Best Movie Remakes that Don't Insult the Original Film

The best movie remakes don't face a lot of competition because the original film is usually superior. These are 5 remade films that still look good compared to the original works.

The Man Who Knew Too Much

The Man Who Knew Too Much may be the best remake ever because Alfred Hitchcock updated his own original film. Hitchcock referred to the 1934 original as the effort of a talented amateur and the 1956 version as the work of a professional. Leslie Banks and Edna Best are great in the original, but Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day have a much better script to work with the second time around. Of course, the original film has Peter Lorre which compensates for any limitations.

Cape Fear

I saw the 1991 remake first and was disappointed when I saw the original 1962 film. Director Martin Scorsese made this run-of-the-mill thriller far more interesting. Nick Nolte as the father is superior to Gregory Peck who often defines the word wooden. The daughter played by Juliette Lewis is more fun than Lori Martin who was made to look like dumb prey in short shorts. Robert Mitchum is effective in making the ex-convict villain repulsive, but Robert DeNiro stands out for being hilarious and creepy.

The Talented Mr. Ripley

This 1999 thriller was a remake of the 1960 French film Purple Noon as well as an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel. I'm not saying the 1999 movie was profound, but I found it much more entertaining than many critical reviews suggest. Matt Damon seemed oddly sympathetic as a guy working hard to get ahead, but reluctantly killing a lot of people who get in his way. The original film has its strengths, but Alain Delon is so stunningly beautiful you feel like he's just using his looks instead of admiring him as a talented underdog.

The Maltese Falcon

The 1931 original film is competent for an early non-silent movie, but the 1941 version deserves its greater fame. Both follow Dashiell Hammett's novel reasonably closely. Bebe Daniels and Ricardo Cortez give good performances, but nothing could match Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre.

The Fly

I'm not a big fan of either the 1986 remake or the 1958 original film. Still, if you like straightforward horror movies, the remake with Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis holds up to the original film with Vincent Price.