Pop Planet

I've noticed a trend in Hollywood. Perhaps you have too. It seems they have started to run out of ideas. The result? Remakes. Sometimes the names are changed to protect the innocent. News broke last November of a planned remake of The Karate Kid.

To me, it's a disturbing trend. A remake typically has no chance to be as good as the original. Legions of fans will remember the first movie and compare everything in the new film to the old film. Rarely does the remake hold up. At best, it can hope to be as good as it's predecessor.

There are two directions to take when remaking a film.

1. A shot for shot remake, paying homage to the original. Example Bad News Bears. To quote my least favorite American Idol judge, Kara: "I have two words: Awful."
2. A completely different creative take using the same story, but changing it up cinematically. I actually respect this more. At least the director is allowed to use some creativity. Example: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Are there any good remakes? Well it turns out that there are. Check out these guys' list of the top remakes of all time.

What makes an remake successful then? Here are my rules for when and where a remake is justified:

The original film is a foreign film.
This is an easy one. If the intended audience doesn't know of the original film and doesn't speak the language it was filmed in? Green Light.

Examples:
The Departed: based on a Cantonese film.
Victor/Victoria: based on a German film.
The Ring: based on a Japanese film.

At least 40 years has passed since the original and you are updating the story to make it modern.
Scarface(1983) is a perfect example. When 40 years have passed, many may not even remember the original film. In fact, I would guess there are a lot of films, you wouldn't even know are remakes.
Examples:
Ben Hur: 1959-1907
Father of the Bride: 1991-1950
I am Legend: 2007-1964

Special effects have advanced to a point that they enhance the film cinematically.
I could only find one example.
Little Shop of Horrors

The film is not an iconic film. Films that should never be remade:
Citizen Kane
The Wizard of Oz: Oops, too late.
The Godfather
Casablanca
Gone With the Wind