We understand the value of movie reboots and, in some cases, even support them, recognizing that they have been known to improve on their source material. However, those kinds of remakes, sequels, and “requels,” as some have been called, are few and far between, as far as we are concerned. See for yourself as we acknowledge some of the greatest movies that inspired some of the most unnecessary and simply worst movie remakes and reboots in Hollywood history (in our opinion).
Planet Of The Apes (1968)
In 2011, Rise of the Planet of the Apes kicked off a new reboot franchise set before the events of the original sci-fi movie classic that has, surprisingly, achieved wide acclaim for the ways it adds to the lore of the primates’ supremacy. Director Tim Burton‘s 2001 remake, starring Mark Wahlberg in Charlton Heston’s deserted astronaut role, may have boasted better makeup effects, but not much else to justify its existence.
Total Recall (1990)
Following a seemingly ordinary man reminded of his true past by futuristic technology, Total Recall is considered one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best movies for its fun blend of bizarre humor with out-of-this-world action. “Fun” is not how most people would describe Len Wiseman‘s 2012 reboot, which does not even send Farrell’s version of Quaid to Mars or encounter the iconic Kuato.
Ghostbusters (1984)
Director Ivan Reitman really caught lightning in a bottle (or a proton pack) with Ghostbusters, which is considered one of the best horror-comedy movies for reasons that no one has ever been able to distinctly pinpoint or replicate. Just look at Paul Feig’s 2016 reboot, which casts four of the most beloved female comedy actors of their time but does not give them many funny or original things to do, at least in the eyes of most audiences who saw it
Death Wish (1974)
Starring Charles Bronson as an architect who becomes a vigilante after intruders murder his wife and assault his daughter, Death Wish, is considered one of the greatest revenge movies for its deeply effective meditation on grief amid exploitative violence. Unfortunately, Eli Roth‘s 2018 reboot with Bruce Willis is believed to be more exploitative than anything else.
RoboCop (1987)
As a clever, futuristic industry satire with a winning lead performance by Peter Weller, director Paul Verhoeven’s RoboCop is an absolute classic ’80s action movie. Director José Padilha’s reboot lacks many of the same intriguing elements and, most importantly, a soul, despite attempting to portray Joel Kinnaman’s Officer Alex Murphy as more human even after he becomes half-machine.
The Transporter (2002)
Jason Statham gives one of his best performances as a professional driver whose skills go beyond the driver’s seat in the high-octane action thriller, The Transporter, and its two sequels. No one would have minded if the franchise stayed as a trilogy, but a fourth installment with Ed Skrein taking over as Frank Martin called The Transporter Refueled was released in 2015 to poor reviews from critics and audiences alike.
The Pink Panther (1963)
As one of the richest talents in comedy for his time, one would assume that Steve Martin should have realized that no one else could top Peter Sellers’ original portrayal of bumbling French sleuth, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Still, he made a worthy effort to try in director Shawn Levy’s 2006 reboot and a 2009 follow-up, but the movies and Martin’s performance still paled in comparison.
Superman: The Movie (1978)
We actually believe there are plenty of comic book movies that deserve a reboot, but we never felt that Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie, starring Christopher Reeve as DC’s first superhero, was one of them, as it was already an improvement on the George Reeves-led adaptations. The actors who succeeded him, such as Brandon Routh in Superman Returns or Henry Cavill in the DC Extended Universe, have made valiant efforts, but Reeve remains the true Man of Steel for many.
The Terminator (1984)
Despite spawning a sequel considered better than the first with 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the Terminator movies have been known to suffer from its reboots. A “fresh” take on the franchise has been attempted twice with two installments that reset the timeline – 2015’s Terminator: Genisys and Terminator: Dark Fate in 2019 – both of which failed to appeal to fans of the franchise that made James Cameron a household name.
Halloween (1978)
In addition to pioneering common elements of the slasher movie, what makes director John Carpenter’s Halloween one of the best horror movies ever is its pitch-perfect use of suspense and portraying Michael Myers as an unexplainable embodiment of evil. Fans tend to think Rob Zombie’s 2007 reboot is an overly gorey, misguided attempt to humanize the murderous antagonist and David Gordon Green’s “requel” trilogy, while enjoyed by some, is kind of a weak excuse to let the blood flow on.
The Crow (1994)
We think Darryl Albrecht actor Ernie Hudson said it best: “As far as I’m concerned, Brandon Lee was the Crow.” Fans and critics would also agree that none of the loosely connected sequels or the 2024 reboot with Bill Skarsgård served as a worthy adaptation of James O’Barr’s celebrated comic book about a murdered man’s resurrected spirit like Alex Proyas’ original revenge tale.
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
If there is one good thing that any fan of Wes Craven’s classic supernatural slasher, A Nightmare on Elm Street, would say about the 2010 reboot, it is that Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley is a decent successor to horror movie icon Robert Englund as demented dreamweaver Freddy Krueger. Otherwise, the “reimagining” severely lacks the imagination and cheeky humor that made the original, and some of its sequels, true classics.
Carrie (1976)
Some might believe that there are a few Stephen King movies that need remakes, but was Brian De Palma’s 1976 adaptation of Carrie (starring Sissy Spacek in an Oscar-nominated performance as the telekinetic teen) one of them? Based on the poor reception of both the 2002 made-for-TV version and Chloë Grace Moretz’s 2013 remake, we would say Hollywood should have “plugged it up.”
The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
Usually, a good sign of a worthy reboot is a darker take on the subject matter, which is what Scott Derrickson’s 2008 reimagining of The Day the Earth Stood Still attempted by making humanity Earth’s greatest threat. Yet, while the original alien invasion movie classic served as a refreshing sci-fi entry for its time, the remake did not offer much else of interest to make it feel fresh.
The Thing (1982)
One of John Carpenter’s best movies, The Thing, is itself a reboot and earns the right to be called a masterful one by how dramatically it distances itself from the plot of 1951’s The Thing from Another World. The same cannot be said about the 2011 prequel of the same name, which might get too much hate, but is far too similar in story and favors fully CGI creature effects over the timeless practical effects from the original.
Conan The Barbarian (1982)
Even Arnold Schwarzenegger would probably agree that Jason Momoa was a great choice to succeed him as creator Robert E. Howard’s hulking fantasy hero. Yet, critics and audiences would feel that the script for director Marcus Nispel’s 2011 version of Conan the Barbarian was not quite up to par.
The Mummy (1999)
By trading in your typical gothic horror conventions for Indiana Jones-style action, the Brendan Fraser-led version of The Mummy became one of the most successful reboots ever. The Tom Cruise-led version from 2017 is infamous for being one of the least successful reboots ever, as evidenced by the immediate cancellation of the proposed Dark Universe franchise of interconnected Universal Monster Movies.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Writer and director Tobe Hooper knew how to make the crazy concept of road-tripping teens hunted by a power-tool-wielding cannibal into something viscerally unforgettable, and all without shedding a drop of blood, with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The 2003 remake and Netflix’s reboot from 2022 both took things in a bloodier direction, but not necessarily for the better.
Child’s Play (1988)
We can certainly respect the idea of making Chucky a robot gone haywire for the 2019 Child’s Play reboot, as a way of bringing the franchise into the digital age. However, the franchise was already putting out installments well into the 2010s anyway, and, more importantly, the evil AI gimmick is not nearly as fun (or scary) as a doll possessed by a serial killer.
Dawn Of The Dead (1978)
With the acclaimed zombie movie masterpiece, Dawn of the Dead, George A. Romero told a captivating, thought-provoking, and cleverly satirical apocalyptic tale with very little room for improvement. We are not saying that director Zack Snyder and writer James Gunn’s 2004 reboot attempted to surpass the original classic but, we still question the purpose of what is, otherwise, regarded as one of the best horror movie remakes of its time.
Firestarter (1984)
The 1984 adaptation of Stephen King’s Firestarter, even with a great performance by Drew Barrymore as a young pyrokinetic, is not necessarily viewed as a classic. However, it might be destined for a more favorable second life by people who compare it to Blumhouse’s reboot from 2022, which was criticized for offering nothing new to the table in terms of its story and falling flat in just about every other facet.
Poltergeist (1982)
Director Tobe Hooper and producer Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist is not just one of the scariest haunted house movies, but a relatable depiction of a parent’s grief for their missing child – in this case young Carol Anne’s (Heather O’Rourke) abduction into the netherworld. Director Gil Kenan’s 2015 reboot could be considered too faithful if it did not lack the same emotional grounding and was so low on scares that his 2006 animated family film Monster House looks like The Shining by comparison.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
The original live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is still considered a highlight to the ongoing franchise, especially for how well they bring the reptilian warriors to life without compromising their animated look. The attempt to make Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Leonardo look beefier and, we suppose, more anatomically correct and animated them with CGI performance capture was a slight miscalculation in our eyes.
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
With a chilling tone throughout, great performances by Gina Philips and Justin Long, and the wicked creature design of its central antagonist (played by Jonathan Breck), Jeepers Creepers is one cool blend of creature feature fantasy with slasher-style suspense. Unfortunately, its sequels never received the same acclaim, and its 2022 reboot, Jeepers Creepers Reborn, is one of the worst-reviewed horror movies of all time with a straight-up 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Prom Night (1980)
At least the original 1980s slasher movie Prom Night, with Jamie Lee Curtis, can say it was one of the first to introduce common tropes of the genre. The 2008 reboot with Brittany Snow offers absolutely nothing original and even boasts the overused “killer from your past” plot.
Eraser (1996)
You may not have even heard of Eraser: Reborn, which is a 2022 straight-to-video update of director Chuck Russell’s thrilling story of a witness protection agent involved in a deadly double-cross. Anything other than a sequel that brings Arnold Schwarzenegger back in the title role probably should have been erased in the first place.
Leprechaun (1993)
Before joining the Friends cast, Jennifer Aniston starred in Leprechaun, opposite Warwick Davis as the eponymous Irish legend. The actor would reprise the role five more times but was absent for 2014’s Leprechaun: Origins, which makes a misguided attempt to reimagine the lovingly ridiculous horror-comedy in a more earnest fashion.
Cabin Fever (2002)
Eli Roth became a household name in the world of horror almost immediately after releasing his breakout body horror movie, Cabin Fever, in which a group of young vacationers contract a flesh-eating virus. In 2016, Roth would become one of the few filmmakers to shamelessly rip-off themselves by produced a remake that bares a pretty close resemblance to the original.
Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
George A. Romero’s landmark thriller pioneered the zombie movie genre, and we know it spawned a 1990 remake from director Tom Savini that was actually received quite well. However, there was also a 3D reboot from 2006 that, despite featuring Sid Haig in the cast, was immediately reviled and quickly forgotten.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie might not be anything special in terms of cinema, but the theatrical, feature-length spin-off of the hit show about costumed teens chosen to defend Earth from evil was important for many children of the time. However, Dean Israelite’s 2017 reboot would not attract a new generation of fans, failing to capture the same feelings and fun tone and wreaking corporate influence with its egregious product integration.
Police Story (1985)
Jackie Chan co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in Police Story – a relentlessly thrilling action-comedy. However, later installments of the franchise, in which Chan plays different characters, were not as well received as the original Chinese classic or its sequels, such as Supercop.
The Blue Lagoon (1949)
Henry De Vere Stacpoole’s romantic, coming-of-age survival drama has been reimagined several times, with the second from 1949 being important as the first talkie based on the novel. The most famous, however, was 1980’s The Blue Lagoon with Brooke Shields, which is not exactly a masterpiece but feels like one when compared to 1991’s Return to the Blue Lagoon (billed as a sequel, but more accurately a remake) and Lifetime’s Blue Lagoon: The Awakening from 2012.
