Movies

10 Remakes Of 1980s Movies That Couldn’t Replicate Their Success

ByCineShout

Jan 3, 2025
10 Remakes Of 1980s Movies That Couldn’t Replicate Their Success


A popular trend in the movie world in recent years is major studios remaking their fan-favorite films from decades before. Although the idea has been popularized by Disney with their live-action remakes of their classic animated features, the trend extends far beyond the one company. Throughout Hollywood, filmmakers are aiming to capitalize on the pre-existing fan bases of their original movies. Oftentimes, putting a modern spin on a beloved classic seems like a surefire way to make a hefty profit.

However, a handful of attempts have proven that success is not a guarantee. Many recent remakes, particularly of films from the 1980s, have ended up massively underwhelming their audiences. Viewers flock to theaters hoping to see an exciting new twist on their favorite stories, but sadly discover that they are merely being given something boring, unoriginal, or otherwise disappointing. Although the films that inspired them may have been quite successful, these remakes of ’80s movies definitely left something to be desired.

10

A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)

Remake Of A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

Choosing to remake one of the most iconic horror movies of all time is definitely a major risk. Unfortunately, this risk did not pay off for director Samuel Bayer with his 2010 adaptation of the 1984 horror classic, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Like the original, this haunting film follows a group of teenage students who find themselves being tormented and killed off by Freddy Krueger, a terrifying, demonic figure who attacks them in their dreams.


Robert Englund today in a collage with the Nightmare on Elm Street remake's version of Freddy Krueger

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Although this updated version of A Nightmare on Elm Street did manage to fare rather well at the box office, the critical reception of the film was much more bleak. The film was consistently panned for being overwhelmingly bland and far too straightforward to really produce any major scares. Freddy Krueger may have terrified viewers back in the ’80s, but Jackie Earle Haley’s interpretation of the role was hardly enough to make a person shiver. A Nightmare On Elm Street proved that some classics should probably remain untouched.

9

RoboCop (2014)

Remake Of RoboCop (1987)

In 1987, RoboCop wowed its audiences with its creative sci-fi premise and exciting action sequences. Years later, in 2014, this inventive story about a police officer who is revived as an enhanced cyborg officer was remade into a new film directed by José Padilha. This modern take on the half-man-half-machine agent featured a star-studded ensemble led by Joel Kinnaman, with Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, and Gary Oldman among the supporting cast.

Part of what made the original RoboCop so popular was the fact that it was not merely an exciting sci-fi/action movie, but an intelligent, multilayered satire about American culture and society.

Unfortunately, this collection of prominent actors was not enough to win over the hearts of audiences. Part of what made the original RoboCop so popular was the fact that it was not merely an exciting sci-fi/action movie, but an intelligent, multilayered satire about American culture and society. The 2014 sci-fi remake seemed to largely abandon the subtlety that made the original so special, instead presenting a revised story that felt disappointingly shallow. To make matters worse, fans were also underwhelmed by the action element, feeling as though it failed to outshine the original in that regard as well.

8

Friday The 13th (2009)

Remake Of Friday The 13th (1980)

Along with Freddy Krueger, one of the most iconic horror movie antagonists to come out of the 1980s was Jason Voorhees, the mask-wearing killer whose mythology only grows with every movie in which he is included. Audiences were introduced to Jason in the 1980 horror classic, Friday the 13th, which immediately launched a plethora of sequels highlighting the character’s deadly actions. In 2009, however, a new film was released that served not as a continuation of the story, but as a reimagining of the original film (as well as some of its early sequels).

While the original Friday the 13th immediately excited fans and introduced the horror world to a legendary new threat, the 2009 iteration didn’t do much to make itself stand out in any significant way. The film failed to add any new levels or dynamics to the original story, instead opting to simply dish out a series of bland, straightforward kills. It may have been enjoyable for die-hard fans of slasher films, but the underwhelming story and corny dialogue did little to impress wider audiences.

7

Conan The Barbarian (2011)

Remake Of Conan The Barbarian (1982)

To provide clarification, the 2011 Conan the Barbarian movie was not meant to be a direct remake of the 1982 Arnold Schwarzenegger film of the same name, but rather a completely separate film inspired by the mythology of the same character. Although the central character technically remained the same, the 2011 film offered a new interpretation of the titular barbarian, as well as a largely new story. Instead of Schwarzenegger, future Aquaman star Jason Momoa stepped into the lead role for the latest film.

Needless to say, fans who were expecting a faithful remake of the original Conan the Barbarian movie were highly disappointed by this new interpretation of the character and his journey.

Even those unfamiliar with the previous film weren’t particularly impressed, with the Momoa-led feature doing little more than batter the audience with a nonstop flow of over-the-top visual effects. Conan the Barbarian (2011) ended up being a complete bomb at the box office, coming well short of recuperating its $90 million budget.

6

The Karate Kid (2010)

Remake Of The Karate Kid (1984)

In 1984, the martial arts drama, The Karate Kid, became a cultural sensation. The film, which starred Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, was both a box-office smash and a critical hit, and even contributed significantly to the popularization of karate in America. Because of its widespread popularity and numerous sequels, it wasn’t much of a surprise when it was revealed that The Karate Kid would be receiving a modern reimagining in 2010. This updated version of the story starred Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan in the lead roles.

The 2010 version of The Karate Kid was not a flop by any means, but it still didn’t fully manage to live up to the true level of cultural significance obtained by the original. Reviews of the film were decent for the most part, and the box office numbers were fairly impressive, but both of these would have had to improve dramatically in order to fully live up to the film that started it all. Fans of the franchise will surely be hoping that the upcoming Karate Kid: Legends will have a more significant impact.

5

Clash Of The Titans (2010)

Remake Of Clash Of The Titans (1981)

Sometimes, even when all the necessary pieces seem to be present, it is just impossible to replicate the magic captured by an earlier film. A prime example of this ultimate shortcoming is the action-packed 2010 fantasy film, Clash of the Titans, which served as a remake of the 1981 film of the same name. This new iteration of the heroic tale seemed to have all the right elements; a timeless story, a director with plenty of action movie experience, and even a stacked cast, which included Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes, and Liam Neeson.

Sadly, the final product ended up feeling like much less than the sum of its parts. Clash of the Titans (2010) did draw people to theaters, allowing it to have a successful box office run, but most of those viewers didn’t leave particularly happy. The film was widely criticized for its poor script, as well as for its over-reliance on splashy 3-D effects. Instead of focusing on the inspiring, heroic journey at its core, Clash of the Titans (2010) let itself become distracted by these flashy elements, leading to an underwhelming experience for the audience.

4

Firestarter (2022)

Remake Of Firestarter (1984)

Reviews of Firestarter, the 1984 sci-fi horror movie based on a Stephen King novel, were not exactly high by any means. Because of this, one would think that it would be easy for a remake of the film to live up to the quality of its predecessor. In a dismal turn of events, though, the 2022 adaptation of Firestarter failed to even do that. Starring Zac Efron and Ryan Kiera Armstrong, this recent remake of the fairly little-known ’80s horror movie managed to perform far worse than the original adaptation of King’s story.

The film currently holds an abysmal 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics being largely unable to find any real redeeming quality.

While reviews of Firestarter (1984) were mixed at best, reviews of Firestarter (2022) were overwhelmingly negative. The film currently holds an abysmal 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics being largely unable to find any real redeeming quality. To make matters even worse, the movie also performed very poorly at the box office, with most people likely feeling unsure why the studio would have even attempted to remake the original Firestarter in the first place. As far as remakes go, Firestarter (2022) goes down as one of the worst in recent memory.

3

Poltergeist (2015)

Remake Of Poltergeist (1982)

Hollywood seems to have proven time and time again that remaking iconic horror movies of the 1980s may not be the best move. This unfortunate truth was further reinforced by the 2015 horror feature, Poltergeist, a remake of the popular, three-time Oscar-nominated 1982 film of the same name. The recent adaptation of the supernatural horror story (which was originally envisioned by Steven Spielberg) stars Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt as a married couple who find their home and family being tormented by forces of evil.

The original Poltergeist may have gone on to become one of the most recognizable works of horror ever made, but the new version will not be remembered quite as fondly. The 2015 film was widely dubbed inferior to its predecessor, offering very little to enhance the characters or the story in any major way. It also relied far too heavily on cheap tricks like jump scares, as opposed to the carefully crafted horror techniques that made the first film so special.

2

Arthur (2011)

Remake Of Arthur (1981)

The 2011 rom-com, Arthur, is far from the most well-known movie remake in recent memory. This oft-forgotten feature is directly based on the 1981 movie of the same name. Arthur tells the story of a highly rich but dim-witted man who falls in love with a working-class woman, much to the dismay of his wealthy parents. Although the story remained largely unchanged, the two versions of Arthur experienced drastically different levels of success.

The original iteration of Arthur was a box office smash, earning over $95 million on a budget of less than ten percent of that. Additionally, the film won multiple Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Song, while being nominated in other categories as well. In contrast, Arthur (2011) was a box office failure, barely making half of the money earned by the first film, while also requiring a budget over five times greater. The remake was panned by critics, who largely found that the film lacked the charm of the first one.

1

Overboard (2018)

Remake Of Overboard (1987)

In 1987, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell charmed viewers with their humorous performances in Overboard, a lighthearted romantic comedy about two individuals from drastically different social classes who unexpectedly fall in love after one of them develops amnesia. Over thirty years later, the film was remade, with Eugenio Derbez and Anna Faris playing the role-reversed versions of the main characters. This later version of the film may have been more successful from a financial standpoint, but it did little to rival the quality of the original.

Overboard wasn’t overly popular or acclaimed when it was first released back in the ’80s. Unfortunately, the 2018 version wasn’t even able to match these levels of success. The remake felt not only underwhelming as an individual film, but completely unnecessary in the first place. Overboard had been enjoyed by some people when it was first released, but it was not nearly successful enough to warrant a modern reimagining. This decision just left many viewers wondering why the studio didn’t choose a more popular or relevant story.

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