Over the past couple of decades, remakes gained the ire of the entire movie-going public. The issue seems to have come full circle now, and a reimagining of an existing idea will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. However, some science fiction ideas have the strength and complexity to carry multiple big-screen adaptations.
Everyone has a short list of acceptable remakes. John Carpenter’sThe Thing,David Cronenberg’sThe Fly, Bradley Cooper’sA Star is Born, and so on. These days, so many remakes, reboots, and reinterpretations come to theaters or streaming services that some of them are bound to be decent films.
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War of the Worlds
The alien invasion usedto be the only kind of science fiction that mass audiences were interested in. It was all the rage in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and though the idea has never really gone away, the average attack by extraterrestrials is a lot more nuanced today. H. G. Wells' 1898 novel and Orson Welles' 1938 radio play madeWar of the Worldsone of the seminal works in the subgenre. The story has been adapted to film five times, but the most recent iteration deviates heavily from the source material.Steven Spielberg changed thestory about a scientist struggling to discover any weakness in the Martian invaders to focus on a dockworker trying desperately to survive. It’s more of a family drama with the nightmarish alien aspect as a tense background element. As such, Spielberg’sWar of the Worldsis a solid science fiction adventure that brings unique ideas to a familiar story.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Phillip Kaufman’s 1978 adaptation of Jack Finney’s 1955 novel was not well received upon its initial release. The film sold fairly well, but critical opinions were mixed. Over the past three decades, however,Invasion of the Body Snatchershas earned its rightful title as one of thebest remakes of all time. It deserves to stand alongsideThe Thing, but it’s rarely mentioned in the same breath. The 1956 film is a classic, but the 1978 remake stands as a powerful story in its own right. One could learn a lot about the evolution of cinematic language over the decades by watching the two in sequence. Both tales of the pod people deserve all the praise they receive, they’re both incredibly solid sci-fi filmsthat built their own subgenrefrom scratch.
Death Race
Science fiction doesn’t always have to be about deep ideas and existential horror. Sometimes it can just be a dystopian action extravaganza about the grim future of reality television. The 1975 original starring Sylvester Stallone might be a better film overall, but that doesn’t make the 2008 remake byMortal KombatandResident Evildirector Paul W. S. Andersonany less entertaining. In the grand tradition ofThe Running ManandThe Hunger Games,Death Raceforces criminals to compete for their freedom in high-speed contests of speed and skill. The social commentary is simultaneously less present than it is in the original and better suited for the time. The action is silly, overblown, and chaotic, but that’s part of the draw. It’s a big dumb popcorn movie, but it’s a pretty good one. Its three sequels, on the other hand, are genuinely terrible.
Vanilla Sky
This controversial 2001 Tom Cruise vehicle is an adaptation of Alejandro Amenábar’sOpen Your Eyes, which came out only four years earlier. Like its source material, the film is overwhelmingly the creative output of one man.Vanilla Skyis written, directed, and co-produced by Cameron Crowe, ofFast TimesandJerry Maguirefame. Uniquely, this remake features an actor who reprises their role across iterations. Thefilm stars Tom Cruiseas a wealthy playboy who is disfigured by a jealous lover. The film plays with reality, teasing the audience with the idea that nothing around Cruise is true. It’s reminiscent ofTotal Recall, but the focus is on romance, rather than action. It’s a mind-bending journey with at least five canonically appropriate interpretations. Cruise turns in a solid performance, and Cameron Diaz delivers a career high-point in her brief appearance.Vanilla Skydefinitely has problems, but it’s a unique and ambitious film that invites a closer reading.
12 Monkeys
Terry Gilliam’s thrilling time travel journey is actually a remake of a French short film calledLa Jetée. The film borrows concepts from Chris Marker’s 28-minute sci-fi film, but it also adds enough to feel like a new experience.12 Monkeystells the tale of a prisoner who is sent back in time to prevent the outbreak of an apocalyptic plague. It’s a stellar showcase for Bruce Willisand Brad Pitt, aswell as a fun absurdist sci-fi experience. The film is surprisingly dark, but it’s also dipped in Gilliam’s sardonic sense of humor. Most fans haven’t seenLa Jetée, but12 Monkeysis a bona fide classic.
