5 Best Movie Remakes of All Time

Movie remakes can sometimes be dismissed as shameless cash-grabs, although in the hands of the right directors it’s possible for them to equal or even exceed the works that inspired them.
Here is a run through a few remakes that manage to fall into this exclusive club, upping the ante in terms of pure quality and watchability.

Casino Royale

Although it was the first ever novel to feature James Bond, the movie adaptation that eventually made it to cinemas was a pseudo-spoof rather than a genuine spy thriller. So when Daniel Craig finally stepped into the shoes of 007 almost half a century later, it was a relief to see that the remake was easily able to eclipse the half-baked original outing.
From the glamorous setting of Montenegro’s most famous casinos to the action, romance, betrayal and heartbreak of the plot, 2006’s Casino Royale was a fitting reboot for the Bond franchise as a whole, reminding audiences why land-based gambling was still relevant in an age when it was increasingly common to play at a casino online.

The Departed 

Most viewers will not have realised that Martin Scorsese’s Bostonian gangster epic was actually a remake of Asian action thriller Infernal Affairs, but anyone who had managed to catch the original prior to seeing this Americanised retelling of the story would have immediately noticed the plot similarities.
What makes Scorsese’s film worthy of a place on this list are the powerhouse performances that are on display throughout. From Leonardo Di Caprio’s emotionally volatile undercover cop to smaller roles pitched perfectly by the likes of Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin, almost every actor is giving their all here, perhaps with the exception of Ray Winstone whose accent gets the better of him.

True Grit

The role of gravel-voiced, ornery US Marshal Rooster Cogburn was one which Jeff Bridges was born to play, and the Coen Brothers piloted the remake of the John Wayne original admirably, while also introducing audiences to actress-turned-pop star Hailee Steinfeld.
Other elements which make 2010’s True Grit memorable include appearances by Josh Brolin and Matt Damon as fellow gun-slingers, while the pithy dialogue and delightful chemistry between the two leads buoy it above your average 21st century western.

Dawn Of The Dead

Along with 28 Days Later and Shaun Of The Dead, this 2004 remake of George A. Romero’s iconic zombie apocalypse movie helped to popularise shambling corpses once more and led to a trend which is still rumbling on to this day.
Whether or not you think that Zack Snyder’s Dawn Of The Dead is superior to the original is down to taste, but the faster movement of the zombies and the impressive action set pieces, along with plenty of tense moments and buckets of gore, definitely give the remake a lot of appeal. It also does away with some of the more on-the-nose satirical elements found in the earlier iteration of the story, while updating some of the social commentary for modern audiences.

Scarface

Another film which is not usually thought of as a remake, this 80s underworld classic is still revered for its seedy reinterpreting of the American dream through the eyes of an immigrant-turned-drug kingpin played by Al Pacino.

Like the original, with which it shares its title, Scarface was controversial upon its release and did not earn a warm reception from various censorship boards worldwide, even if critics were kinder to it and audiences remain hooked on what it has to offer to this day. There is even reportedly another remake on  the horizon, although whether this is a sensible step is up for debate.