In 2012 (or was it 2013) a couple of pictures hit the net from the set of the Robocop remake.Robocop was not sporting the Detroit Steel suit we had all grown up with. Instead he sported a svelte, decidedly more modern costume. Like any change this did not go over well on the internet.

“Why are they remaking Robocop?”

“Why does everything have to be darker?”

I remained on the fence. While I had trepidations that it looked more like a man in a suit than a robot, the costume looked cool. So the months passed, trailers came out, the complaints continued until the movie was finally released in February.

It was *gasp* good.

While it was not on the same level as the original to me, it had some wonderful action and cool effects blended with a story that I could say was its own. The film, while paying homage to the original, was not afraid to find its own identity. With subtext that placed it firmly in our modern day society, complete with shots at outsourcing and a subtle nod to war veterans and the issues they faced. We ended up on a movie which I think is on the level of the first Captain America and Thor films.

Let’s stop making a big deal about remakes.

Just stop. I could talk about the fact that despite all the negativity surrounding remakes they still make a lot of money and people go to see them. I could also point to the fact that there are many critically acclaimed films that are remakes of previous films, done so well that many critics of remakes even present them as evidence of original things that should not be remade.

What I will talk about is the fact that filmmakers should not be limited by anything. Do you really want to tell me the world would be better off if Chris Nolan had not applied his vision to Batman? Would we have been better off if Peter Jackson said “Screw it they already did Lord of the Rings as a cartoon in the 80s”?

The old one was better.

Was it? Really? We have a tendency to wear rose-tinted glasses when looking at the past. I for instance grew up loving the original Power Rangers but I don’t find it possible to defend that it is somehow qualitatively better than the current series. Even something like Star Wars which I dearly love, has not held up well against the test of time. Many works benefit from the emotional attachment we built around them at the time they came out rather than any sort of critical analysis of them. Their reputations built on how we remember them rather than what they actually are.

Where is the originality?

What is originality really? Is it in the property or is it in the approach the filmmakers take to it? Sherlock Holmes is the most adapted character on film with countless film and TV shows over his 100+ year history. Yet the current BBC Sherlock adaptation is arguably one of the best series to ever grace a television screen. Managing to be original in its own right while retaining many familiar elements to fans of the Baker Street duo. Even the less acclaimed US Elementary has found its own unique approach to the character.

One could argue that Sherlock Holmes has the benefit of being in the public domain and has had many creators work on it. I could then point to another long standing property, James Bond, whose creative oversight has been under the control of a single entity for over half a century. The evolution of the character on film has been remarkable, with stark contrast between generations. From the comedic Roger Moore Bond films to the darker , way before their time Timothy Dalton films. The character retains familar elements but is allowed to evolve and change with the creative vision.

Even the term “Remake” is absurd it’s definition is so broad and vague. Under it, there is no differentiation between almost beat for beat adaptions like Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and wildly different interpretations from their predecessor like the various versions of Casino Royale.

We need to let go of the absurd notion that remakes are inherently bad and somehow kill originality in film making. Instead embrace the idea of letting new creative visionaries explore these properties and introduce them to new generations, even if we have to put up with a Psycho every now and then.

Check out my previous article on 12 Years A Slave.