Why are most modern remakes of movies so bad?

[Amo Husserl]

Because capitalism, bottom lines, nostalgia, and an ivy league writing team won't make up for substance.
You can blame capitalism, but capitalism largely funded the original for which the remake is based on - strike one.
You can blame the bottom line, but the motion picture industry is a business. They gotta turn profit like turnin' tricks, no hit no bread - strike two.
You can blame nostalgia, but what's markedly familiar can be marketable in an age era that over-romanticizes nostalgia - strike three.
You can blame the ivy league writing teams, but they're just responding to the aforementioned points because the aforementioned points have crowded out the viability of new IPs - strike four.

You should blame the glut and bloat of the hegemonic forces glorifying their highlight reel, and literally repackaging and redistributing their legacy as a vain play toward not only nostalgia but assimilation through updating and remixing older IPs to be politically correct.


Modern remakes are so bad because the masses glorify mediocrity and conformity.
All that talk 'bout individualism is over, everybody tryna assimilate into the social democratic capitalist paradigm.
Your little groundbreaking indie movie ain't goin' nowhere until it gets abducted by the machine.
'cause ain't nobody wanna watch it otherwise.

Politics and economics are the main driving forces behind social change, comrade.
If you let the crowd sway your ethical considerations and agency toward following the crowd...

 

[get these nets]

Remakes since the cable/vcr era are tricky. Original fans who saw film in theaters and newer generations have watched the film multiple times.
Just doing a modern version with new actor and up to date cgi won't impress people anymore.

Have to actually make a good film that can stand on its own.

 

[Seoul Gleou]

because of executive meddling and shytty writers

there are a bunch of movies that are remakes from 20+ years ago that were done competently and paid homage to the original

these remakes now might as well be written by AI based on market data

 

[JNew]

Remakes try to appeal to a different audience regardless of source martial.

I was watching Connan the Barbadian remake the other dad on tv and couldn't believe how trash it was compared to the original. Was lacking on so many levels.

It makes you appreciate the original alot more and how directors had so much more creative control of the final product.

 

[010101]

i think it's the way the eye responds to fake shyte*

 

[Jasonmask]

This isn’t the main reason and this may sound crazy but I think it’s the cgi in them it tears away the layer of realism sometimes if not done properly. Like others have said some remakes are good IT was a good example and I like the original

 

[Black Magisterialness]

This isn’t the main reason and this may sound crazy but I think it’s the cgi in them it tears away the layer of realism sometimes if not done properly. Like others have said some remakes are good IT was a good example and I like the original

This is part of it. But also I think a big thing people miss is the context for which many of those movies existed.

Take Robocop for instance. The director took the time to look at a city that was ridden with crime, drugs and despair at the time (Detroit) and instead of just taking that at face value, instead explored unchecked corporate greed, ultra-violence as a means to an end, transhumanism, etc.

Such themes are a bit harder to explore now because there's so much media/theory about it already. That's why the films that really hit NOW are either period pieces or contemporary takes.

MCU worked because it hadn't been done before. Spider-Man is in perpetual "now" so you can always make a new Spider-Man. But other films, that DEPENDED on their current context to be effective. They lose that spark when you take them out of that.

 

[DaKidFromNoWhere]

They used to market rated r films to kids. Now they try to make the films appeal to a wider audience. Robocop and Total recall were both rated R originally.
The remakes were both PG 13

This is a great point...

 

[Cakebatter]

My opinion is to remake Ok movies instead of remaking good movies. Its much easier to make an Ok movie good, than it is to make a good movie better. I'd love to see a remake of John Carter or Cowboys and Aliens. Fix a few plot points and you'd have 2 good movies. Good luck trying to improve the Harry Potter series or Lord of the Rings trilogy, which both have been discussed by WB. Although I do think some good movies would benefit from better special effects. The Flight of the Navigator or the original Tron could use a remake as the original special effects hold those movies back when viewed today.

 

[I love Latina women]

main reason is because they remake every damn thing lol

 

[MikelArteta]

Can't get away with alot of stuff they used to. I mean I remember growing up on wrestling adn seeing men putting women through tables and ish


Same for movies alot of the gets neutered in the remake like rogues azz, jessica rabbit would be an a cup in a who framed roger rabbit remake

 

[Hoodoo Child]

The same reason TV dinners taste like shyt.

 

[Max Power]

Can't get away with alot of stuff they used to.

They can but creativity and talent is absent.

 

[UncleTomFord15]

That's crazy. Was gonna watch the Candyman remake today also.

 

[Remote]

Remakes are almost always bad and mediocre at best. The Taking of Pelham 123 remake changed the ending but the remake wasn't anything different enough to be impressive.

Reboots can be good, if you have a new concept. I'm thinking Christopher Nolan's Batman movies.

When it comes to horror movies, they're almost all bad by default. Because horror movies have spent too many years relying on visual fear instead of mental fear. It's easy to show a scary monster and blood and gore. That's been done. What you have to do with horror movies is build up suspense. But then there's the whole "horror and suspense are different things". Yeah. But they go hand in hand.

You're right that movies have bad writing. But that's across the board and it's because Hollywood studios chase formulaic movies that don't take risks and have a better chance of turning a profit. Most directors and producers don't have any control like they did in the 1970s.

That said, you'd think with how technology has advanced and with modern distribution you wouldn't need big studios to get a good independent movie made.