credit: Ghost
Channing Tatum is trying to remake Ghost, and it’s hard to know how to feel about this. Honestly, remakes and reboots will happen, so that’s no longer an issue. The only real question left is how each new representation will perform.
In its initial run, Ghost did quite well. It was one of the most popular movies of 1990 and was nominated for several awards. There’s no doubt that it’s a dated movie thanks to the technology and special effects. But what one has to wonder is if updating it is going to give it the same feeling.
One thing to remember is that back in the day, Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze were two of the biggest names in Hollywood. Even now, many people remember Swayze as one of the greatest actors of his time. Swayze passed in 2009 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, but his legacy has lived on through his fans.
credit: Ghost
Updating the story doesn’t feel like much of a risk
After 30+ years, this story could be updated without too much risk. It wasn’t so insanely complicated that it would require an entirely different look or feel. There are a few things that need to be changed, as several elements have changed. But the core of the story should adapt nicely to the modern era.
Ghost was a popular story in the 90s since it was a romance but also a revenge story. While the plot wasn’t heavily focused on Sam Wheaton (Swayze) getting revenge, it was still designed to let Sam protect his girlfriend, Molly (Moore). When their crooked friend attempts to steal banking codes to deliver laundered money to several drug dealers, Sam takes it upon himself to stop him.
The development of this story was interesting since it had humor and drama. It also had a bit of horror mixed in since the demonic things that are seen to take sinners were kind of creepy.
The special effects should probably be kept fairly simple
It does feel that the effects were kept simple to preserve the story in 1990. The same principle should likely be applied if Tatum wants to satisfy this movie’s fans. There’s no doubt that the effects can benefit from a few improvements. The 90s were already advancing in the effects department but were still fairly simple compared to today’s effects.
However, focusing too much on the effects might hurt this story. If the overall plot is meant to come through, it does feel that this movie should go light on the effects. In this way, the story can take precedence.
credit: The Lost City
Tatum’s list of accomplishments has been impressive in recent years
Trying to think that Tatum is the right guy for this role isn’t too hard. He’s not the same caliber as Swayze back in the day, but he’s one of the best-loved actors of the modern era that could pull this off. Many fans think highly of him, so it’s fair to think he could make this work.
He’s also shown that he has range as an actor over the years, which makes it easier to accept him as a serious performer. Channing has shown that he can do drama, comedy, action, and anything else he needs. Seeing him as Sam Wheaton or another character perhaps doesn’t sound like such a bad thing. In this movie, though, it does need to be pointed out that he should probably come off as the average guy.
Sam Wheaton wasn’t an expert fighter like Dalton from Road House, nor was he the same type of character seen in Point Break or Next of Kin. Unlike several of Swayze’s characters, Sam was pretty down to earth.
Any changes that are made need to be minor
Tatum has mentioned that there might need to be a few changes. That’s fair, as the movie is old enough that it needs a few updates. But changing too much could detract from the main point of the story. Hopefully, the idea that this is a remake will pay attention to the idea that fans want to see a faithful rendering.
Remakes and reboots are going to change things around a bit. This is a fact many fans understand. But if Tatum desires to remake Ghost, it’s a hope that he’ll understand what fans want to see.