#AsToldByGinger

There are a number of movie remakes hitting theaters this season. “It,” “Murder on the Orient Express,” “Flatliners” and “Blade Runner 2049” are just a few of the many recent remakes that have tried to add a modern spin on well-loved classics. It remains to be seen how these will stack up against their originals, but for now, here are five movies that certainly didn’t do their source material any justice.

1. “Halloween” (2007), available on Hulu

As many other remakes have demonstrated, it doesn’t do any good to remake John Carpenter films. The Rob Zombie remake of the 1978 classic doesn’t bring any new ideas to the table and instead just acts as a flashy revamp. This movie can join the remakes of “The Fog” and “The Thing” over in the corner.

2. “Bangkok Dangerous” (2008), available on Hulu

Now let me make myself clear: I love Nicolas Cage, both his critically acclaimed films and his indie failures. However, this Hollywood remake of Danny Pang Phat and Oxide Pang Chun’s Thai masterpiece is simply that: a Hollywood remake that prioritizes flashy action over any kind of cinematic depth. Even the ever-interesting Nicolas Cage can’t bring any spark to this remake.

3. “American Poltergeist” (2015), available on Netflix

With a whopping four percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this movie goes to show that sometimes it’s best to just leave well enough alone. This cheap redo of the 1982 classic features bad acting and no originality, yet somehow already has a sequel. I’ll pass on that one.

4. “The Invasion” (2007), available on Netflix

Jack Finney’s 1955 sci-fi novel “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” has been remade several times over. The 1956 film and the 1978 film are definitely worth the watch, using the story as vehicles for commentary on communism and urban decay, respectively. However, the 2007 remake starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig takes any potential for a deeper message and throws it out the window. It even has a happy ending somehow, which is certainly not the point of the story.

5. “Ben Hur” (2016), available on Hulu

The original 1959 film “Ben Hur” is a masterpiece. Though it certainly isn’t a light watch (the running time clocks in at just under four hours), there’s a reason it’s held up as a piece of great cinema. The 2016 remake, on the other hand, tries to mask its lack of originality with boisterous CGI and choppy editing. And, of course, it fails.

What are some of your least favorite remakes? Let us know in the comments!