We put together a list of some of the worst remakes of movies and TV shows ever made. What reboots do you think should (or shouldn’t) have made the cut?
TheAlfred HitchcockclassicPsychois one of the most celebrated films in the horror and thriller genre. From the cinematography to the foreboding sense of dread, there’s really no way to up the ante with a remake. So directorGus Van Santjust copied it.
The 1998Psychoremake was nearly identical to the 1960 version, shot for shot, with virtually nothing added to enhance the original. One of the few differences between the two films is that Van Sant added sound effects to make Norman Bates’, ahem, “voyeurism” more clear. Much like the remake itself, nobody needed that.
Around the World in 80 Days
A remake of the Academy Award-winning classic, the remake ofAround the World in 80 Daysran out of air in the first minute.Jackie Chanportrays a bank robber that poses as Passepartout, a valet for Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan), as they travel around the world and get into misadventures.
Shifting the focus of the original story from Fogg to Passepartout was a clever twist, and who doesn’t love Jackie Chan? But the classic adventure story failed to appeal to audiences as a comedy. It was nominated for “Worst Remake” at the Razzies that year.
Total Recall
In 1990, filmgoers couldn’t get enough ofArnold Schwarzeneggeron Mars. The action-packed sci-fi summer blockbusterTotal Recallfeatured over-the-top violence and Schwarzenegger’s muscley moxie, bringing audiences into theaters in droves. It’s remake? Not so much.
The 2012 remake ofTotal Recalllanded almost unanimously negative reviews. Most critics claimed that, while the film had some great action sequences, it didn’t nail the goofy sci-fi fun of the original. The end result was a bland, forgettable action movie that doesn’t evenmentionMars.
Knight Rider
80s nostalgia has been at a peak for a while now, so it seemed like a smart move when NBC hiredVal Kilmerto voice the robot car K.I.T.T. for the 2008 reboot ofKnightRider.However, the remake’s plot of having original hero Michael Knight’s estranged son take over his father’s mantle earned it unfavorable comparisons to the original.
The show was unable to please both new viewers and fans of the 1982 original series. Even after the show was retooled, by removing several key characters to focus completely on the original team of KITT and Michael, it was ultimately cancelled after its first season.
The Wolfman
1941’sThe Wolfmanis a horror classic that was also a tragic drama. Lawrence Talbot(Lon Chaney Jr.)is the titular wolfman, an unwilling victim-turned-monster who ultimately gets bludgeoned to death by his own father. It had substance along with style, things that the 2010 remake sorely lacked.
While the undeniably amazing make-up effects forThe Wolfmanwon Academy Awards, the script was heavily criticized for lacking suspense and including a shoehorned revenge plot between Talbot and his father, who in this version isalsoa werewolf. Then-President of Universal Studios,Ronald Meyer,called it “One of the worst movies we ever made.”
The originalBewitchedTV series is a beloved 1960s sitcom about a sorceress that marries a mortal everyman, choosing the role of a suburban housewife over witchcraft. The 2005 movie adaptation was about a struggling actor(Will Ferrell)rebooting the original sitcom, and hiring a costar(Nicole Kidman)who turns out to be a real witch.
While a clever idea, the movie was a bit too meta for audiences who legitimately just wanted to see a straightforward adaptation of the original series. The movie went poof at the box office, littered with negative reviews from movie goers and critics alike.
The Ladykillers
In spite of the delightful performance ofTom Hanksas a country-fried crime boss, TheCoen Brothers’remake ofThe Ladykillersdidn’t win the hearts of the critics or the box office. The black comedy/heist film sees Hanks and a group of eccentric characters try to rob a casino by tunneling through the root cellar of an elderly woman.
While comparisons to the 1955 original were made, the differences between Hanks’ character andAlec Guinness’Professor Marcus couldn’t be more apparent. There was nothing outright awful aboutThe Ladykillersreboot, just nothing noteworthy enough to justify remaking it.
Bionic Woman
The Bionic Womanwas an immensely popular TV show in the 1970s, at a time when there were a small number of science-fiction shows, and an even smaller number of shows starring a female protagonist. Unfortunately, the reimagining of the series in 2007 got lost in a shuffle of similar shows.
TheBionic Womanreboot was a big misfire for both critics and viewers. In addition, it ran into huge snags caused by a writers strike, which delayed the production of new episodes longer than the already-lukewarm audience cared to wait. The series ended after just eight episodes.
Point Break
The 1991 action thrillerPoint Breakhas become a cult favorite, thanks to engaging scenes, cheesy melodrama, plot-driven action, and celebrated performances byKeanu ReevesandPatrick Swayze. Reeves’ delivery of the line “I am an FBI agent!” is reason enough to rent this gem on streaming right now.
While the 2015 remake did have some intense action scenes featuring snowboarding and wingsuits to appeal to the thrillseeker in all of us, it lacked all the other elements that made the original work. Namely, it lacked Reeves and Swayze. And without them, what’s the point?
The Longest Yard
The originalThe Longest Yardfeatured the ruggedBurt Reynoldsas a football player charged with the task of recruiting and training his fellow prisoners for a game against the guards. Do you know who’d be good to fill in the shoes of Burt Reynolds in a remake? “Why,Adam Sandler!,”said nobody.
While both versions of The Longest Yard are comedies, the 1974 original contained a fair amount of commentary about the poor treatment of prisoners. The 2005 remake replaced that subtext with Sandler’s trademark brand of sophomoric humor, and not much else.
