17 Film And TV Reboots And Remakes That Were Actually Pretty Damn Good

    Don't worry, Robocop isn't one of them.

    Tom Vy
    by Tom Vy

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Every year we seem to see a TV show or movie that we love getting rebooted – sometimes it works and brilliantly surpasses the original, and other times it has us wishing it stayed dead.

    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    I'm looking at you Star Wars, my old friend.

    Here are a bunch of reboots that actually worked really well:




    1. The Mummy (1999)

    Universal Pictures

    It has since been remade again (don’t go there) but the ‘99 remake was just a brilliant movie. It’s basically played on loop on ITV2, but that doesn’t take away from the Indiana Jones-style reimagining of the 1932 classic. I really like Brendan Fraser in this and the rest of the cast just work soooo well together. The later films I’d probably leave alone but this remake was definitely better than the original. It’s also actually quite funny thanks to Omid Djalili and John Hannah.

    Where to watch it: Rent/Buy on Amazon Prime Video

    2. Ocean’s Eleven

    Warner Bros. Pictures

    Firstly, the cast of this Ocean’s Eleven is amazing. I mean seriously, how many films have a cast as high-profile as this?!! George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, and Don Cheadle are some of the names we get to see work together in a film that is surprisingly funny. The original also had some pretty high-profile names but I can’t deny that this remake was actually pretty good. Another one that was also always on ITV2 for some reason, maybe they just know a good reboot when they see one?

    Where to watch it: Netflix

    3. Star Trek (2009)

    Paramount Pictures

    It was this reboot of Star Trek  that made me go back and watch the original shows. The films have brought a whole new audience to Star Trek and that I find impressive in itself. The late Leonard Nimoy does return, so it’s kind of a continuation and a reboot combined, but you can’t deny that it does everything it needs to do. It’s true to the original but brave enough to explore strange new worlds. Also, does anyone else think that Zachary Quinto is as close to perfect as you can get for Spock?!?

    Where to watch it: Rent/Buy on Amazon Prime Video

    4. Doctor Who

    BBC

    Good is perhaps an understatement when describing this show. Now I know it’s technically more of a revival, but I don’t care it’s too precious to me. The revived Doctor Who has been a massive success, introducing generation after generation to the Timelord. Despite a recent drop in views, the return of Russell T Davies should help propel this show back to where it belongs. In my heart. Jokes aside, we all know that this show is literally built to reboot so it’ll be on our screens for all of time.

    Allonsy.

    Where to watch it: BBC iPlayer

    5. The Jungle Book (2016)

    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    They’ve remade quite a few Disney films recently with varying degrees of success. I’d say that only The Jungle Book has been really worth watching.  You will notice how good it looks straight away and the cast just make it better –  i mean Christopher Walken is King Louie! The plot is also more developed than the original and so I definitely prefer this version. 

    Where to watch it: Disney+

    6. The Office (US Version)

    NBC

    Many people consider this to be better than the UK original which is nice, but wrong. There is no doubt that The Office is brilliant and it really comes down to taste. I will say that the US version rightly has its own dedicated following and is its own entity. Let’s be honest, is there a better TV remake than this?

    Where to watch it: BBC iPlayer

    7. Mad Max: Fury Road

    Warner Bros. Pictures

    I doubt many people will argue with this reboot/continuation’s inclusion. It clearly surpasses the original in every conceivable way, especially in terms of its visuals. If Tom Hardy is in a film, it’s already going to be a certain standard, but Charlize Theron steals the film for me. We can all agree that this version of the film just works.

    Where to watch it: Rent/Buy on Amazon Prime Video

    8. Battlestar Galactica

    Syfy

    The original show aired around the time that Star Wars had become a massive hit, and it didn’t really take off – watch it and you’ll see why. I think what helped this reboot was its willingness to be grittier and explore themes like science, religion, and terrorism. It also helps that the show doesn’t look too cheap and better visuals always help the cause.

    Where to watch it: BBC iPlayer

    9. Freaky Friday

    Buena Vista Pictures

    This remake of the ‘97 original is a pretty good film – I should know, I’ve watched it enough times. Both adults and children can equally enjoy Freaky Friday and it is wayyyy funnier than the original. Both Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are amazing when the swap occurs, showing everyone why the odd remake here and there is ok.

    Where to watch it: Disney+

    10. The Amazing Spiderman

    Sony Pictures Releasing

    The 2012 reboot of Spiderman is by far my favourite version to date. Andrew Garfield is the best Peter Parker – don’t argue with me– and the film is just considerably better. It’s darker, more intense, and the dialogue isn’t as ridiculous as the Sam Raimi trilogy. I will admit the second instalment was poor but we should see this incarnation of Spiderman back on our screens soon.

    Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video

    11. Hairspray (2007)

    New Line Cinema

    The remade Hairspray is a fun film to watch and explores themes like body positivity and racial harmony, which are always relevant. It’s also quite funny, but more than that the music is very catchy –I couldn’t get You Can’t Stop The Beat out of my head for months.

    Where to watch it: Rent/Buy on Amazon Prime Video

    12. Batman Begins

    Warner Bros. Pictures

    The Batman franchise has been rebooted countless times and we can agree that this is the absolute best version. It was darker than the previous films –they were too gimmicky – while retaining the core elements of a superhero film. I can’t think of any other reboots as good as this and it helped to spawn a sequel that was even better.

    Where to watch it: Rent/Buy on Amazon Prime Video

    13. The Great Gatsby

    Warner Bros. Pictures

    It’s one of my favourite books and so I was always going to be excited about this remake. The style and the music in The Great Gatsby are fittingly adapted to the 21st century and the cast just made so much sense. Joel Edgerton makes a perfect Tom Buchanan, while Carey Mulligan and Leonardo DiCaprio are close to perfect. In many ways, this is better than the original.

    Where to watch it: Netflix

    14. King Kong (2005)

    Universal Pictures

    Another story that has been rebooted various times, but this version was actually worth watching. We all know that iconic scene with King Kong climbing up the Empire State Building, and Peter Jackson helped to bring this to the 21st century. It’s also faithful to the original while being different enough that it’s worth watching. A solid, solid remake.

    Where to watch it: Rent/Buy on Amazon Prime Video

    15. A Star Is Born (2018)

    Warner Bros. Pictures

    You might not have known this was a remake, which is lucky because this version of A Star Is Born is better in every possible way. The soundtrack alone is incredible and the film actually makes you feel something – the chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga is truly brilliant. I didn’t even know that Lady Gaga could act or that Bradley Cooper could sing, so it was even more impressive to me.


    Where to watch it: Rent/Buy on Amazon Prime Video

    16. Shameless (US Version)

    Showtime

    Another remake of a British classic that came out good. The original Shameless was suchhh good TV and it just seemed to sum up Britishness so well. The US remake is different in a good way, and like the US Office, it just gets better. Both shows also have the most perfect casting for Frank Gallagher – they were just born to play that role.

    Where to watch it: Netflix

    17. Man of Steel

    Warner Bros. Pictures

    Yes, another superhero origin story – sorry they’re too good to ignore –but Man of Steel is just a thoroughly good film. I will admit the first time I watched it, I wasn’t overly impressed.  But Man of Steel really does grow on you. For once I actually cared about Clark Kent and Lois Lane. And if Hans Zimmer is composing the score, I’ll definitely watch it.                                                                                                                                                                    

    Where to watch it: Netflix