Hollywood remakes and reboots are a dime a dozen. There’s an old adage that trends and fads are cyclical, and this notion couldn’t be more true when it comes to films. Take, for instance, all of the remakes, reboots, and sequels that have been announced recently or already have films in development: The Goonies 2, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and today’s wide release of Godzilla are just a handful of films that have been in the news this past month alone. While reboots are one thing, American remakes of foreign films are a whole other bag of controversy and criticism. There are so many amazing foreign films that go unseen or underrated simply because they don’t share the same Hollywood quality, whether it’s due to production costs or the simple fact that they’re in a different language. However, many of them do garner attention at film festivals and are great enough in their own merit that they inevitably appear on our radars.
For better or worse, money talks, and when it comes to a successful film that, for some reason, goes unseen by the average American audience, leave it to Hollywood to nab the rights to said films and do things their way. Nine times out of 10, the American remake bombs in one form or another, whether it’s at the box office or from critical reception. However, there are a few exceptions to the rule, albeit they’re few and far between.
In commemoration of Godzilla‘s release, Alex and I have teamed together to write a little bit on five notorious American remakes of foreign films, both already released and in development. I hope you enjoy our selections!