50 Movie Remakes That Don't Suck

Will the new Total Recall flick be any good? If these successful re-imaginings are any indication, there is hope.

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For the past few years, one word has instilled rage and sadness into the hearts of cinema purists: remake. Rebooting older films isn’t a new trend, though; it’s been happening for years, but never with as much frequency as seen in recent years. For the most part, modern-day film remakes are soulless cash-grabs that either neuter the original’s excellence or worsen an already problematic flick. To sample such awfulness, check out Friday the 13th (2009), A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), and Prom Night (2008), to name a few.

Horror films aren’t the ones frequently subjected to the cruelty of remakes. This weekend, for example, Total Recall, a re-imagining of director Paul Verhoeven’s beloved 1990 science fiction adventure (based on the late Philip K. Dick’s novel We Can Remember It for You Wholesale), opens in theaters.

Using the Len Wiseman-directed pic’s trailer and commercials as evidence, the new Total Recall looks, for better or worse, like a glossier but far less imaginative rehash. One for which Arnold Schwarzenegger has been replaced by Colin Farrell, who plays Doug Quaid, a nondescript factory worker fighting to preserve his identity after participating in a Rekall experiment that implants fake memories into a person’s brain. Along the way, and with the help of a rogue agent (Jessica Biel), Quaid tries to evade his now-villainous wife (Kate Beckinsale).

Yes, Total Recall 2012 damn near close to Total Recall ’90, though, this time, there’s no Mars setting. At the very least, open-minded sci-fi heads are hoping for an entertaining diversion, which, fortunately, isn’t out of the question. While Hollywood revamps are generally frowned upon, and rightfully so, positive examples do exist. Here, counting down the best of the best, we present 50 Movie Remakes That Don’t Suck.

Written by Matt Barone (@MBarone)

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50. Three Men and a Baby (1987)

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49. Sorority Row (2009)

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48. The Crazies (2010)

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47. The Birdcage (1996)

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46. Quarantine (2008)

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45. The Last House on the Left (2009)

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44. 13 Assassins (2011)

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43. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

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42. Freaky Friday (2003)

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41. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)

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40. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

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39. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

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38. True Grit (2010)

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37. Interview (2007)

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36. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)

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35. Insomnia (2002)

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34. Angels in the Outfield (1994)

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33. 12 Angry Men (1997, made for TV)

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32. You've Got Mail (1998)

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31. Scent of a Woman (1992)

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30. Piranha 3D (2010)

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29. 3:10 to Yuma (2007)

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28. The Nutty Professor (1996)

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27. The Italian Job (2003)

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26. Funny Games (2008)

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25. The Debt (2011)

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24. No Way Out (1987)

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23. Father of the Bride (1991)

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22. Ocean's Eleven (2001)

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21. The Blob (1988)

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20. The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

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19. Ransom (1996)

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18. Night of the Living Dead (1990)

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17. The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005)

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16. Let Me In (2010)

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15. Cape Fear (1991)

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14. The Ring (2002)

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13. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

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12. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

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11. True Lies (1994)

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10. King Kong (2005)

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9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

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8. Heaven Can Wait (1978)

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7. A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

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6. 1984 (1984)

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5. The Departed (2006)

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4. Scarface (1983)

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3. The Fly (1986)

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2. The Magnificent Seven (1960)

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1. The Thing (1982)

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