Remake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In film, a remake is a newer version of a previously released film or a newer version of the source (play, novel, story, etc.) of a previously made film.
The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source. For example, 2001's Ocean's Eleven is a remake of the 1960 film, while 1989's Batman is a re-interpretation of the comic book source material which also inspired 1966's Batman.
William Shakespeare's plays have inspired countless remakes, from stage productions which alter the setting and costumes of the play but retain most or all of the original dialogue, to films geared to teenage audiences such as 10 Things I Hate About You and O (film), which use the basic plot of a Shakespeare play, but change everything else to appeal to younger audiences who do not read or watch Shakespeare. West Side Story is a modernized, musical version of Romeo and Juliet and is considered one of the classic musicals of all time.
With the exception of remakes such as 1998's Psycho, which is a shot-for-shot color recreation of the 1960 film, remakes generally make significant character, plot, and theme changes. For example, the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair is centered on a bank robbery, while its 1999 remake involves the theft of a valuable piece of artwork. Similarly, when the 1969 film The Italian Job was remade in 2003, few aspects were carried over. Another notable example is the 1932 film Scarface which was remade in 1983 starring Al Pacino; whereas the 1932 is centered around bootleg alcohol, the 1983 version is based around cocaine.
With the 2006 version of The Omen, those who have seen the 1976 version will probably know what line of dialogue or piece of action is going to happen next. This is because the dialogue is similar (if not identical) to that of the 1976 version. The flow of events is almost identical to the 1976 version as well. However, there are some minor differences between the two films.
Not all remakes use the same title as the previously released version; 1983's Never Say Never Again, for instance, is a remake of the 1965 film Thunderball; the 1966 film Walk Don't Run is a remake of the World War II comedy The More the Merrier.
In the recent history of cinema, remakes have generally been considered inferior to earlier versions by film critics and cinema-goers alike, but there have been memorable exceptions to the generalization. See the list of film remakes for examples.
