Remakes of films have been consistent since the beginning of Hollywood. Whether to add sound, or to show a fresh take, the concept of a remake is far from new. Despite the remake’s tenure, the method receives a pretty bad wrap from a lot of fans for a myriad of reasons. Those reasons span from “it’ll ruin my childhood!” to “can’t Hollywood think up an original idea?” but despite the constant gripes, the remake prevails.
Cultural Aspects of a Remake
Cultures evolve throughout the ages, and a movie created decades ago probably won’t stand up to the test of time. Cult classics live on just fine for a while, but even they will eventually putter out if not given the reboot treatment to keep their brand fresh and alive. The most recent Legend of Tarzan is a perfect example of this. Though the film was met with mixed reviews, its 2016 overhaul managed to handle relevant issues without falling into the ‘white male hero’ trope.
It’s lovely to see the new Tarzan film so heavily focused on a married couple. Each interaction between Tarzan and Jane was controlled by Jane, without making Tarzan weak, and without taking away from the overall plot. Each character has his or her own relevance without relying solely on Tarzan to have a point in the film. It’s unfortunate that Legend of Tarzan was so underappreciated. Give it a chance, it may surprise you!
Revitalizing Franchise Merchandise
Aside from the cultural aspect, nothing revitalizes toy and collectible sales like remakes do. There are so many amazing properties and franchises being put out there at once now that geek is chic that the focus doesn’t stay on one property for long. The devotion of fandom certainly helps with this, but it’s rare for a fan to be solely devoted to one franchise. When remakes and sequels happen, that attention is brought back to the property and sales skyrocket.
It’s easy for a consumer to say “well that doesn’t benefit me” but that’s wholly untrue. The revenue from those remakes and those toy sales are the lifeblood of the very studios that are also turning out new content. We all want to believe that movies are strictly for fans and their enjoyment, but the cold hard truth is that Hollywood is a business, and at the end of the day, all businesses have the same goal: To make money.
New, fresh ideas are great! We all love walking out of the theater after watching something original that completely floors us, but make room for the remake in your heart as well. You’re going to miss out on a lot of great movies if you don’t, and the money that consumers throw at them helps fuel the very studios giving you that groundbreaking summer blockbuster as well!
What was your favorite remake/reboot this year? Let us know in the comments!
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