{"id":1532012,"date":"2022-06-29T08:19:21","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T12:19:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1532012"},"modified":"2022-06-29T08:19:29","modified_gmt":"2022-06-29T12:19:29","slug":"7-nostalgic-80s-remakes-ranked-with-top-gun-maverick-at-no-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/7-nostalgic-80s-remakes-ranked-with-top-gun-maverick-at-no-1\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Nostalgic \u201980s Remakes Ranked, With \u2018Top Gun: Maverick\u2019 At No. 1"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2F7-nostalgic-80s-remakes-ranked-with-top-gun-maverick-at-no-1%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1532012&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Top-Gun.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p>With record-breaking \u201cTop Gun: Maverick\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2022\/06\/top-gun-maverick-800-million-tom-cruise-biggest-movie-ever-1235047744\/\">on its way<\/a> to earning $1 billion worldwide, the event film from producer-star Tom Cruise has proved itself far beyond 1980s nostalgia. Soaring on high-speed aerial visuals and a sonic experience viewers can\u2019t get at home, it\u2019s driven by a story that has many layers to examine: team dynamics, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/06\/01\/top-gun-maverick-isnt-just-nostalgia-for-the-80s-its-nostalgia-for-american-greatness\/\">military strategy<\/a>, and other deeper themes.<\/p>\n<p>But suits in Hollywood will inevitably use high-flying \u201cMaverick\u201d to chalk up a win for yesteryear\u2019s franchises. Some metrics back them up. On IMDB\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/chart\/moviemeter\/\">MovieMeter<\/a>, rebooted franchises often dominate the top 10, such as recent chart-toppers \u201980s action figure Boba Fett, \u201960s musical \u201cWest Side Story,\u201d and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/03\/17\/the-batman-may-be-worst-bat-film-ever-made\/\">The Batman<\/a>,\u201d a fifth iteration since Tim Burton\u2019s 1989 blockbuster.<\/p>\n<p>Movie studios will inevitably mine intellectual property for \u201980s remakes, some already announced, such as ensemble comedy \u201cClue,\u201d popular toy brand vehicle \u201cMasters of the Universe,\u201d and even forgotten sci-fi flick \u201cFlight of the Navigator\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/10\/14\/home-alone-6-is-definitive-proof-that-hollywood-has-run-out-of-ideas\/\">Disney can\u2019t resist<\/a>.) That\u2019s on top of dozens already produced; those few who saw it are still trying to forget 2016\u2019s all-female \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2016\/08\/12\/the-ghostbusters-post-mortem\/\">Ghostbusters<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nostalgia plays aren\u2019t all cynical, as every story has influences from somewhere. Outside the \u201980s decade, Steven Soderbergh\u2019s \u201cOcean\u2019s 11,\u201d \u201990s rom-com \u201cYou\u2019ve Got Mail,\u201d and even Humphrey Bogart\u2019s \u201cThe Maltese Falcon\u201d are all remakes. Through reimagined stories, filmmakers may revive relevant ideas and genres in <a href=\"https:\/\/pluggedin.focusonthefamily.com\/movies-everything-old-new\/\">cultural memory<\/a> \u2014 often in ways that aren\u2019t just a tired time-capsule.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If film and TV production follow the route of the music industry, where classic hits have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/ideas\/archive\/2022\/01\/old-music-killing-new-music\/621339\/\">far eclipsed<\/a> new artists and songs, it will be cause for concern. For now, a look at recent legacy sequels finds a wide range of hits and misses. Note it\u2019s hardly comprehensive, as it overlooks horror (not my genre), which has seen a couple dozen \u201980s remakes in recent years.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>7. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"9tlgxTQjb2IWsLWuqnPwRQpHem1irlPAF8dL02zCmbkB5GKnvTKoIVj0aSsqchd39y4C3vfEJOMgEMG6UzHYAFU\"><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The Star Wars sequel trilogy, which shoehorned in every possible nostalgia hook <a href=\"https:\/\/birthmoviesdeath.com\/2019\/12\/31\/decoding-the-rise-of-skywalkers-difficult-creative-process\">while failing to plan<\/a> an overall story arc, continues to be panned by most fans. First in the cycle, 2015\u2019s \u201cThe Force Awakens\u201d has some charms as it essentially remakes George Lucas\u2019 1977 original \u201cStar Wars.\u201d Some viewers vocally defend \u201cThe Last Jedi,\u201d which flips many genre tropes (although it\u2019s mostly an anti-male, anti-heroism <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2018\/07\/star-wars-films-cultural-debate-social-justice-politics\/\">mess<\/a>.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With the closing entry, director J.J. Abrams sought to remake \u201980s space-opera blockbuster \u201cReturn of the Jedi.\u201d Emperor Palpatine, the defeated villain from the 1983 film, inexplicably comes back to haunt the new band of heroes. <\/p>\n<p>Battles among hulking spaceships are so big, we can\u2019t fathom what\u2019s going on. And viewers learn Rey is Palpatine\u2019s granddaughter, although she\u2019s dubbed a \u201cSkywalker\u201d in closing minutes. It\u2019s a final push off the cliff for this trainwreck trilogy.<\/p>\n<h2>6. Red Dawn (2012, Amazon Prime)\u00a0<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"MhUISg9euKx213EYB7ljbzV0H\"><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>A sleeper hit about a group of teenagers\u2019 unlikely attempt to ward off a Russian invasion of the American Rockies, 1984\u2019s \u201cRed Dawn\u201d with its Brat Pack cast and campy action exemplified Cold War era sentiments. The ill-advised remake, even with star power like Chris Hemsworth and Adrianne Palicki (\u201cAgents of SHIELD\u201d), will be largely remembered for kowtowing to China.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After the script and production of the 2012 remake cast China as the invading nation, producers realized in editing this could halt release in China. Ergo, Chinese symbols on military uniforms and hardware <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/red-dawn-villains-china-north-korea\/\">were digitally altered<\/a> to North Korea \u2014 but all for naught, since it was still refused a release in China. (U.S. moviegoers agreed with the censors on this one.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>5. The Karate Kid (2010, Hulu)\u00a0<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"J5\"><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In contrast to \u201cRed Dawn,\u201d a reboot of \u201980s classic \u201cThe Karate Kid\u201d had few problems getting into China\u2019s good graces. Thanks to the significant role of Jackie Chan, scenes of kung fu training feature backdrops such as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Yet this Will Smith-produced family flick takes a paint-by-numbers approach to recreating the original.<\/p>\n<p>What should\u2019ve been called \u201cThe Kung Fu Kid\u201d (branding won out despite the lack of karate) gave Jaden Smith, Will\u2019s son, one of his biggest roles. The pacing generally works, the cross-cultural premise keeps it somewhat fresh, and action veteran Chan gets to shine in some scenes. But likely only the biggest fans of current hit show \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/01\/19\/cobra-kai-is-netflixs-no-1-because-its-anti-woke\/\">Cobra Kai<\/a>,\u201d the sequel series that reunites now-adult stars from the \u201980s franchise, will want to seek out this one.<\/p>\n<h2>4. Chip \u2018N Dale Rescue Rangers (2022, Disney Plus)<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"MS4AKHBYrcRNs17fhZx5bG0ya2J\"><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Cheeky and self-referential, this recent comedy works if you\u2019re in the mood for a farcical parody. (Think \u201cThis Is Spinal Tap,\u201d but fewer laughs and appropriate for some pre-teens.) Viewers enter a world where cartoons, who live and work alongside humans, are suddenly disappearing without a trace \u2014 so, yes, it\u2019s a remake of \u201cWho Framed Roger Rabbit\u201d without as much class.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s undeniably fun to see Chip and Dale, originally created by Disney in 1943, playing off each other again and solving a case similar to the one in their 1980s animated show. Hundreds of sly \u201ceaster egg\u201d cameos <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Nl4FTfhpPZo\">pack in references<\/a> to decades of animation history from every studio. <\/p>\n<p>And there\u2019s J.K. Simmons in a lead role, hamming it up and making the film better as he does. Despite humor more mature than necessary at times, nostalgia fest \u201cChip \u2018N Dale\u201d is worth a few laughs.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Dune (2021, HBO Max)<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"P27qgCoVLoap0LvMfU643xYlJHSsWAw6lWcAwB7vIRShUIezTDd8CmGjckrMf2ry1EsORihYpmb58XnqE\"><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>As many chase the Marvel formula for superhero and sci-fi outings, Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve (\u201cArrival,\u201d \u201cSicario\u201d) has carved out a niche telling ponderous stories with scale and visual grandeur. A director of a similar bent, David Lynch, had adapted Frank Herbert\u2019s iconic \u201cDune\u201d novel in 1984. While a cult favorite among some nerds, that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbr.com\/dune-1984-david-lynch-disowned-adaptation\/\">troubled production<\/a> is largely panned for schlocky effects and odd performances.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Villeneuve\u2019s \u201cDune\u201d smartly covers only the novel\u2019s first half, allowing space to digest unfamiliar social, political, and tech environs. Prophecies, interstellar travel, and a desert planet may give off Star Wars vibes, but this plays out on a higher plane. With creativity invested in production design and a standout ensemble cast, space epic \u201cDune\u201d presents a fully realized visual masterpiece even if, emotionally, viewers are left waiting for part two coming next year.<\/p>\n<h2>2. The Equalizer (2014, video on demand)<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"HquyMB4w0vabkmdNmrIJTWU96kBLQDVKb7ASP1jZSp2GfFs9OIJqc2CliKRV5FyoxPdrXzj8RhgE4x5epwG6u\"><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The rare \u201980s franchise that has found success in multiple iterations, \u201cThe Equalizer\u201d has much more going for it than a revenge-action premise. In a role originated on TV by British actor Edward Woodward, former spy Robert McCall has retired from \u201cthe company\u201d and uses his skills in espionage and hand-to-hand combat on behalf of the powerless in New York City.<\/p>\n<p>It took the success of \u201cTaken\u201d starring Liam Neeson, a similar-aged actor, to get Denzel Washington to star as spy-in-hiding McCall, now relocated from New York City to Boston in 2014\u2019s brutally violent \u201cThe Equalizer\u201d and its sequel. \u201cThe Equalizer\u201d showcases Washington\u2019s strengths \u2014 a man of conscience who can pull off scenes of fatherly care towards a drifting young woman minutes before his cold-blooded hit on the trafficking ring that enslaved her. Similar to \u201cDaredevil,\u201d it\u2019s a bloody brand of vigilante justice even as themes ring true.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>1. Top Gun: Maverick (2022, in theaters and soon on Paramount Plus)<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"D5a4H8I0FA7qegT\"><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>How do you top a movie that defined \u201ccool\u201d for a generation? Thirty-six years after \u201cTop Gun,\u201d with its confident crop of rival pilots and sizzling romance, a sequel reunites key elements: Tom Cruise\u2019s magnetic charisma, a story that defines its stakes, polished realism via resourceful producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and visceral aerial combat driven by Cruise\u2019s derring-do attitude.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Jaw-dropping showmanship can obscure what makes this film work. Maverick, despite his many impressive missions, has been relegated to test pilot because he bucks authority. Two old friends help the cocky pilot progress. His reignited love interest Penny (Jennifer Connelly) sees past his tough-guy routine and gives Maverick a reason to return from a treacherous mission.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Then former pilot rival \u201cIceman\u201d (Val Kilmer), now Pacific Fleet commander, expresses the film\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/providencemag.com\/2022\/06\/maverick-message-top-gun\/\">heart of service<\/a> and sacrifice. Mirroring their characters\u2019 35-year-friendship, Cruise and Kilmer, who has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/movies\/story\/2022-06-14\/val-kilmer-explains-top-gun-maverick-iceman\">suffered in recent years with throat cancer<\/a>, share only one brief scene together, but the meaning and mutual respect captured in it give \u201cTop Gun: Maverick\u201d its beating heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<p>\n  Josh Shepherd covers culture, faith, and public policy for several media outlets including The Stream. His articles have appeared in Christianity Today, Religion &#038; Politics, Faithfully Magazine, Religion News Service, and Providence Magazine. A graduate of the University of Colorado, he previously worked on staff at The Heritage Foundation and Focus on the Family. Josh and his wife live in the Washington, D.C. area with their two children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With record-breaking \u201cTop Gun: Maverick\u201d on its way to earning $1 billion worldwide, the event film from producer-star Tom Cruise has proved itself far beyond 1980s nostalgia. Soaring on high-speed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":626,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1532012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1532012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/626"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1532012"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1532012\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1532012"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1532012"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1532012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}