While there are new movies coming out all the time, there are also a lot of older movies that get remade. Sometimes, these remakes aren't great and have many fans disappointed that Hollywood bothered to mess with a classic when the original was just fine. And then, there are other times when the remake is just as good or even better than the original and gives new life to the movie, introducing it to a ton of new fans who are excited to experience the film's story and characters for the first time.
After a movie is remade, serious film fanatics find themselves debating about which version is superior. Is the original still the best or did the remake do the unthinkable and improve on the movie? Although the best way for a person to decide which version they think is better is simply to watch the original and the remake, not everyone has time to do that. There are so many movies to watch and it can be tough to find the time to fit them all in. Luckily, IMDb's rating system makes it easy to see which movies reign supreme.
To see 10 movie remakes that are better than the original, keep reading!
Les Misérables
Les Misérables was released in 2012 and is based on a novel by the same name. The film is set in 19th century France and follows various different characters whose lives and circumstances may be different but their stories become intertwined throughout the course of the film.
The movie is both an adaption of the novel and a remake of the 1998 version. This story has been told time and time again on stage and in films over the years, dating all the way back to a 1935 movie version. On IMDb, the 2012 version has a score of 7.6, just barely scraping past the one from the '90s and its score of 7.5.
The Departed
The Departed was released in 2006 and is a remake of a 2002 film from Hong Kong called Internal Affairs. This movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy, an undercover cop who is doing his best to infiltrate an Irish gang located in the heart of Boston while simultaneously trying to identify the mole in the gang that he's working with.
The 2002 movie has a similar storyline, only with the focus being on organized crime in Hong Kong. The Departed has an IMDb score of 8.5, meaning that it soared past the original's score of 8.
The Fly
The Fly was released in 1986 and has become a favorite for many science fiction fans over the years. The movie follows a brilliant scientist whose experiment takes a turn for the catastrophic, causing him to transform into a terrifying creature that is half-human, half-insect.
The Fly is a remake of a film by the same name that was released in 1958. The movie follows the same plot with a scientist who is working on an interesting experiment when it goes terribly wrong. Although both versions of this movie are popular in the sci-fi world, the 1986 remake is higher rated. It has an IMDb score of 7.5, while the original has a score of 7.1.
Ocean's 11
Ocean's 11 is a crime thriller that was released in 2001 and follows a group of 11 criminals that have concocted a daring plan: Pull off three casino heists on the Las Vegas strip simultaneously. This is definitely no easy feat, but watching them try to pull the stunt off made this movie and its sequels super popular.
The movie is a remake of a film by the same name that was released in 1960. The original stars huge names in Hollywood like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. and features the characters pulling off five heists in one night. While the original has an IMDb score of 6.6, the remake managed to pull ahead with a score of 7.8.
Man On Fire
Man On Fire is an action-packed crime drama that was released in 2004 and stars Denzel Washington as a former CIA agent who is hired to be a bodyguard for a family. When something horrific happens to the family that he was hired by and has grown close to, he seeks vengeance and won't stop until he gets it.
This movie is a remake of a 1987 film, with both versions being based on a novel released in the early 1980s. Despite the fact that Man On Fire is a remake, most people only know the 2004 version. The remake is significantly more popular and their IMDb scores show that: The original has a score of 5.9 while the remake has a score of 7.7, making it the higher rated one on IMDb.
True Grit
True Grit was released in 2010 and stars Hailee Steinfeld as a tough teen living in the Old West who teams up with a US Marshal in order to track down the person that killed her father. The movie was directed by the Coen brothers and made Hailee Steinfeld a huge star, but it's also a remake of another movie.
The original True Grit was released in 1969 and starred John Wayne. The movie followed the same plot and was popular when it was released; however, the remake is still the version with the higher IMDb score. The original has a tough-to-beat score of 7.4, but the 2010 version has a score of 7.6.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was released in 2007. It's a musical that stars Johnny Depp as Benjamin Barker, also known as Sweeney Todd, a barber in London who has a horrifying secret that he keeps hidden with his barbershop.
While the 2007 movie was mostly inspired by the stage musical, it could also be seen as a remake of a number of Sweeney Todd film adaptations released over the decades, some of which were also based on the musical from the late 1970s.
Two prime examples are 1936's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and BBC's 2006 TV adaptation entitled Sweeney Todd. All three movies are set in the Victorian time period, but the remake is definitely the most popular. While the 1936 version has a 6.0 and BBC's adaptation sits with a 6.9 on IMDb, Burton's movie has a score of 7.3.
Meet The Parents
Meet the Parents is a comedic movie that was released in 2000 that stars Ben Stiller as a man going to meet his girlfriend's parents for the first time before he proposes. This scenario is something that is really easy for a lot of people to relate to and this hilarious take on the situation is one that has become super popular in the movie world.
The original was released in 1992 and has a really similar plot. Despite the fact that the remake is so popular, not a lot of people even know that Meet the Parents is a remake, which explains why the Stiller version is so much more popular. The original has a score of 6.6 on IMDb, while the remake's score is 7.
Scarface
Scarface was released in 1983 and is a popular crime drama that follows the life of a Cuban immigrant named Tony Montana. Montana is living in Miami in 1980 and rises up in the world organized crime to become the feared leader of a local drug cartel.
This movie is a remake of a film by the same name that was released in 1932. The original film follows the same basic premise but is set in the 1920s in Chicago. Both movies are popular, although the remake has the original beat as far as their IMDb scores go, with the 1932 version having a score of 7.8 and the remake getting an 8.3.
The Last House On The Left
The Last House on the Left is a movie that was released in 2009. It follows a group of people who come to a family's home after attacking the family's daughter, inspiring the girl's parents to seek revenge on her assailants.
The movie is a remake of a controversial horror movie from 1972 with a similar plot. This movie is well-known as a remake, but the 2009 version is more popular than the original. The remake has an IMDb score of 6.5 while the original has a score of 6.