Since they first announced it, I was so against this remake. I knew it'd be terrible. So, when I had a chance to watch in on HBO the other night, I figured I'd lose a few hours of my life I'd never get back, just to watch it. And it really was my worst fears realized.
The only thing worth watching with the remake was the extreme sports, the base jumping and the scenery. I can spend a good hour on youtube or National Geographic and watch that. Incredible things done by incredible athletes and adrenaline junkies. I don't have the guts or the energy these days to come close to trying anything like that. So, there's a great amount of admiration for the guys who make a life of doing it. It's almost sad that those scenes, with no dialogue or interaction with characters were the only redeeming qualities of this.
Things have changed. I realize that most of the people that think this is better than the original, were mere babies or weren't even alive yet when the original was first released. To see the original on the big screen for the first time was quite a rush. And on top of that, it was just FUN! Any action sequences in that didn't have to carry the rest of the film. They merely added to and complemented an already great story with very good characters. A story that had to develop, which did nothing but draw your interest in the more you watched it. But, great characters that established these great relationships with each other. You liked the good guys, but you also liked the bad guys. Even the characters with the smallest parts were interesting and entertaining.
Swayze did a great job as Bodhi. His character was a bit of a flake, but he convinced you that he was one all about chasing the perfect wave. That he had a spiritual perception of some things in life. Utah's relationship with Bodhi, Pappas, Tyler, and then the rest of the gang. You could honestly see his struggle in the allure of getting sucked into that world, while really trying to stay an undercover FBI agent. Unlike the original, there was no use for a Pappas in the remake.The original, Utah and Pappas were very much partners, and you could tell they cared about each other and watched each other's backs. Tyler's role in the original and the way she wound up being used to manipulate Utah by the people she felt the closest to...that was brilliant. There wasn't really one interesting or likable character in the remake. No one you cared enough about to even root for. In the original, you wanted to see the bad guys get caught. But at the same time, you rooted a little bit for the Ex-Presidents, which made a bit of a moral dilemma for the viewer. And for one of her earlier movies, Bigelow simply kicked ass and hit a home run in directing it.
I can't tell you how many times I've seen the original. But it's fun and entertaining every time I see it. As for the remake, once was more than enough. I won't watch it again, even by accident. Just because it was so painfully bad and boring.
Some will agree with me, some will say I'm crazy. And I don't expect to change one person's mind with what I've said. There's certainly nothing anyone can say to me to change my mind about the remake. The original holds up well to this day and is still a very high-revered, good movie that people watch for the first time, or watch it for the umpteenth time they've seen it. I seriously doubt you'll be able to say that about the remake 25 years from now. And I'm not even going to discuss it to great extent. I can say I've seen it, and now I'm just ready to forget all about it.
To those that love the original, you simply understand and get it. To those who don't, will probably never get it. One day, one of their generation's movies will get remade, and done so poorly, they'll feel the outrage and utter disdain of how the industry destroyed THEIR MOVIE. Then they'll get it.
"See you in hell, Johnny!"
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