Over the past few years, I’m sure we’ve all seen, and maybe even participated in, the hate of modern movie remakes.
There’s often this idea that these remakes are soulless, or a ‘cash-grab,’ and I can’t deny that for some movies, but there are some that were made out of passion, and by people who care about the source. Those are the ones I’ll be listing for you today.
Before I get into it though, I should note that these movies aren’t listed in any particular order. They’re also my opinion at their core. Some of these movies might not have the highest rating, but mean a lot to me for any number of reasons. Feel free to share your own thoughts after reading.
Alice in Wonderland
Tim Burton’s adaptation of the 1951 film Alice in Wonderland is great! I don’t care what anyone else says, the effects for the time were super fun to watch in a real life medium. There was a brief period of time where movies like this made me want to go into CGI and animation when I grew up. Not to mention, Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter was absolutely amazing and really sold the movie for me even today. This movie is just fun and it’s easy to tell that the people working on it had a blast.
How to Train Your Dragon
The original How to Train Your Dragon is my favorite movie of all time, so I can admit there’s probably some bias in this choice: however, its ratings do reflect my thoughts exactly. The remake is not as good as the original of course, but it was clearly a passion project. The same director, Dean DeBlois, worked on both movies, Gerard Butler came back as the same character in the live action, and all of the CGI shots of the world and dragons are so detailed and reflective of this legendary place from my childhood. The live action remake definitely had its flaws, but I also think it was an amazing watch.
Speed Racer
The 2008 Speed Racer movie, directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, is a fever dream of an absolutely hilarious adaptation of the Japanese animated series: Mach GoGoGo. I’ve loved this movie over the years for two reasons: First, as a kid, I loved the effects, the cars, the action, and the drama. The movie is so fast paced and I was young enough to overlook the not-so-great CGI. And second, as an adult I can laugh at all the absolutely terrible jokes, plot holes, CGI, and nostalgia it gives me. I still rewatch this movie at least once a year when I really need a laugh.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame has actually had two remakes. The original came out in 1923. The first remake came out in 1939. And the one that I love and adore is the 1996 version, directed by Gary Trousdale. In doing research for this list I actually discovered that the 1996 film is actually the lowest rated on IMDB?! Now I know I haven’t seen the original, but I have seen the 1939 version of this film and, in my opinion, Gary’s rendition absolutely blows the old one out of the water. The animation and the music alone skyrockets this movie into one of my favorites. The gargoyles can get a little annoying, sure, but other than that, the 1996 rendition of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a flawless movie.
IT
Ever since I was a kid, I had heard the tale of the infamous 1990 IT movies. This was primarily due to my mom’s fear of clowns which originated from the films and my uncle making her watch them as a kid. Then in 2017, when the remake came out, I knew I just had to see what all the hubbub was about… The movie was amazing. I loved it and I am not normally a fan of the horror genre, but this one really hooked me. I also think that is a consequence of me really liking all the fun visual effects. The original has a certain comedic charm to me, but doesn’t quite hit the emotional notes that the 2017 version does. I would like to say that my mom agrees, but she still refuses to watch the remake.
Dune
The original Dune movie is kind of a flop after you watch the new ones. I mean we really are spoiled with all the effects, great acting, and better established worldbuilding. The original is fun and I’m happy it exists because without it we wouldn’t have the modern Dune, but I don’t think I’d ever watch the original again.
The Jungle Book
I adore the original The Jungle Book. I remember, as a kid, going over to my grandmothers house at least once a week and watching the original every single time. You’d think that would make me hate it by now, but no, it still has that nostalgic charm to it for me… I was so ready to hate on the live action remake when it came out. I was ready to absolutely tear it apart and yet, here we are. Here I am praising it for its writing, its CGI, and cinematography. The colors and shots in this movie are phenomenal! And I think this was the reason I was so open-minded when I went in to see the live action How to Train Your Dragon.
Tron: Legacy
The 2010 adaptation of Tron has some of the coolest looking effects and shots of the time. The colors and lighting are absolutely gorgeous and the worldbuilding is paced so much better than the original. The acting is the only thing I have a small issue with really. The original is poorly shot and the writing just isn’t there for me. The effects are cool to look back on and think about how they accomplished them with such limited technology, but overall I have a similar outlook for these movies as I do for Dune: I’m happy the original exists, because without it we wouldn’t have the better version.
Oceans Eleven
Matt Damon is one of my favorite actors ever. This movie isn’t my favorite work of his, but he is a great accent to the rest of the cast for sure. The drama of the remake, with all the unique characters, fun plots, schemes, and devices is just so enjoyable. There are notes of comedy, but it’s a mostly serious movie that really pulls you in! The original, however, is clearly intended to be a comedy. It does have some pretty good music though, and it’s hard to dislike Frank Sinatra. Overall it’s a fine movie that did well for the time, but I prefer the more serious take on the story from 2001.
Bugonia
Now for the newest item on our list: the 2025 thriller starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons: Bugonia. Emma Stone is also one of my favorite actors and she does not disappoint in this movie. It is an absolutely wild experience: 10/10, would recommend. After being astounded by this movie, I looked a bit more into it and discovered that it is actually a remake of a South Korean film called Save the Green Planet!. I went and watched this movie out of curiosity and honestly it’s not bad! It is definitely a very different style of movie and made me laugh pretty hard at times. Both are great movies, but the American remake is absolutely phenomenal and worth a watch.
Conclusion
Every single one of these movies is an absolute blast. There are definitely some on here that get a worse rap than others, but I just wanted to point out the number of great remade films out there. This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to great remakes.
I hope this list has inspired you to go out and watch / rewatch a movie or two, because I know that writing it has definitely made me want to do so. And hey, everyone has differing opinions when it comes to media and movies, so I’d be excited to hear your thoughts too. Are there any remakes that you love that I didn’t mention? Or did you absolutely hate The Jungle Book remake and am I just blinded by nostalgia? Feel free to let me know!