crime.

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33 Alice in Wonderland, 2010

Original movie: Alice in Wonderland, 1951; Directors Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske

Nineteen-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.

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32 Gone in 60 Seconds, 2000

Original movie: Gone in 60 Seconds, 1974; Director H.B. Halicki

Memphis Raines must return to the world of auto theft after his brother breaches a contract with a Russian crime lord to deliver high end cars. Memphis must get a gang together for a one night ‘boost’ to grab all the cars while avoiding apprehension by the auto theft cop who trailed him years before.

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31 Cinderella, 2015

Original movie: Cinderella, 1949; Directors Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske

When her father unexpectedly dies, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her scheming stepsisters. Never one to give up hope, Ella’s fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger.

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30 13 Assassins (Jusan-nin no shikaku), 2010

Original movie: Jûsan-nin no shikaku, 1963; Director Eiichi Kudo

When his tyranny runs rampant, samurai Shinzaemon Shimada is charged with ensuring Naritsugu’s bloody reign ends. With the help of twelve samurai, Shinzaemon must set a trap for the Lord and his 200 men that will prevent him from ascending the throne.

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29 The Jungle Book, 2016

Original movie: The Jungle Book, 1967; Director Wolfgang Reitherman

After a threat from the tiger Shere Khan forces him to flee the jungle, a man-cub named Mowgli embarks on a journey of self discovery with the help of panther Bagheera and free-spirited bear Baloo.

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28 Aladdin, 2019

Original movie: Aladdin, 1992; Directors Ron Clements, John Musker

A kind-hearted street urchin Aladdin vies for the love of the beautiful princess Jasmine, the princess of Agrabah. When he finds a magic lamp, he uses the genie’s magic power to make himself a prince in order to marry her. He’s also on a mission to stop the powerful Jafar who plots to steal the magic lamp that could make his deepest wishes come true.

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27 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 2005

Original movie: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, 1971; Director Mel Stuart

When Willy Wonka decides to let five children into his chocolate factory, he decides to release five golden tickets in five separate chocolate bars, causing complete mayhem. The tickets start to be found, with the fifth going to a very special boy, called Charlie Bucket. With his Grandpa, Charlie joins the rest of the children to experience the most amazing factory ever. But not everything goes to plan within the factory.

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26 Godzilla, 2014

Original movie: Gojira, 1954; Director Ishiro Honda

In 1999, the Janjira nuclear plant was mysteriously destroyed with most hands lost including supervisor Joe Brody’s colleague and wife, Sandra. Years later, Joe’s son, Ford, a US Navy ordnance disposal officer, must go to Japan to help his estranged father who obsessively searches for the truth of the incident. In doing so, father and son discover the disaster’s secret cause on the wreck’s very grounds. This enables them to witness the reawakening of a terrible threat to all of Humanity, which is made all the worse with a second secret revival elsewhere. Against this cataclysm, the only hope for the world may be Godzilla, but the challenge for the King of the Monsters will be great even as Humanity struggles to understand the destructive ally they have.

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25 It, 2017

Original movie: It, 1990; Director Tommy Lee Wallace

When young children in the little town Derry, Maine goes missing a group of seven kids find out that the killer is not a man. The killer is the evil clown Pennywise who can shapeshift into the thing you are most afraid of. The kids, also known as the Losers Club, decide to fight and kill It. But how can you fight something who knows all your biggest fears?

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24 The Ring, 2002

Original movie: Ringu, 1998; Director Hideo Nakata

A mysterious video tape is killing off anyone who watches it. Whenever the victim watches it, the phone rings, telling them they have only one week to live. A young reporter named Rachel is investigating these events, but after she and her small son watch the tape, it becomes a race against time to find out why the tape is killing everyone and how it could be stopped.

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23 Insomnia, 2002

Original movie: Insomnia, 1997; Director Erik Skjoldbjærg

Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn’t set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.

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22 A Star Is Born, 2018

Original movie: A Star Is Born, 1937; Directors William A. Wellman, Jack Conway, Victor Fleming

Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers-and falls in love with-struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer — until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.

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21 Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 2011

Original movie: Planet of the Apes, 1967; Director Franklin J. Schaffner

The Escapist director Rupert Wyatt takes the helm for this Planet of the Apes prequel centering on genetically engineered chimp Caesar, who was created in a San Francisco lab by an ambitious scientist, and who uses his powerful intellect to lead an ape uprising against all of humankind.

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20 The Italian Job, 2003

Original movie: The Italian Job, 1969; Director Peter Collinson

Led by John Bridger and Charlie Croker a team is assembled for one last heist to steal $35 million in gold bars from a heavily guarded safe in Venice, Italy. After successfully pulling off the heist, a team member, Steve, driven by greed and jealousy, arranges to take the gold for himself and eliminate the remaining members of the group.

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19 Vanilla Sky, 2001

Original movie: Abre los ojos, 1997; Director Alejandro Amenábar

David Ames, a womanizing playboy who finds romantic redemption when he falls in love with his best friend’s girlfriend Sofia. Before that relationship can begin, however, David is coaxed into a car driven by an ex-lover, Julie, who turns out to be suicidal. Driving her car off a bridge, Julie kills herself and horribly disfigures David. Reconstructive surgery and the loving support of Sofia seem to reverse David’s luck, but eerie incidents are soon making him question the reality of his existence and his control over his life, even while he is suspected of complicity in Julie’s death.

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18 King Kong, 2005

Original movie: King Kong, 1933; Directors Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack

At the height of the Great Depression, the visionary but hard-pressed filmmaker, Carl Denham, talks the down-and-out New York City Vaudeville actress, Ann Darrow, into following him to Singapore for his upcoming movie extravaganza. Instead aboard a weather-beaten tramp steamer, along with the respected playwright, Jack Driscoll the unsuspecting crew find themselves at the back of beyond, in the impenetrable jungles of the obscure Skull Island: the home of ferocious primaeval relics, and the mysterious land of Kong, the all-powerful eight-metre-tall silverback gorilla.

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17 True Grit, 2010

Original movie: True Grit, 1969; Director Henry Hathaway

1870 Fort Smith, Arkansas. With nothing but revenge to keep her going after the murder of her father by a once-trusted, cowardly snake, plucky fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross entices the mean, one-eyed U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn with a reward to hunt down her father’s killer. As the excellent sharpshooter, Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, joins in, the unlikely trio forms a reluctant team and embarks on a peril-laden quest deep into the heart of the hostile Indian Territory to track down the murderer. However, the rugged wilderness is no place for a girl, and the odds are against them. Now, only vengeance matters. Is true grit enough to see justice served?

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16 3:10 to Yuma, 2007

Original movie: 3:10 to Yuma, 1957; Director Delmer Daves

A small-time rancher agrees to hold a captured outlaw who’s awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. A battle of wills ensues as the outlaw tries to psych out the rancher.

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15 Chicago, 2002

Original movie: Chicago, 1927; Director Frank Urson

In 1920s Chicago. Housewife Roxie Hart dreams of fame, Her dreams lead her to death-row, where she and another murdess, a vaudevillan named Velma Kelly, develop a rivalry while competing for for fame in the hope it will keep them from their fate.

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14 The Mummy, 1999

Original movie: The Mummy, 1932; Director Karl Freund

At an archaeological dig in the ancient city of Hamunaptra, an American serving in the French Foreign Legion accidentally awakens a mummy who begins to wreak havoc as he searches for the reincarnation of his long-lost love.

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13 I Am Legend, 2007

Original movie: The Last Man on Earth, 1964; Directors Ubaldo Ragona, Sidney Salkow

Robert Neville is a scientist who was unable to stop the spread of the terrible virus that was incurable and man-made in this post-apocalyptic action thriller. Immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and perhaps the world. For three years, Neville has faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone. Mutant victims of the plague — the Infected — lurk in the shadows — watching Neville’s every move — waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. Perhaps mankind’s last, best hope, Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered — and quickly running out of time.

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12 The Great Gatsby, 2013

Original movie: The Great Gatsby, 1974; Director Jack Clayton

Midwest native Nick Carraway arrives in 1922 New York in search of the American dream. Nick, a would-be writer, moves in next door to millionaire Jay Gatsby and across the bay from his cousin Daisy and her philandering husband Tom. Thus, Nick becomes drawn into the captivating world of the wealthy and as he bears witness to their illusions and deceits pens a tale of impossible love, dreams, and tragedy.

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11 Little Women, 2019

Original movie: Little Women, 1933; Director George Cukor

Jo March reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters — four young women, each determined to live life on her own terms.

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10 12 Monkeys, 1995

Original movie: La jetée, 1962; Director Chris Marker

James Cole, a prisoner of the state in the year 2035, can earn parole if he agrees to travel back in time and thwart a devastating plague. The virus has wiped out most of the Earth’s population and the remainder live underground because the air is poisonous. Returning to the year 1990, six years before the start of the plague, Cole is soon imprisoned in a psychiatric facility because his warnings sound like mad ravings.

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9 Les Misérables, 2012

Original movie: Les misérables, 1958; Director Jean-Paul Le Chanois

Jean Valjean, known as Prisoner 24601, is released from prison and breaks parole to create a new life for himself while evading the grip of the persistent Inspector Javert. Set in post-revolutionary France, the story reaches resolution against the background of the June Rebellion.

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8 Casino Royale, 2006

Original movie: Casino Royale, 1967; Directors Val Guest, Ken Hughes, John Huston

After earning 00 status and a licence to kill, secret agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007. Bond must defeat a private banker funding terrorists in a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, Montenegro.

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7 Man on Fire, 2004

Original movie: Man on Fire, 1987; Director Elie Chouraqui

Hard-drinking, burnt-out ex-CIA operative John Creasy has given up on life until he’s hired as a bodyguard to protect 9-year-old Pita Ramos. Bit by bit, Creasy begins to reclaim some of his soul, but when Pita is kidnapped, Creasy’s fiery rage is finally released and he will stop at nothing to save her as he sets out on a dangerous, revenge-fueled rescue mission.

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6 Ocean’s Eleven, 2001

Original movie: Ocean’s Eleven, 1960; Director Lewis Milestone

Danny Ocean wants to score the biggest heist in history. He combines an eleven member team, including Frank Catton, Rusty Ryan and Linus Caldwell. Their target? The Bellagio, the Mirage and the MGM Grand. All casinos owned by Terry Benedict. It’s not going to be easy, as they plan to get in secretly and out with $150 million.

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5 Batman Begins, 2005

Original movie: Batman, 1943; Director Lambert Hillyer

After witnessing his parents’ death, Bruce learns the art of fighting to confront injustice. When he returns to Gotham as Batman, he must stop a secret society that intends to destroy the city.

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4 The Departed, 2006

Original movie: Mou gaan dou, 2002; Directors Andrew Lau, Alan Mak

In this crime-action tour de force, the South Boston state police force is waging war on Irish-American organized crime. Young undercover cop Billy Costigan is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Frank Costello. While Billy quickly gains Costello’s confidence, Colin Sullivan, a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the state police as an informer for the syndicate, is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit.

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3 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 2011

Original movie: Män som hatar kvinnor, 2009; Director Niels Arden Oplev

After being successfully sued for libel by a wealthy industrialist, investigative journalist Mikael Blomqvist leaves his magazine Millennium and accepts an offer from Henrik Vanger to write the Vanger family history. An old industrial family, the Vangers have their share of skeletons in their closet. What Henrik is most interested in learning however is what happened to his niece, Harriet Vanger, who he is certain was murdered by a member of his family in the summer of 1966.

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2 Heat, 1995

Original movie: L.A. Takedown, 1989; Director Michael Mann

Neil McCauley leads a group of professional bank robbers, taking down major scores around LA. However after their latest heist goes terribly wrong and ends up in homicide, Det. Vincent Hannah finds a clue and becomes obsessed with the case determined to stop McCauley’s crew. Hannah and McCauley are competing against each other in a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Although they are on different sides of the law, they still find huge respect, recognition in each others troubled personal lives and they understand each others motivations — however this won’t make them hesitate to do whatever they can to win the battle between them two in this crime saga.

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1 Dune: Part One, 2021

Original movie: Dune, 1984; Director David Lynch

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, «Dune» tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

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