People Are Sharing The Movies They Think Are So Perfect That They Should Never Be Remade, And Truly These Should All Be Left Alone
I think we can all agree that there are some universally beloved movies that are so good that there would be literally no reason to ever remake them, or that we can't even fathom them being remade.
PBS
Well recently, Reddit user u/CrescendoX was interested in just that when they asked this question: "What movie is so perfect that if it would remade, it would be a crime against humanity?"
20th Century Fox
Thousands of people responded with the classic movies that they would never want to see remade. Here are some of the top-voted and best comments:
1."Raiders of the Lost Ark"
"True! Indiana Jones should never be remade. The music, actors, and cinematography can never be recreated."—TwoFacedTomcat
2."Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I've seen the animation they've done for some of these new 'live-action meets cartoons' things, but the work the art/animation team put into Who Framed Roger Rabbit is STILL to this day putting them to shame."
"The amount of sheer effort that went into the production of that film is mind-blowing, especially when you consider the fact that the animation was still done using the old cel animation process! There is NO topping that."
3."Aliens"
"It would be impossible to remake that perfect movie. The cast, story, and practical effects are wonderful. A remake would be full of CGI and a bullshit script."—FluffusMaximus
4."The Shawshank Redemption"
"First one that jumped to mind. Nobody could match Morgan Freeman's narration of the story, and it's a period piece so nothing could be done to make it look or feel more like the time in which it takes place. It's just perfect."
5."Gladiator"
"Yes. We would not be entertained."—Objective-Ad4009
6."Back to the Future. Please, please, please, PLEASE don't ruin it with a remake."
"As long as Robert Zemeckis [who co-wrote and directed BTTF] doesn't kick the bucket we're safe."
"I seem to remember something about there being a no-remake contract for so many years after Zemeckis's death as well. Source: Something I thought I heard."
7."The Princess Bride"
"Unless it’s A MUPPET Princess Bride. That would be awesome."—pitathegreat
"My name is Gonzo the Magnificent. You killed my chicken. Prepare to die!"
8."Mean Girls"
"Came here to comment this! The movie is perfect. Every line is quotable on its own. I love it so much!"—Maleficent_Ad1789
9."The Godfather"
10."The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day"
"They basically already did do that. That's the thing about any sci-fi franchise (especially if it involves time travel). They can reboot it for new audiences while still maintaining the original as canon because this is just a new timeline. So it's kind of a remake and sequel at once.Star Trek is another example of that."
11."The Green Mile"
"That fuckin' end scene always had me in tears."
"A notable masterpiece of cinematography. Even Stephen King said that he hopes neither The Shawshank Redemption nor The Green Mile ever gets remade."—SuvenPan
12."Mrs. Doubtfire, because if anyone tried to replace Robin Williams that would be the true crime."
13."My Cousin Vinny"
"Joe Pesci's performance is PERFECT."
"Everything about that movie is perfect. I’ve been really, really down and just rewatched it for the umpteenth time, and it’s still hilarious."—MommysHadEnough
14."Spirited Away. It’s the perfect film and should never ever be remade."
"The fact that I didn't even consider it as an option says something."—Kaisa_is_short
15."The Nightmare Before Christmas. No remakes for me. Only sequels."
"NGL, but I wouldn't even want a sequel. It's too good for an extension of the movie to potentially ruin the alluring magic of the original movie."
"They better not even make a sequel. Just leave it alone."
16."One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Not only was the casting and script par excellence, but you had Jack Nicholson in his prime, Danny DeVito and several others cast members that went on to starring roles, and one of the most bittersweet endings of all time."
17."The Wizard of Oz, which is the greatest fantasy movie ever."
"The effects make it so magical and surreal. They would just ruin that with terrible CGI now."—RhythmNGrammar
18."Casablanca"
"This is what I was gonna say.
It’s just such a perfect film. The international cast of actors is beyond superb, with Bogie giving, IMHO, his best performance. It truly was lightning in a bottle."
"Casablanca — the script is literally what they use to teach people on how to write a screenplay."
19."Jaws. I read somewhere that Spielberg won't let it be remade."
"I feel like a Jaws remake could be good, but I don’t think it would be good. I just don’t think we’d ever be lucky enough to get the perfect storm of it being different enough from the original to stand on its own, but respectful enough to the source material to not be insulting."
"Jaws, like a lot of movies in this thread, was great not only in execution but also in being the first of its kind. Today shark movies are a dime a dozen — we even have 'shark week' for like a month — so even a great remake loses any edge and suspense."—phaethonReborn
"There’s no way it would be made today without CGI, and the fact the shark would have much more screentime would take away from the fear of the unknown. How the shark had such little screentime is what made the film so terrifying."
20."Stand by Me"
"It would be an insult to River Phoenix and many others to remake that."—Gluonyourboson
"That opening voiceover is still some of the best and most succinct bits of storytelling ever. The book opening was great, but the movie made it even better."–literated
21."The Big Lebowski"
"Sometimes there's a film that is for its time and place. This film fits right in that time era."—ThePegasi
"A remake simply will not stand."
22."The Silence of the Lambs. Remakes should only be attempted when you are sure that it can outclass the original, but Silence of the Lambs cannot be outclassed."
23."Galaxy Quest"
"You really can't remake Galaxy Quest. Alan Rickman IS Alexander Dane."—Head_Razzmatazz7174
"Every Star Trek is just a poorly made remake of Galaxy Quest."—ADinosaurBitMe
24."The Sound of Music. No one could replace Julie Andrews or the very hot Christopher Plummer."
And lastly...
25."Home Alone"
"For me the first two is where it's at, but yeah, I wish they just leave that franchise alone."
You can read the full thread of responses on Reddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
