Remakes better than originals/Adaptations better than source material

[Polyxo]

The title explains much of it. What're some remakes of older films, or adaptations of books/comics/other media that are better?

I plan to add others if I don't see them, but I'll start:

3:10 to Yuma: 2007 > 1957
Points for the original plot's ideas, but the new version's staging of key moments and cinematography are really great.

[Skroe]

I think Game of Thrones from Season 1 - Season 5 is generally better than the books. The books are better at worldbuilding-ish things, but the more focused narrative of the show along with condensed characters, streamlined motivations and reorganized events just made for better storytelling. The Dany in Meereen story is just better in the show.

The Dark Knight Rises, which is heavily inspired by both the Knightfall Saga and and No Mans Land (and condensed them together), was objectively better than both. No Mans Land in particular was largely a mess with an interesting idea at its core.

The DCAU as a whole, particularly Batman the Animated Series and Justice League / JLU, were consistently better (and adapted stories better) than their original comics inspiration. The Justice League in particular has never been done as well as it was in Justice League. And most of what we think of about with regards to Batman in his modern form is from BTAS (pulled from various sources)

But I think the daddy of them all is the Richard Donner Superman: The Movie from 1978. Superman was a mess before that movie. He had dozens of Superpowers. Crazy power levels. The daily planet was out of the picture for a while. He worked at a TV station. His history was nonsensical with the Legion of Superheroes and other worldly stuff. Superman the movie cut through it all and created, in effect, the modern Superman... the one with the most iconic power set, the most iconic setting, and the most iconic origin. It was free of everything writers tacked on. Really, the perfect update. I don't think there is an adaptation that is more influential to the source material than it. Batman the Animated Series is close, but i still thing Superman edges it out.

[BloodyAngel12]

The Thing
Little Shop of Horrors
The Fly
Ocean's Eleven
True Grit
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Casino Royale
Dredd
The Mummy

TV
Battlestar Galactica
Buffy the Vampire Slayer

[Polyxo]

I think Game of Thrones from Season 1 - Season 5 is generally better than the books. The books are better at worldbuilding-ish things, but the more focused narrative of the show along with condensed characters, streamlined motivations and reorganized events just made for better storytelling. The Dany in Meereen story is just better in the show.

The Dark Knight Rises, which is heavily inspired by both the Knightfall Saga and and No Mans Land (and condensed them together), was objectively better than both. No Mans Land in particular was largely a mess with an interesting idea at its core.

The DCAU as a whole, particularly Batman the Animated Series and Justice League / JLU, were consistently better (and adapted stories better) than their original comics inspiration. The Justice League in particular has never been done as well as it was in Justice League. And most of what we think of about with regards to Batman in his modern form is from BTAS (pulled from various sources)

But I think the daddy of them all is the Richard Donner Superman: The Movie from 1978. Superman was a mess before that movie. He had dozens of Superpowers. Crazy power levels. The daily planet was out of the picture for a while. He worked at a TV station. His history was nonsensical with the Legion of Superheroes and other worldly stuff. Superman the movie cut through it all and created, in effect, the modern Superman... the one with the most iconic power set, the most iconic setting, and the most iconic origin. It was free of everything writers tacked on. Really, the perfect update. I don't think there is an adaptation that is more influential to the source material than it. Batman the Animated Series is close, but i still thing Superman edges it out.

Yeah, I kind of think some of the worldbuilding stuff in the Game of Thrones books can get a little goofy. A lot of sci-fi/fantasy stuff can get like that.

- - - Updated - - -

The Thing
Little Shop of Horrors
The Fly
Ocean's Eleven
True Grit
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Casino Royale
Dredd
The Mummy

TV
Battlestar Galactica
Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Wait, which The Mummys are we talking about?

[Theoris]

An animated TV series from 1999 called Cybersix based on a 1991 comic book series of the same name. One could argue the animation is why the series is even remembered.

Not to mention the intro song fucking slaps.

[Wangming]

Don't know about the Books, but the Hannibal TV series are better than the Movies.

Also the Quality of Hellsing adaptations. Hellsing < Hellsing Ultimate < Hellsing Abridged

Darth and Droids is much more fun than Star Wars. Especially when it comes the prequel stories.


Also, the Death Note TV series has a few ideas that I wish the original story had.

[BloodyAngel12]

Yeah, I kind of think some of the worldbuilding stuff in the Game of Thrones books can get a little goofy. A lot of sci-fi/fantasy stuff can get like that.

- - - Updated - - -



Wait, which The Mummys are we talking about?

The Brendan Fraser one.

[Gallahadd]

Battlestar Galactica, and True Gri. As previously mentiond.

I would also say Fight Club. Even the author says that the film's ending is better than the book's.

Ready Player One. I enjoyed the book, but the pacing is terrible. About half way through the book just STOPS, and takes a while to get started again. The pacing in the film is far better. Only problem I have is how truncated the Parizval/Art3mis relationship comes off. IF they were going to cut so much out, just cut out the whole 'ship.

[JustaWarlock]

I think Game of Thrones from Season 1 - Season 5 is generally better than the books.

I think you're high

I generally enjoyed the TV series(except the joke last season), but the books were far and away more detailed and better both in terms of world building, multiple plot lines and general intrigue. Season 2 onwards gutted a lot of content that was in the books, and not for the better.

The TV show is only better if you don't really like books, have a short attention span etc

[Cobaltblue]

I know it's a game so it doesn't 100% fit here but the Witcher games to me are 100% better than the books. Because I really dislike the books, I am also not a big fan of the TV series and think the show should've been based on the games because that is why the Witcher brand is so popular in the first place.

[draynay]

Evil Dead 2 is essentially a remake of Evil Dead so that is my usual go to.

I do prefer the second version of the four A Star is Born movies.

Oh and Westworld, was a huge fan of the first season.

Not a big fan of remakes and am overly critical of adaptations, so that might be it for me.

[Super Kami Dende]

Dredd, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.

- - - Updated - - -

I think you're high

I generally enjoyed the TV series(except the joke last season), but the books were far and away more detailed and better both in terms of world building, multiple plot lines and general intrigue. Season 2 onwards gutted a lot of content that was in the books, and not for the better.

The TV show is only better if you don't really like books, have a short attention span etc

Or you know, just simply find them better.

[Zelk]

The Shining, takes a trash book and makes an excellent film

[Stormcall]

The Justice League in particular has never been done as well as it was in Justice League.

Maybe if you exclude Grant Morrison's run.

As to the OP, I'm not sure. Do movies like The Thing(1982) and Dredd count? They are not technically remakes of The Thing From Another World and Stallone's Judge Dredd, simply different adaptations of of the same source material. If you count them as remakes I would say they are better, but I wouldn't necessarily say they are better than the source material since I haven't read "Who Goes There?" or enough original Judge Dredd comics to comment.