The King of All Monsters, is back in theaters for his second American remake after 1998's abysmal "Godzilla". Hollywood has a long history of adapting foreign films for the US market. The resulting films have a wide range of quality from the dreadfully bad to the exceptional. In this list we'll take a look at some of the winners and losers when it comes to Foreign Films vs. their Hollywood Remakes.
Loser: "Godzilla" 1998Speaking of Godzilla, lets take a look back the first American remake of Ishiro Honda's 1954 classic. The original was a reaction to the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in World War II and the fear of the resulting radiation that permeated the culture. The American translation has none of that and instead comes off as the blatant cash grab that is was. The remake also has the distinction of being the birth of Hollywood's current obsession with remakes and re-imaginings. This remake is so hated that the Japanese creators of the original have done everything in their power to erase it from the collective memory. They've demoted the American version of the giant lizard from Godzilla to just Zilla. They even placed Zilla in 2004's "Godzilla: Final Wars" in which it takes the original monster all over thirty seconds to defeat and destroy Zilla.
You can watch Zilla's demise below:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIcExdpsEcQ[/youtube]
Winner: "Insomnia" 2002Both "Insomnia" films are psychological thrillers about a cop trying to solve a murder while covering up one of his own. The stress of the situation causes him to lose sleep. All sleep. Both the American and Norwegian films show the main character suffering more and more from guilt and insomnia, both of which threaten to destroy him. The films diverge on some plot points, the American detective is hiding a bit of vigilante justice while the Norwegian is hiding creeping dementia, and that's on top of the investigation and coverup. The differences make both seem like the same meal from two amazing chefs, and the American has the added benefit of seeing Robin Williams match wits with Al Pacino.
Loser: "Bangkok Dangerous" 2008"Bangkok Dangerous" is an interesting case. Both films are written and directed by the Pang Brothers. The original was a big hit with critics, which caught Nicolas Cage's attention. The US remake swaps Cage into the leading role of Joe, a hitman looking for a way out. Despite being led by the same creative team the remake fails to capture any of the magic of the original. Many attribute the failure to Cage's performance, voiceover, and strange choice in hairstyles and I can't disagree.
Winner: "Let Me In" 2010"Let Me In" is the 2010 US remake of 2008's "Let the Right One In" from Sweden. The two films are almost identical, but in a good way. Subtitles aren't for everyone and staying faithful to the original brings quality to the remake that is often absent in adaptations. Both films tell the story of a young boy who is lonely and bullied until he befriends a a girl who turns out to be a vampire. Though it sounds like it belongs on the same shelf as "Twilight", there's nothing glittering about this vampire. She's vicious and animalistic at times and spends a lot of time drenched in blood. A worthwhile watch for vampire lovers and cinephiles.
Loser: "Oldboy" 2013Spike Lee's 2013 remake of Park Chan-wook's 2003 cult hit is a mixed bag when it comes to what remains faithful to the original and what is completely reinvented. The result is jostling to fans of the original and confusing to newcomers. The story of a man who is imprisoned in a hotel room for a number of years (15 in the original, 20 in the remake, an unnecessary and irrelevant change) then suddenly released to search for the reason why. The motivation behind the imprisonment is fudged in the remake as is the amazing hallway fight. The original was done as one long tracking shot and the remake claims to do the same but appears to have been edited in some places.
You can watch a comparison video of both versions of the scene below:
Winner: "The Departed" 2006The 2006 winner of four Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing, "The Departed" began as 2002's "Infernal Affairs" (which spawned two sequels). The core story is the same: a mole infiltrates the police force on behalf of the mob while a cop goes undercover in that mob. The resulting cat and mouse games (who is the cat and who is the mouse is constantly shifting) gathers a rather large body count. Moving the action from Hong Kong to Boston, "The Departed" packs in the story of all three "Infernal Affairs" films into one, resulting in its two and a half hour runtime. It's long but the trip is worth it. The twists, tension, and amazing performances gives "The Departed" the top remake spot.
It's your turn! Tweet us @Stagebuddy and let us know what are some of your favorite original vs. remake battles!
