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With the arrival of the new "The Day the Earth Stood Still," we wonder whether some other sci-fi classics could use an upgrade

By Don Kaye
Special to MSN Movies

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Remakes. They're almost a dime a dozen these days, with studios frantically scouring their libraries for any and all brand names that they can repackage and resell to audiences that are usually younger and largely unfamiliar with the original work. Science fiction and other genre films seem especially susceptible to this treatment, with fans subjected to such a seemingly endless parade of retreads and "reimaginings" (such a hateful word) that the latest announcements are no longer even greeted with a howl of outrage but, rather, with a whimper of resignation.

But you know what? Some of these new editions aren't so bad. Let's put it in context: Remakes have been around forever. After all, even Hitchcock remade one of his own movies ("The Man Who Knew Too Much"). Keep in mind also that some of the very best science fiction movies of the past 30 years (Philip Kaufman's "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" in 1978, John Carpenter's "The Thing" in 1982, and David Cronenberg's "The Fly" in 1986) were updates of established genre landmarks. On the other hand, they still haven't gotten "I Am Legend" quite right after three tries, and the less said about the latest "Invasion" (the Nicole Kidman version), the better.

Yet science fiction in particular can benefit from the incredible advances made in visual effects over the years: the wire-suspended saucers of the original (and still effective) 1953 version of "War of the Worlds" were easily superseded by the terrifying tripod, right out of H.G. Wells' novel, in Steven Spielberg's 2005 redux.

But it was the story and message of Robert Wise's 1951 "The Day the Earth Stood Still" that made that film so unforgettable. And it remains to be seen whether the new edition, starring Keanu Reeves and being released Dec. 12, can have the same impact. As good as the new "Earth" looks in the trailers, science fiction is still all about ideas. But even the best ideas, like anything else, can get spruced up for a new generation. With humility and respect for the originals, here are some sci-fi remakes we think we could live with.

"Metropolis" (1927)
Might as well get started by freaking out everyone, including ourselves. "Metropolis" is considered an untouchable; it's hard to imagine any director topping Fritz Lang's Expressionistic masterpiece in visual terms alone. But Lang's dystopian allegory is 80 years old and silent, which means that fewer and fewer people are revisiting it these days. Sadly, its story of a society in which the working class is buried underground by the wealthy doesn't sound like science fiction at all, while the android vixen created to distract and rile up the workers sounds suspiciously like a recent vice presidential candidate to us. So give this to someone good, and we mean very good; only names like Fincher, Nolan or Aronofsky need apply.

"Forbidden Planet" (1956)
Like many remake ideas, we approach this one with a fair amount of trepidation, not least because this is one of the all-time classic sci-fi films. The original "Forbidden Planet" was pioneering in many ways. It remains one of the most intelligent and literate genre movies of its time, and captures the true "sense of wonder" of written science fiction. But it's also slow-moving, juvenile in spots, and a little socially out of date. Sprucing up the script, characters and special effects (which weren't too shabby to begin with) would not tarnish the original's legacy one bit if they kept its Shakespearean themes and awe-inspiring concepts intact. "Babylon 5" creator J. Michael Straczynski is writing a new version now, a good first step.

"X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes" (1963)
Considered one of B-movie king Roger Corman's finest films, the original stars Ray Milland as Dr. James Xavier, a scientist who develops a way to see through, well, everything. Eventually what he sees drives him mad, bringing the picture to a shocking conclusion. Corman's little movie is surprisingly haunting and philosophical, but suffers from the rather dated effects and moral codes of the time. For example, one unintentionally hilarious party scene only shows the partygoers from the neck up or knees down, while Xavier's final glimpse into the center of the universe couldn't be shown on Corman's budget. Like many potential remakes, "X" could be done either as a sophomoric comedy or a potent, cerebral thriller -- we know which one we'd like to see.

"The Prisoner" (1967)
Normally we wouldn't dream of touching Patrick McGoohan's masterful cult TV series about a retired secret agent incarcerated in a pastoral but sinister, undisclosed location. But when it was announced at one point that "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan was attached to write and direct a feature version, well, we were ready to book our flight to the series' eerie Village right then. The show's many chilling aspects (it deals with conformity, the surveillance society, mind control and even extraordinary rendition) are no less relevant today. But now we hear that Nolan's off the project and it has been turned into a six-part AMC miniseries. So ... be seeing you.

Next page: Remake "Logan's Run"?