Movie remakes are always a tricky business, so it doesn’t help when filmmakers shoot themselves in the foot with awful decisions. Whether filmmakers like it or not, remakes are always bound to be compared to the original. It’s best to introduce some new ideas to the story, but these can backfire horrendously.

There aren’t many movie remakes which surpᴀss the originals, but it can be done. The best remakes have enough confidence to take the essence of the story and put an original spin on it. Unfortunately, some decisions leave audiences scratching their heads, struggling to think how anyone could consider them an improvement.

9

The Witches – Changing The Witches’ Physical Design

The Movie Came Under Fire From Disability Campaigners

The 1990 version of The Witches is one of the best Roald Dahl movies, as it captures the author’s distinct tone. While the remake attempts to strike the same balance between darkness and child-friendly fare, most critics saw it as inferior to the original.

2020’s The Witches was the subject of some controversy over its portrayal of the characters. Some of the witches appear to have limb deformities, which isn’t something that was present in either the novel or the 1990 adaptation. Disability campaigners objected to this detail, causing both Warner Bros. and Anne Hathaway to issue apologies.

8

Psycho – Norman’s Peephole Scene

The Remake Changes Norman Slightly

The original Psycho is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best movies, and it’s the kind of film that never needed a remake. Rather than trying to differentiate itself from the original, Gus Van Sant’s 1998 version starring Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates is almost a sH๏τ-for-sH๏τ remake, although there are one or two puzzling decisions thrown in.

The scene in which Norman watches Marion through a concealed peephole is one of the earliest indications that something isn’t quite right with him. The remake changes the entire complexion of this moment by having Norman touch himself. This strips the scene of its ambiguity, since there’s no room for audiences to think he might be staring at her with childish curiosity or intense bloodlust. This one moment changes his character drastically, and not for the better.

7

Death Note – Moving The Story Out Of Japan

The Remake Loses The Social Commentary

The original Death Note adaptation has been rather divisive among fans of the manga, but at least it isn’t almost universally reviled in the same way that the remake is. Netflix’s Death Note transplants the story from Japan to America, which is just one of many changes.

The Death Note remake loses out on the social commentary and the infectious style of the original story. The manga is clearly inspired by a long tradition of Japanese mythology, and it touches on pressing social issues in Japan like isolation, justice and policing. These themes are all different in the United States, and the remake fails to update them in any meaningful way. The logic behind the move sems to be that the remake should hold more appeal to American audiences, but this isn’t the case.

6

The Wicker Man – The Bees Scene

Nicolas Cage’s Performance Has Become Meme-Worthy

Nicolas Cage tends to take some big swings with his performances, and The Wicker Man shows what can happens when these swings don’t quite connect. The remake of the 1973 British horror classic moves the location from Scotland to Washington, but this is far from its biggest mistake.

The infamous bees scene sums up many of The Wicker Man‘s faults. It’s a moment that should be horrifying, but it comes across as unintentionally funny, partly because of Cage’s over-the-top performance and partly because the CGI bees don’t look very convincing at all.

5

The Jungle Book – King Louie’s Song

Disney’s Remake Doesn’t Suit The Original’s Jazzy Style

Disney’s live-action remakes have split opinions, but The Jungle Book is generally thought of as one of the stronger attempts. However, there are still one or two elements that pale in comparison to the original. In particular, the songs don’t capture the same sense of excitement.

Songs like “The Bare Necessities” work quite well in the different tone of the remake, but others fall flat. “I Wanna Be Like You” should be one of the most enjoyable moments of the movie, and Louis Prima’s performance makes it a highlight of the original. Christopher Walken’s more imposing villain doesn’t suit the upbeat, jazzy nature of the song. It undercuts his menacing nature.

4

Planet Of The Apes – Using The Lincoln Memorial Instead Of The Statue Of Liberty

Tim Burton’s Remake Ruins The Most Iconic Image From The Original

The Planet of the Apes franchise came roaring back with Tim Burton’s remake, but this turned out to be a false dawn. It took another decade for the prequel series to fully revive the franchise. If anything, the 2001 remake actually set things back. It faced plenty of harsh criticisms, especially the ending.

The ending of the original Planet of the Apes is one of the most iconic images in all of sci-fi, as George Taylor discovers the truth about the planet when he sees the crumbling Statue of Liberty. Following this was always going to be a problem for the remake, but the image of the Lincoln Memorial with the face of an ape ended up being a punch line.

3

Road House – The Fight Scenes Use Fewer Practical Effects

Road House’s Action Is One Of Its Biggest Draws

The Road House remake makes plenty of changes to the original, some of which are for the best. The original is known as a guilty pleasure to many people, with some hard-hitting action and a lot of schlocky humor. Patrick Swayze’s style was always going to be hard to follow, so Doug Liman’s remake tries to forge its own idenтιтy.

One of Road House‘s less effective changes is the way that it uses some cutting-edge visual effects technology for its action scenes. In the original, there’s a visceral joy to the fact that every broken bottle, every bar stool flying across the room and every thug who gets kicked to the floor is real. The remake has a few exciting action scenes, but nothing can recreate the impact of practical effects.

2

The Lion King – The Facial Expressions Are Much Less Engaging

The Switch To Live-Action Sucks The Life Out Of Some Of The Characters

Some Disney movies make the transition from animation to live-action more easily than others. Due to the lack of humans in The Lion King, it’s a jarring change, and the animals don’t look as emotive or relatable as they do in the original. Although the lifelike nature of the CGI can be jaw-dropping, it doesn’t help form a connection between the characters and the audience.

Of all Disney’s recent remakes, The Lion King is arguably the most divisive. On the one hand, it was an enormous box-office success that spawned a sequel, but on the other hand, it suffered from a string of negative reviews. A lot of the criticism was focused on the visuals, so it never stood a chance in comparison to the aesthetic richness of the original.

1

The Italian Job – Moving From Turin To Los Angeles

The Remake Becomes A Little More Generic

The original version of The Italian Job is a classic heist movie, thanks to a charming lead performance from Michael Caine and some raucous freewheeling comedy. It’s the kind of crime caper that has a uniquely British sensibility, so an American remake was always going to come under a lot of scrutiny.

2003’s The Italian Job has very little to do with the original, aside from the appearance of the iconic Mini Coopers. While it arguably could have worked with an American cast, the worst sin of the remake is that it leaves behind the picturesque setting of Turin and becomes a more generic heist thriller instead.