Five of the Worst Film Remakes

Although remakes of films have always been a staple of the Hollywood machine (the film Ben Hur, for example, was made several times, most notably starring Charlton Heston,) they have become increasingly frequent since the late 1990s. Some of these, of course, are high-quality and actually add something to the original. Unfortunately, all too often these films are of inferior quality and come across as pale imitations of their illustrious predecessors. The following are five of the worst remakes to hit theaters in recent years.

The Invasion

Starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, The Invasion tells the story of a young mother who is confronted with the terror of an alien invader that seeks to take over the bodies of humans. Eventually, of course, good triumphs over the alien evil, and order is restored. Although the acting is at least somewhat high quality, unfortunately the film doesn't really do enough with its material to make it worth the remake. Aside from the transmission of the alien lifeforms (which is accomplished through vomiting on individual humans,) there is nothing truly chilling or disturbing about this film. This is in marked contrast to the film's prior incarnation in the 1970s, which was undoubtedly one of the most frightening and disturbing films of that era, largely because it did not leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling at the end.

The Parent Trap

It should come as no surprise that Disney is responsible for the next unfortunate remake, due to the entertainment giant's propensity for remaking or making sequels of beloved classics from its earlier days. This particular film, The Parent Trap, is inferior largely in terms of its casting. Although it fundamentally tells the same story as the earlier version (about twins who attempt to get their divorced parents back together,) the very young Lindsay Lohan simply cannot measure up to the likes of Haley Mills, nor can Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson (so good in and of themselves) possibly fill the shoes of such entertainment greats as Brian Keith and Maureen O'Hara. For these reasons, this remake sadly doesn't measure up.

The Manchurian Candidate

Although the original film, which featured Angela Lansbury as a scheming mother, was one of the greatest thriller/suspense films of all time, the remake, starring Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep, doesn't really measure up very well. Although both of these actors are phenomenal in almost every other role they play, they simply can't compete with their predecessors. Furthermore, the aura of angst and outright fear of Communism doesn't really find an analogue in this film, which displaces the setting from the Korean War to the Persian Gulf. Despite its obviously strenuous efforts, the film just can't capture the chilling power of the original, and so must be another example of an unfortunate remake.

The Wicker Man

This chiller, a remake of an earlier British film, is a total mess from beginning to end. It tells the story of a father desperate to find his daughter, whose search eventually brings him to a mysterious island inhabited by neo-pagan women. In the end, the women sacrifice him to their god in order to ensure that their honey harvest returns. Although it has the makings of something good, everything comes across as slightly ludicrous, rather than bone-chilling as in the original film. Even more importantly, the film is a transparent attack on New Age feminism and it seeks to validate abuse against women, as evidenced by the numerous shots of the main character (played by Nicholas Cage) assaulting women.

The Stepford Wives

In what was probably the worst decision to do a remake in the history of Hollywood, someone decided to remake the classic thriller The Stepford Wives. This version, with a star studded cast that included Bette Midler, Glenn Close, and Nicole Kidman, was a complete disaster from start to finish. Although it was originally intended as a horror film, it inadvertently became something of a comedy, due in no small part to the rather wooden acting and the blatantly nonsensical aspects of the plot. In the end, this film makes a joke out of the powerful message of the original, and is arguably the worst remake of the last twenty years, if not of all Hollywood history.

So, although it might sometimes be tempting for Hollywood to remake a film in order to capitalize on its success, some thought should be put in before deciding to make it. Otherwise, producers risk creating unfortunate creations like the ones listed above. Let's hope that Hollywood has learned its lesson, at least for a while.