It's true that some movies get out of date, but if they are really good--well acted, well scripted, well made--it's hard to outdo them. We have the advantage of better special effects, and in the cases of older films, color. But it's seldom possible to remake a real classic without losing more than you gain.
Probably because the driving force behind most remakes is money. Some movie mogul looks around for films that did very well financially in the past, and chooses them because he hopes they will do very well financially again. "Ocean's Eleven," for instance. The trouble is, he doesn't have those great old actors around any more.
I thought that would be the case with King Kong, but evidently the director chose it largely because he really loved the idea behind it as a kid and wanted to do the story even better.
I must admit that the idea of a movie with a giant ape normally would not appeal to me very much, but reading about PJ's total love for the source material (and seeing some of the early reviews) will make this the first Hollywood movie I will watch since the Return of the king.
Hope I am not dissapointed ;-)
That's why I'm more interested in looking at movies that weren't classics but started with what should have been a good idea. The story of Genghis Khan or the right story about the Crusades should make a great movie, done right.
I definitely agree that no one, no matter budget, cast or technology, should ever try to touch something like Maltese Falcon, Casablanca or The Searchers.
Ocean's Eleven," for instance. The trouble is, he doesn't have those great old actors around any more.
Ocean's Eleven is kind of a special case. Both version were simply complex caper films with an ensemble of really talented actors (yes, I mean that, regardless of the politics of the new gang) that got along with each other in real life. A caper film is (or should be) a hook for the chemistry of the people involved and that matters more than the script. The thing about the original for me is not so much the movie as the things I know were going on at the time they were filming, with the nightly shows at the Sands and then filming the next morning. Oh to have been in Vegas for that!
The same thing will apply to the "reimagining" of Topkapi as a Thomas Crown vehicle for Pierce Brosnan as The Topkapi Affair. There's no indication that Rene Russo will be back and that would be the reason to see the film. I wanted to see more of those two, kind of like Nick and Nora Charles in the old Thin Man movies. I also wanted to see if they could apply their talents to something more meaningful than alleviating their boredom.
I think your comment about Kong is right on. He wasn't doing it for the money. He truly loves the original and has the opportunity to give it a fresh "coat of paint," along with his own, loving, touch. Hopefully the apparent success of this remake will teach the 'suits' the right lesson. Of course, you know it won't. Be prepared for 100 truly awful remakes to be cranked out simply for the money.