Post by Lick Ness Monster on Dec 31, 2007 20:21:03 GMT -5
I know I'll catch hell for this, what with all the constant squabbles/flamefests directed toward remakes in general. And usually, I'm right there with them. But I rewatched a movie in my collection last night, and actually thought that a remake of such a film is VERY NEEDED.
And that movie in question is...
Now, just hear me out for a little while.
I must state that I like the original "Mad Max" a great deal. But notice that I said "like" and not "love" - because frankly I think that there is quite a bit that could be done to improve this movie.
Don't get me wrong - I would not really be interested in a complete overhaul of the movie. Keep the basics intact - cop named Max in a chaotic future retires amongst the mass chaos, motorcycle gang kills his family, Max goes on path of revenge.
It's just...some of the little details about this movie that get me. I would still go with relatively known actors to play pretty much all the roles, including the leads - Mel Gibson was completely unknown at the time this movie was shot, and this film would benefit from not having some famous name attached to Max. But some BETTER actors would be the ticket; examples - Joanne Samuel, who is very flat as Max's wife and pretty much effectively kills every scene she's required to speak in. The guy that plays the Knight Rider in the original film is also borderline laughable. And the kid arrested out in the desert (who always wears the shirt and tie and is killed in the movie's closing scene)...just wow. He's inept in pretty much every way an actor can be.
So - better actors first. From there, I think this movie just needs to be redone to give it a little extra polish - clean up the story and action scenes just a hair more, but don't take it too overboard to Michael Bay-ish levels. It was a restrained action film the first time around, and that's just fine again.
Also, I've brought this up on the forum before, but does anyone else find the music in this movie very distracting and inappropriate? Original director George Miller sure does LOVE his big, epic, horror movie sounding violin tracks - but was this sort of music really needed for the scene when above-mentioned psycho kid is escorted out of police headquarters? The score in this movie is just WAY too overblown and dramatic.
I know this has all been pretty nonsensical. Point that I'm trying to make is that while I too usually hate remakes, this is actually a film that I would want someone to take another shot at. That is all.
And that movie in question is...
Now, just hear me out for a little while.
I must state that I like the original "Mad Max" a great deal. But notice that I said "like" and not "love" - because frankly I think that there is quite a bit that could be done to improve this movie.
Don't get me wrong - I would not really be interested in a complete overhaul of the movie. Keep the basics intact - cop named Max in a chaotic future retires amongst the mass chaos, motorcycle gang kills his family, Max goes on path of revenge.
It's just...some of the little details about this movie that get me. I would still go with relatively known actors to play pretty much all the roles, including the leads - Mel Gibson was completely unknown at the time this movie was shot, and this film would benefit from not having some famous name attached to Max. But some BETTER actors would be the ticket; examples - Joanne Samuel, who is very flat as Max's wife and pretty much effectively kills every scene she's required to speak in. The guy that plays the Knight Rider in the original film is also borderline laughable. And the kid arrested out in the desert (who always wears the shirt and tie and is killed in the movie's closing scene)...just wow. He's inept in pretty much every way an actor can be.
So - better actors first. From there, I think this movie just needs to be redone to give it a little extra polish - clean up the story and action scenes just a hair more, but don't take it too overboard to Michael Bay-ish levels. It was a restrained action film the first time around, and that's just fine again.
Also, I've brought this up on the forum before, but does anyone else find the music in this movie very distracting and inappropriate? Original director George Miller sure does LOVE his big, epic, horror movie sounding violin tracks - but was this sort of music really needed for the scene when above-mentioned psycho kid is escorted out of police headquarters? The score in this movie is just WAY too overblown and dramatic.
I know this has all been pretty nonsensical. Point that I'm trying to make is that while I too usually hate remakes, this is actually a film that I would want someone to take another shot at. That is all.
