Newsflash: Hollywood is out of Ideas There are some movies that you do not reboot. But Hollywood is desperate.
Disagree?
Try to find something on Netflix aimed at the average IQ. If you said "Baby Boss", keep looking. Better yet, go take a nap.
I do not think the 1973 version of "Papillon" is on anyone's Top Ten List. It's too much to endure.
The original is filthy. It's desperate. Dark. Ugly. Brutal. Disturbing. Sweaty.
It's not a movie you want to watch more than a few times, because it cuts.
Comparitively, the remake is almost sexy (with Charlie Hunan's ripped physique), and has a "day at the beach" feel to it (despite taking place in one of the most brutal penal colonies in recorded history).
Look no further than the solitary confinement sequences.
Barring a few gray hairs, Hunan's "Papillon" emerges none the worse for wear. Mentally, not only does he emerge intact, but borderline witty.
Steve McQueen's "Papi" is dragged out ashen, teeth rotting, voice shot, shaken to his core.
But don't blame Hunan. He's too pretty for the part. Did anyone buy his performance as "Jacks" in "Sons of Anarchy"? The tough biker?
Steve McQueen can out-rugged anybody. By the end, you wonder how his character is still alive-- let alone escaping.
The scenery and overall vibe is unconvincing. People who spent time in French New Guinea never looked as good as these fellas.
If they were to make a Disney attraction called "Papillon", this version of the movie would be the model. It's safe.
The original is far too disturbing, and probably a bit much for our "Baby Boss" society.
I guess they will attempt an "Exorcist" remake next. Hollywood wouldn't... Would they?