Movie remakes or reboots are some of the most polarizing topics regarding Hollywood. Some people want to see their classic movies remade with their current favorite actors. However, most want classics to be left untouched and remain as they are. That’s why, at this point, directors, producers, and studios should give up and focus on original stories. But, Alas, we continue to get more and more remakes, especially in the past 20 years or so. So, let’s talk about some of the worst movie remakes of all time.
15. Ben-Hur (1959, 2016)
There isn’t a film fan that doesn’t know the name of Ben-Hur. The first film in history to bag more than 10 Oscars (11 to be precise), happens to be one of the best movies ever made. The cinematic aesthetic, the great writing, and the outstanding performances make it quite unforgettable.
Now, the same cannot be said for the 2016 remake. 90% of the audience don’t even know there was a remake, that barely scored 25% on Rotten Tomatoes. So, this movie is a testament to the age-old adage of “Don’t fix what’s not broken.”
14. Psycho (1960, 1998)
Psycho is a ground-breaking movie and a trendsetter by none other than Alfred Hitchcock. The film’s twisted and strange premise makes it one of the first-ever such movies – and also one of the best. The performance of Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates is memorable too.
Then, someone decided to make a remake 28 years later in 1998, and that fell flat on its face. Despite having a relatively renowned cast, the 1998 remake wasn’t worth the dust on Hitchcock’s feet. So, it became another regrettable remake that nobody asked for.
13. Footloose (1984, 2011)
Footloose from 1984 is a remarkable story of human resilience, the love for music, and the magic of dancing. There are a lot of people who don’t remember Kevin Bacon from Tremors, and instead think of this movie when he’s mentioned.
Then, in 2011, for some very vague and unjustified reason, we got a remake. Why? Or who asked for it? We’ll never know, but we do know that the remake was quite flat, and something that shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentence as the original.
12. The Mummy (1999, 2017)
The Mummy is a beloved franchise, and rightfully so. All the darling actors of the late 90s were in it, but so were some of the best action sequences for that period. Then came Mummy 2, which was flat, but Mummy 3 officially put the last nail in the franchise’s sarcophagus.
Then, Tom Cruise decided to reboot the franchise and create sort of a dark/monster universe of his own. And despite doing relatively well at the box office, opinions surrounding the movie and critical decimation of the movie didn’t help the cause. Giving us yet another remake that went in the bin.
11. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, 2010)
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a beloved franchise and one of the highest-rated horror movies of all time. The Wes Craven original sits pretty at a 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating as of this writing. Other than that, the film is a cult classic and one of the most renowned films in the horror genre.
So, naturally, expectations were high when Samuel Bayer wanted to reignite and reboot the franchise, with a 2010 release date. But, as with many other reboots and remakes, the film ran out of air before it could take off, marking it as one of the biggest failures in the horror industry.
10. Total Recall (1990, 2012)
Total Recall is one of the best movies of Arnold’s career. But besides his presence in the movie, the film generally has a very good premise and the story is quite flowing. Paul Verhoeven does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat, with every great action sequence advancing the story.
Now, think of the exact opposite, a bland, and lackluster movie, and then you get the 2012 remake. Despite having a capable lead in Colin Farrell, the film never takes off. The wind gets knocked out of the sails as soon as the plot is set, and then it’s downhill from there.
9. Planet of the Apes (1968, 2001)
Planet of the Apes (1968) is one of the movies that set a trend for sci-fi films. From there on, we got many great franchises and stories, such as Aliens, Blade Runner, etc. So, no wonder people wanted to cash in on the popularity of this film sooner or later.
But perhaps it was too late by 2001 when Tim Burton tried his take on the story. But, not only did the film fail to capture the audience, it was quite a dull attempt. However, the franchise did redeem itself in 2011 with another reboot—resulting in a story that’s still going.
8. Ghostbusters (1984, 2016)
Ghostbusters is one of the most famous movies of all time, and a beloved movie for many. To this day, many kids cosplay as the characters from the film, and the iconic theme song has continued to be a bop over the years.
So, how do you put a sour taste in the mouths of the fans of this franchise? By rebooting a bland story. Now, many people say it was the gender swap that ruined this reboot. Instead, it was an insipid story, and no real reason for this sequel to exist in the first place.
7. The Karate Kid (1984, 2010)
There hasn’t been a kid from the 80s or 90s who didn’t want to take up martial arts after watching The Karate Kid. The film is a classic and teaches us many things about this way of life, and life in general. That’s one of the main reasons the original is so loved.
Now, the 2010 remake isn’t exactly empty of substance. The film’s story is quite engaging, and it does have good performances from Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. But, does it live up to its predecessor? Not even close.
6. White Men Can’t Jump (1992, 2023)
White Men Can’t Jump is a classic comedy film from the early 90’s, and has made somewhat of a cult following over the years. And, you know what happens when a film has a following like that? It catches the eyes of producers who are bereft of original ideas.
So, no wonder someone recently decided to remake this film with a modern touch. Not only was it utterly disappointing, the film didn’t even have any resemblance to the original. This made it one of the worst remakes of all time.
5. The Wicker Man (1973, 2006)
The Wicker Man is a horror classic and a movie you should watch if you haven’t yet. With great performances by Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward, Robin Hardy delivers one of the most engaging cult stories you’ll ever see.
Then came the 2006 Nicholas Cage remake of the movie. Once again, it was one of the remakes that “nobody asked for.” And yet it went forward and failed miserably. The film didn’t even make the measly 40 million budget but also failed to sway the critics or audiences.
4. Poltergeist (1982, 2015)
Poltergeist became famous in an era when horror movies were abuzz, and without social media or modern technology, this film became an instant classic. Until this day, many people are quite scared to watch it.
Now, take something like that and make it smooth, and iron out any kinks in the story or things that made the first film special. Then, you’ll get the 2015 remake, which, in no way, resembled the original. And, just adds up to be another bad reboot of an original.
3. Oldboy (2003, 2013)
Oldboy (2003) is a South Korean classic and one of the films that made people aware of how good Korean cinema can be. The film has everything, and it can be tough for some people to watch. But, there’s no doubt about the film being great.
Then came the 2013 American reboot of the movie. Much like many other American reboots, the film lacked the original movie’s soul. Despite great performances from Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen, the movie just doesn’t feel the same as the South Korean one.
2. Robocop (1987, 2014)
Robocop is another classic action film from the 1980s, and some might argue that it was ahead of its time. The film’s story might not even need an introduction, and that’s why it kicked off a three-film series that ran until 1993.
Then in 2010, the powers to be decided that the story needed a reboot. Joel Kinnaman was a perfect cast of the titular role, and Robocop suit looked amazing too. However, the story lacked substance, and that’s why, it failed to make any impact on the audience or critics.
1. The Lion King (1994, 2019)
Nothing signifies the lack of creativity in current Hollywood, than simply taking an animated classic and turning it into a live-action movie. What’s the point? Who asked for it? Who greenlit the project? We’ll never know.
But, we know that The Lion King 2019 reboot didn’t have half the magic that the original one did. The animation was great, and the characters looked good, but the connection people had with the 1994 originals was missing sorely.
