In the modern era of Hollywood, reboots, sequels, and superheroes seem to be the business model for filmmaking these days. A remake should only exist to enhance a film that has a strong premise but failed in execution, yet classics such as Psycho and Ben-Hur have been butchered to add a few extra bucks into an executive’s pocket. This article will examine the five classic movies that came out in the early 2000s that should never get the reboot treatment.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2
Following Jackie Brown, writer/director Quentin Tarantino made this slick and stylish revenge thriller. Known as The Bride, a former assassin wakes up from a four-year coma after her jealous ex-lover Bill attempts to execute her on her wedding day. Now, Beatrix Kiddo is driven by a thirst for revenge, and will not stop until she murders every person who contributed to the loss of her unborn child and four years of her life. At this point in Tarantino’s career, the director is a master of his craft and has done things with Kill Bill that other directors would’ve messed up. The fact that Tarantino infused animation with live-action and the film is never out of balance is a huge achievement. Don’t forget the colorful cast of characters, dialogue (a signature of Tarantino), and awesome fight sequences and this is an unforgettable revenge thriller marked by Tarantino’s style.
Slumdog Millionaire
Can you believe that Slumdog millionaire was actually going to be a direct-to-DVD feature film? Directed by Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, 127 Hours), this follows an 18-year-old named Jamal Malik, who goes on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” in which key moments of his life reveal Jamal’s ability to answer the questions on the show. Nominated for ten Academy Awards and winner of six including best picture, this strikingly beautiful film mixes love and drama seamlessly, capturing the struggles of a Indian’s life in a compelling manner. Dev Patel is perfect as the protagonist, playing the innocent, shy but intelligent kid without his performance ever feeling fake. The rest of the cast play their parts well here too, notably Jamal’s brother, Madhur Mittal.
The Departed
Martin Scorsese directing a classic gangster drama, who would’ve guessed? This time it’s The Departed, a remake of 2002’s Internal Affairs starring Leonardo DiCaprio as South Boston cop Billy Costigan, who goes undercover in an Irish gang led by Frank Costello. Unbeknownst to Billy and the cops, a career criminal named Colin Sullivan infiltrates the police department and reports on its activities to Costello and his gang. Eventually, both organizations learn that they have a mole within their unit and both Billy and Colin must figure out each other’s identities to save their own lives. What’s great about Scorsese’s films, in general, is his ability to craft intriguing and compelling characters who aren’t morally clean-cut good guys. The story of both Billy and Colin never gets boring or confusing, and the tension that rises throughout the film is given the love and care that Scorsese does with all his films. It helps that Scorsese is working with a top-notch cast, most notably Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon.
No Country For Old Men
From another veteran filmmaker comes a landmark film from the Coen Brothers, No Country For Old Men. Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, the film sees Llewelyn Moss come across a grisly crime scene after a drug deal. However, he sees a huge amount of cash and decides to take it with him. Soon enough, a merciless killer named Chigurh picks up his trail and goes on the hunt for the money Moss stole. A crafty game of cat-and-mouse, the themes of nihilism and nostalgia are perfectly demonstrated here. Sheriff Bell, Moss, and Chigurh all have different values and beliefs and they’re all challenged to great effect. The Coen Brothers manage to balance drama, dark comedy, and mystery perfectly, with a game cast taking charge of the excellent source material.
Memento
The rise of Christopher Nolan began with this twisty noir starring Guy Pearce and Carrie-Ann Moss, which is about Leonard looking to track down the man who raped and murdered his wife. Unfortunately, Leonard suffers from a rare, untreatable form of memory loss, that doesn’t allow him to remember anything that he’s done fifteen minutes later. Easily one of the best scripts in the early 2000s, this thriller is packed with twists and turns that you don’t see coming. And that ending? Pure genius. Memento shows that you don’t need tons of money to make a great film, with Nolan’s complete command of Memento is at full display. Despite the twisty plot, the film is never confusing thanks to Nolan’s direction, and the core cast does their job exceptionally well.
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