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Let's face it, Hollywood is full of unoriginal ideas; just look at the disproportionate number of films based on books, plays, TV shows and even Broadway musicals that were themselves based on movies. But every now and then, that most unoriginal of green-lit ideas, the remake of a popular or critically acclaimed movie -- like current releases 'Clash of the Titans,' 'Death at a Funeral' and the upcoming 'Nightmare on Elm Street' reload -- can yield a film that equals, or in rare cases, surpasses the original.
After navigating tricky waters and narrowing down the definition of a remake to a movie clearly based on another feature-length film (and not, say, yet another adaptation of a classic text like a Shakespearean play or a Jane Austen novel), here is our list of the 25 best. That means you won't find adaptations like 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' shorts-based films a la '12 Monkeys,' or reinterpretations like 'Clueless' or 'Moulin Rouge.'
What you will find on this list is the Moviefone staff's highly subjective picks for the best remakes in movie history -- a crop of films worth watching even if you're completely unfamiliar with the originals...
25. 'The Thomas Crown Affair' (1999)
Based On: Norman Jewison's heist thriller, 'The Thomas Crown Affair' (1968)
24. 'Ransom' (1996)
Based On: Alex Segal's hostage drama, 'Ransom!' (1956)
23. 'Nosferatu the Vampyre' (1979)
Based On: F.W. Murnau's legendary vampire film, 'Nosferatu' (1922)
22. 'Insomnia' (2002)
Based On: Eric Skjoldbjærg's Norwegian psychological drama, 'Insomnia' (1997)
21. '3:10 to Yuma' (2007)
Based On: Delmer Daves' Western '3:10 to Yuma' (1957)
20. 'True Lies' (1994)
Based On: Claude Zidi's French spy comedy 'La Totale!' (1991)
19. 'Dawn of the Dead' (2004)
Based On: George Romero's zombie flick, 'Dawn of the Dead' (1978)
18. 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' (1988)
Based On: Ralph Levy's con-men comedy, 'Bedtime Story' (1964)
17. 'The Italian Job' (2003)
Based On: Peter Collinson's British caper, 'The Italian Job' (1969)
16. 'The Champ' (1979)
Based On: King Vidor's award-winning boxing drama, 'The Champ' (1931)
15. 'Little Shop of Horrors' (1986)
Based On: Roger Corman's horror comedy, 'Little Shop of Horrors' (1960)
14. 'The Ring' (2002)
Based On: Hideo Nakata's horror flick, 'Ringu' (1998)
13. 'Father of the Bride' (1991)
Based On: Vincente Minnelli's wedding comedy 'Father of the Bride' (1950)
12. 'Heaven Can Wait' (1978)
Based On: Alexander Hall's supernatural comedy, 'Here Comes Mr. Jordan' (1941)
11. 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' (1978)
Based On: Don Siegel's alien-horror classic, 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' (1956)
10. 'A Star is Born' (1954)
Based On: William Wellman's showbiz drama, 'A Star is Born' (1937)
9. 'Ocean's 11' (2001)
Based On: Lewis Milestone's heist flick, 'Ocean's 11' (1960)
8. 'A Fistful of Dollars' (1964)
Based On: Akira Kurosawa's samurai drama, 'Yojimbo' (1961)
7. 'The Fly' (1986)
Based On: Kurt Neumann's horror classic, 'The Fly' (1958)
6. 'The Departed' (2006)
Based On: Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's Hong Kong crime-thriller 'Infernal Affairs' (2002)
5. 'The Magnificent Seven' (1960)
Based On: Akira Kurosawa's epic 'The Seven Samurai' (1954)
4. 'Cape Fear' (1991)
Based On: J. Lee Thompson's stalker thriller, 'Cape Fear' (1962)
3. 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' (1956)
Based On: Alfred Hitchcock's first 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' (1934)
2. 'Scarface' (1983)
Based On: Howard Hawks' gangland drama, 'Scarface' (1932)
1. 'The Thing' (1982)
Based On: Howard Hawks' 'The Thing' (1952)
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