Film of the Week: Overboard (2018)

There was an article for Mum’s Monday reviewing and giving an opinion on Overboard the 1987 version. It was my former next door neighbour’s favourite film, and was a good premise. The original film was iconic and became a film people watched as a family. Although Hollywood does appear to be throwing darts and recreating any film it hits, Overboard did make some rational sense. Updating a story for the generation who would like the story, but not the 1987 version. There’s nothing plainly wrong with the original Overboard, but updating it was necessary to keep the story moving through the generations. At the time of hearing the announcement that Overboard was going to be recreated, it was one of the rare times when I agreed it needed to be updated.

Recreating a film can be seen as an adaptation, as the filmmakers are adapting it to fit modern times, and with all adaptations, there will always be changes. Most adaptations are from books, and of course, sacrifices in the forms of whole chapters, characters, or even plot points within a book must be made to help it translate to the big screen – tell the story we’re familiar with. When it comes to updating it – recreating a film – it can go one or two ways. It’s black and white; the film can be poor or excellent. A huge chunk of films that have been recreated people comparing the two films together, but mainly criticising how the modern one isn’t up to scratch to the original, and how the modern version shouldn’t have been made. I understand perfectly why they’d rather remain loyal to the original, because modernising a film that’s moulded around it’s time doesn’t work.

The remake of Ghostbusters is a prime example of a bad modernisation. The original was a product of its time. It was unique and became an instant classic. The theme song is a staple in our culture. Recreating Ghostbusters, therefore, in Hollywood’s eyes, did seem like a rational thing to do. Update a classic to those who can appreciate it more. Except, Ghostbusters should have been left alone. Sure, with modern filmmaking, you can upgrade the special effects, make the ghosts better – except that would ruin what makes that film a classic, among other ways. Plus, the modern Ghostbusters was filled with absurd jokes, poorly written dialogue, and frankly, the ghosts in the original most certainly looked better than the ones in the modern version. As far as most people are concerned, Ghostbusters never got remade.

Overboard is a prime example of a good modernisation. Sure, the original was a product of its time, I’m not going to dispute that. It was unique and became an instant classic, that’s absolutely true. It didn’t have a theme song, but the overall film certainly became a staple in our culture. So what makes Overboard a good remake when it only did what Ghostbusters did. Because the filmmakers did what Ghostbusters failed to do; absolutely nothing.

The filmmakers took the story of Overboard, placed it in modern times, switch the genders around – the character who does the tricking a woman, and the character who has amnesia a man who later discovers he’s been played but also realises he’s fallen in love with her and subsequently leaves the rich life to be with the one her. They adapted the story like any other, and with any adaptation, there are changes, but paradoxically, there are making changes, and then there are making changes. Overboard made changes but changed nothing, whereas Ghostbusters made changes and changed the overall feel of the film. Ghostbusters should be compared to the original, because the two are so different. With overboard, the comparisons are only what I’ve explained above. It’s a modern remake, with a couple of changes here and there to abide by the modernisation, but the overall core running through the original film is still there. It’s an entertaining film.

However, and understandably so, there will always be those who will say the original is better, and there will always be those who will say the remake is better, and who am I to say any one of them is better than the other. A good remake should be where they are both enjoyed on equal measures. Can co-exist without interfering with the other. Only achieve one goal and that’s allow the newer generation be entertained by a classic story.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)