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I was inspired to write this by the kind of funny situation we're having right now when it comes to remakes of well-known properties, namely the two particularly big ones that are premiering this month. The first, as I'm sure that a lot of people here on this Pokémon forum are aware, is Mewtwo Strikes Back EVOLUTION, a CG remake of a traditionally-animated original that's (in)famous for its brooding title character, its unusually dark themes by Pokémon standards, and for being one of the highest-grossing anime films in both Japan and the West (with the latter helping signficantly). The second, as I'm sure that pretty much everyone is aware, is the new version of The Lion King, which is also a CG remake of a traditionally-animated original that's famous being one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time, the single highest-grossing traditionally animated film of all time, and for representing Disney at what could be argued to be their cultural and artistic peak.
These, of course, are nowhere close to the only examples of remakes, reboots, and re-imaginings that have been brought to existence by entities like Disney, The Pokémon Company, etc. Mere months ago we got live-action remakes of both Aladdin and Dumbo, and before that we also got live-action remakes of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and others that I can't even remember right now, plus alternate takes on stories like Sleeping Beauty (Maleficent) and Winnie-the-Pooh (Christopher Robin). And that's from Disney alone, never mind the countless reboots of superhero franchises (Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man, anyone?) and the even more endless remakes of classic films from bygone eras of cinema. And surely we're all-too-aware here of the various remakes of Pokémon games that have been released throughout the years (FireRed and LeafGreen... HeartGold and SoulSilver... Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee...), plus all of the many remakes and remasters that have been released — or are going to be released — in the video game industry in general (the FFVII Remake... Crash and Spyro... nearly every major first-party game released on the PS3... the list goes on...)
Naturally, there are many pitfalls that can come into play while remaking — or even slightly altering — a beloved or otherwise well-known work. Some might argue that a remake changes too much about the original, while others might think that too little has changed. Meanwhile, others might argue that the mere existence of a remake is unnecessary or even an affront to the original, while others might actually welcome a remake (or at least be open to one being made). What I would like to explore here in this thread is this: what are your personal opinions about remakes, reboots, and re-imaginings?
These, of course, are nowhere close to the only examples of remakes, reboots, and re-imaginings that have been brought to existence by entities like Disney, The Pokémon Company, etc. Mere months ago we got live-action remakes of both Aladdin and Dumbo, and before that we also got live-action remakes of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and others that I can't even remember right now, plus alternate takes on stories like Sleeping Beauty (Maleficent) and Winnie-the-Pooh (Christopher Robin). And that's from Disney alone, never mind the countless reboots of superhero franchises (Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man, anyone?) and the even more endless remakes of classic films from bygone eras of cinema. And surely we're all-too-aware here of the various remakes of Pokémon games that have been released throughout the years (FireRed and LeafGreen... HeartGold and SoulSilver... Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee...), plus all of the many remakes and remasters that have been released — or are going to be released — in the video game industry in general (the FFVII Remake... Crash and Spyro... nearly every major first-party game released on the PS3... the list goes on...)
Naturally, there are many pitfalls that can come into play while remaking — or even slightly altering — a beloved or otherwise well-known work. Some might argue that a remake changes too much about the original, while others might think that too little has changed. Meanwhile, others might argue that the mere existence of a remake is unnecessary or even an affront to the original, while others might actually welcome a remake (or at least be open to one being made). What I would like to explore here in this thread is this: what are your personal opinions about remakes, reboots, and re-imaginings?