Posted by blacksuicide on IMDB, December 12, 2012

The Original VS The Remake: Which one is better? Which movie should I watch?

RESPONSES

by greg-233, Thu Dec 13 2012 , IMDb member since November 1999

I saw the 1978 remake first. I prefer it to the 1956 version, but they're both good in their own way. The 1978 film does seem creepier.

by creatorof2002, Thu Dec 13 2012, IMDb member since June 2006

Um... you said THE remake, are you aware that it has been remade THREE times? there is also a 1993 version just called "Body Snatchers" with the word "invasion" removed and a 2007 version with Nicole Kidman just called "The Invasion" with the words "body snatchers" removed.

That being said if you are comparing the 1956 to the 1978 version I have 2 opinions: The 1978 version is better OVERALL (better character development, creepier, better special fx) but I prefer the ENDING to the original (I prefer an ending with some hope for the main hero)

by blacksuicide, Thu Dec 13 2012 , IMDb member since July 2012

Yeah... I did know there are other remakes but the 1978 version is the most common one and I heard the others didnt do well, as expected. Thnx, though.

by IrinaOma, Sat Jan 3 2015, IMDb member since January 2010

The 1978 version is better OVERALL (better character development, creepier, better special fx) but I prefer the ENDING to the original (I prefer an ending with some hope for the main hero)

I like and respect your opinion. By the way, the original film had 2 endings. Many fans claim that the "bad" ending would be better. Anyway, do you think Veronica Cartwright's character couldn't survive?? I still think she had a chance to escape

by arihansson-1, Tue Jun 2 2015, IMDb member since August 2003

And technically, they're not actually remakes. They're different adaptions of the original novel, just like Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory isn't a remake but a different adaption of Roald Dahl's original book.

You can even argue that the 1978 version is actually a sequel, based on a certain scene in the movie.

by Cult_of_Kibner, Mon Feb 15 2016, IMDb member since August 2012

And technically, they're not actually remakes. They're different adaptions of the original novel

The only one based exclusively on the original novel is the 1956 version. The rest of them take at least as much material from the previous movies as they do from the novel. In fact it's hard to tell if the screenwriters of the 1993 and 2007 versions even read it at all.

by Dan_Garten, Tue Mar 22 2016, IMDb member since June 2003

Interesting thread.

by RustyShackleworth, Sun Feb 5 2017, IMDb member since May 2003

I'll go along with that. They are both good films for their time. The 1978 version means more to me since I saw it in the theater when it came out. I did watch and enjoy the original on TV as a kid.

by Keremy-Jyle, Wed Apr 16 2014, IMDb member since August 2002

Almost agree with you....

1978 > 1956 > 1993 > 2007

The original is excellent.

The '78 film is awesome.

The '93 film is flawed but still great.

The 2007 film is crap.

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by fatpie42, Tue Jun 24 2014, IMDb member since October 2003

50s original is the best one. Better paced and more streamlined story.

Also they've sort of the tied them together, so you could treat the 70s one as a sequel if you wanted to.

by IrinaOma, Sat Jan 3 2015, IMDb member since January 2010

My Top is:

1. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
2. Body Snatchers (1993)
3. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
4. The Invasion (2007)

by KongHalvdan1983, Sun Jan 18 2015 , IMDb member since February 2011

I love the original, but I'll go with the 1978 version anyday. It is just such a damn great horror flick.

Didn't care much for Body Snatchers and I absolutely hated The Invasion.

by DYouKnowWhatIMean, Sun May 10 2015, IMDb member since April 2010

I like The Faculty the best which is basically the same movie. Invasion was good, I don't know why it gets hate. And this one is good too, albeit a bit different from the other two.

Never seen the 50's version or the 90's version. Don't really care to.

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by Herreken, Mon Jul 25 2016, IMDb member since July 2004

I don't know why I always forget about The Faculty whenever the Body Snatcher movies are mentioned but you're right, it is the same type of movie. I like them all except for The Invasion.

by reece-26, Tue Jun 23 2015, IMDb member since September 2006

Watch both!

Note that the '78 version is closer to the original 1956 conception than the 1956 version! In the 1956 version the explanatory/reassuring prologue, epilogue and voice-over narration were added well after the original cut.

Also, as someone who's lived in the Bay Area since the 60's I trip out over the real estate angle of the locations! You have bunch of borderline hippies living in what are now $2-3M places. Etc.

by ObscureAuteur, Wed Mar 30 2016, IMDb member since January 2001

You should watch both, but mentally remove the prologue and epilogue from the original that were added on by studio demand not intended by screen writer Mainwaring, or director, Siegel. After all, the original is a mere 80 minutes, that will not be wasted. This is one of the very few instances when a good movie stands equally well in both versions.

Aside from purely technical things when improved technology and a bigger budget in real dollars are the difference, there a few things to prefer in the new version. One is that it effectively portrays in action and dialogue everything that the original accomplished with voice over narration. Another is the uncompromising definite ending. The intended ending (minus the tacked on parts, bursting with familiar faces) in the original was fine, leaving only a thin thread of hope for mankind.

by outerrimstudio, Fri Jul 29 2016, IMDb member since June 2016

Both are great films for different reasons. The 1978 version is my favorite, but I love the original also.

by shermandemetrius, Thu Jan 5 2017, IMDb member since February 2012

One thing we must keep in mind is that the director of the original version wanted very much to film the original dark ending where Miles is yelling You're Next at cars. The studio tacked on the hospital scene to give a more upbeat ending.

In the later version, they filmed a dark ending like the original director wanted.