I am not automatically against new spins on old stuff, or remakes or movies based on old things. It's all in the execution.

I see that it can go different ways

1) Gets the original, makes a loving update that keeps the spirit (or even improves it) and makes for something entertaining at least, beloved at best. The single best example I can think of is the Addams Family movie(s), which not only did a decent take on the TV show, but also incorporated a ton of sight gags straight from the original comics and had an excellent cast, to boot. Sure, there are some changes that aren't improvements (Uncle Fester is so good in the TV show) but it's more than made up for elsewhere. I loved the Addams Family movies ton. (The broadway musical, not so much.)

2) Ironic twist on the original. This one is much trickier, as it can leave the purists cold and if the movie isn't good, then the deviation gets blamed for the mediocre product. OTOH, it can produce fun movies like the Brady Bunch movie.

3) Cash in. Make a standard genre movie using old characters.

4) Misses the point entirely. Gets the characters wrong, gets the appeal of the original wrong, isn't good in its own right. See Wild Wild West. Or don't. Also, Addams Family Musical.


As far as Phantom and Shadow movies, I liked both pretty well. I'm not very familiar with Phantom and only a little with the Shadow (and some from comics which themselves were deviations from the original) but I liked them on their own.


As far as Mr Peabody, it seems to be #3. The characters don't seem wrong, but it's looking like a mediocre rendition. It's premature (there have been bad trailers before) but it looks like they can't mimic the humor of the original and have lame kid-movie gags instead.

Good points all, but the bolded, in particular, is hitting the nail on the head for a lot of this stuff.

To my eye, the amount of garbage out there in this "genre" isn't mitigated by Addam's Family. It's the exception that proves the rule. It's like picking a single number on a D100 and expecting it to come up on the first roll. I'd say Hollywood has given be plenty of data on the odds of certain movies being good.

Oh, dear GOD! I was just rereading your post to see if there was anything else to cover and the bolded reminded me that I saw BOTH Inspector Gadget movies while watching children. I didn't get paid enough for that pain.

I probably think there are more #1s and acceptable #3s out there than you do. Addams Family is a high water mark, but I can think of plenty of "OK" ones as well. Mission Impossible is OK, for instance. I liked Lost in Space pretty well (although not many did). The recent Lorax movie was pretty good, really expanded on the original, from one-note message to more well-rounded (and actually made the Onceler a sympathetic character!). I found Flintstones and Coneheads to be "OK."

Certainly, more remakes are bad than good. But that's true of movies overall, not just remakes.

RE: Inspector Gadget-- I've seen too much of the modern Chipmunk movies. I get it, they're not for adults... but sheesh.

You poor man, you.

I've managed to keep my hard drive clean of any of that virus, but I've watched enough children to have seen Paulie, Beethoven, and whateverthe hellthebasketballplayingdogonewas, and clones of them to think that maybe Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank were really the ones asking me if I could sit that weekend.

Inspector Gadget = Bad. SO bad. Run if you get the chance!!

Also do your best to avoid SpyKids in any iteration.

Remakes (of movies) are generally painful for me. I understand why studios make them - because they make money. I'm not sure why people would want to watch them, though. If the originals are good, just watch and enjoy the originals.

SpyKids was original, at least. Also, my kids enjoyed it (when they were kids).

Hmmm. I'm now desperately trying to come up with a remake that disproves this.

Not because I think you're wrong, but just because.

What about The Thing? Was it here that I mentioned my recent fumble on this one?

I have no problems with remakes, provided that they have SOMETHING new to add.

Night of the Living Dead 1990 was a good one for me, as it managed to keep the flavor of the original and elevate Barbara's character from catatonia to competency.

I enjoyed the original Spy Kids well enough. It was born of a sincere urge on the part of the writer/director, and it showed. Sequels-- I could not tell you.

I don't mind remakes in principle. See above-- most movies are kinda bad.

Actually, one thing I like about remakes is my compulsive need to compare versions of things. In that regard, I like them.

It is possible that all I saw were sequels.

It was a long time ago and I may have been making Mac and Cheese (something else I can't stand) when the title screen thing happened.

Spy Kids 3D - Steve Buscemi rides into the end of the flick, dressed as a cowboy, riding a flying pig, and it's in 3D.

That's my review.

Arguably Rebuild Of Evangelion, if remakes of things that are not movies count.

Wait.

Is that a positive review or what?

If you have to ask, you'll never know.