Some months ago I had the chance to see the original "Planet of the Apes" movie, and I found myself enjoying it way more than than the (Tim Burton's?) remake. For me, it had a lot more meanig and the dialogues were given much more importance than the action sequences. The religious and darwinist connotations where left aside in the rm and leaned more to the animal ethics.
Also, just yesterday I saw "The Time Machine" (which I am aware is based on a book), of which I have mixed feelings when compared to the remake. For one in the rm they made the Eloi more sympathetic, losing that way the original message. However, in the original they make it hard to believe that the Morlocks could come up with such a complex plan and technology, seeing as how they are easilly overcome when the Eloi rebel.
Anyway, those are two examples that come to my mind right now, I could say something about Gojira or King Kong had I seen the originals, but maybe someone else has.
I've seen all three versions of King Kong. The one from the 70's was truly awful, and I found the Peter Jackson version to have great special effects but hopelessly conventional and thinly concieved. (Naomi Watts was good in the latter, though her performance was nothing compared to her best in Mulholland Dr.)
The 1933 original, however, was the best version. The monster is, in reality, two things in one; a self-parody of director Merian C. Cooper, and a metaphor for the "primitive apes" that white adventurers often see foreigners as. Additionally, King Kong can be seen as a tale of how human colonialism can cause natural imbalance and destruction. I found the two remakes lacking in any of those messages and far too concerned with being mainstream blockbusters.
Oh yes, Tim Burton did direct the recent Planet of the Apes, but he wasn't really the driving force. Burton dislikes it, too.
Well an example of Originals being better than remakes are the holloween movies... ive seen both remakes and both of them r crappy... i mean not as good as the original ones... I think they should stop remaking old classics lol..
On the other hand, the remake of Public Enemies was a really really really good movie with great acting and great directing :).
If you're talking about Michael Mann's most recent film, it wasn't remade from the 1996 film. Their names being the same is just a coincidence.
Do they even have similar plots?
Well they have now remade the Halloween 2 movie, it was alright but not as good as the original. Lots of great graphics, but i thought the original was slightly better and much more of a classic :)
Personally, the original Willy Wonka made more sense. But the main child in the remake was more good-looking. Johny Depp did a good job, but the plot...it was different and unusual, with forgettable tunes.
I hear they are making a remake of Rocky Horror soon. What do you think about that? After watching the original, I thought it was rather interesting. But a remake, oh lordy.
I prefered the remake because it was much closer to the novel, and because it was a much more personal effort for Burton and Depp than for Stuart and Wilder.
Really? I never read the book. I should, though. When I read "James and the Giant Peach", the movie just looked humorous to me.