subject: Resurrecting The Past With Remakes [print this page] When Hollywood decides it is time to remake a classic movie, what is it they are trying to accomplish? Why not just release the original movie again in a high definition finish? There could be many reasons for their logic. Yet, how do they stack up in ratings and sales?
Lets look at the Karate Kid, first filmed and released in 1984 and starred Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. This very anti-bully movie touched the hearts of millions earning 3.5 stars from IMDb, but the new take on it also sports the same rating. The original film grossed $90,815,558 (and remember this is back in 1984), while the new film grossed $176,591,618 in 2010. I know that ticket prices have increased dramatically since the 80s, and I am sure many lovers of the first film took their kids to share that bringing-back-my-childhood feeling with them. While both films were amazing, the original will be prefered, and I get that from reading reviews people have left on them. I dont foresee the new version becoming a classic. It was very current for the kids now days, but I dont feel it had the same power over me as I watched it with my family.
Then there was Footloose. I watched this one at home because I was cringing inside over the fact that they were doing that one again. In fact, there were feelings of almost being offended by the mere thought. But I was pleasantly surprised by it. There were many of the same happenings in both, but they did make the second more modern to appeal to the teens and young adults of today. Our world is so much different than it was back in good old 1984. That seems to be the magic year. But the new Footloose took a huge step back out of the spotlight when it only grossed $51,802,742 in 2011 compared to the whopping $80,035,402. In my thinking, the old version really tripled what the new one did when you take into consideration the amount of inflation. Again, the story earned the three stars in both versions.
So perhaps it is who is in the movie and not the story. Both remakes scored the same amount of stars, but it was the revenue created that was different. The only part of it that is consistent is that the story is virtually the same.
Now, Hollywood is bringing us another remake, Total Recall. The old take earned four stars but the new one fell short with three. What do I make of that? Schwarzenegger wasnt in the new one. Put him in it and you might do a little better. He was a very iconic actor in the 80s and 90s. It is a shame we lost him from the screen. As being known more popularly as a machine in the movie Terminator, Schwarzenegger is a favorite for many who grew up with him on the screen and like me, dont want to give him up yet.
