Rehashing old ideas

Before its release, Tim Burton's "The Corpse Bride" looked promising. Burton had provided a stellar cast, Danny Elfman composed a distinctive musical score, and the stop-motion animation appeared even more high-tech than "The Nightmare Before Christmas."

Those elements were undoubtedly in place. However, what "Corpse Bride" gained in effects, it lacked in soul. The plot meandered, the jokes were trite and characters were never really developed. In fact, the entire claymation cast was a grab-bag of minimally reshaped characters from "Nightmare," thrown together at the last minute just to put something out. The movie proved to be quite a letdown, especially because Burton had an entire decade to rethink it.

The cloud of disappointment that now looms over Burton is the weather pattern for many film directors of late. There seems to be a recent trend in Hollywood where normally respectable moviemakers are pumping out remakes and adaptations with as little creativity as possible.

Maybe this is just a grim year for fairy tales. Terry Gilliam, creator of cinematic gems like "Time Bandits," "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "Monty Python's Flying Circus," recently hit stagnant water with "The Brothers Grimm."

In theory, the movie is a collection of classic Grimm fairy tales coming to life, weaving in and out of the brothers' own personal adventures. However, the plot was non-existent, the jokes were crude and out of place in a mystical tale, and the excessive special effects would have been impressive five years ago.

Not all the blame can fall on Gilliam's shoulders. Apparently Miramax had been pressuring him for several years to make the movie more mainstream. The result was trashy, half-assed mishmash of bad comedy and meaningless action that marred the name of the famous sibling writers.

Rehashed ideas seem to plague the movie industry right now. Roman Polanski's latest release "Oliver Twist" is dry and uninspiring. The movie tries to follow the book too closely, leaving little room for Polanski's quirky touch.

The Dickens classic had already been adapted for the screen in 1948 by David Lean and as the musical "Oliver!" in 1968 by Carol Reed. Even Disney took a piece of the glory with "Oliver and Company." So why would Polanski bother recycling an already overused classic without adding his personal flair?

When a director plans to remake a classic novel or movie, they need to put time and careful thought into it. Adrian Lyne's adaptation of " Lolita" and Peter Jackson's version of "Lord of the Rings" were gripping and thorough. Polanski himself struck a chord with the darkly humorous adaptation of Shakespeare's "Macbeth."

Maybe Roman Polanski just needs to retire from cinema. At the age of 72, he has a very respectable track record; there's no need to go out with a fizzle.

In Tim Burton's case, "Corpse Bride" may have been shoddy because he was simultaneously working on "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," another example of a hastily assembled remake lacking in soul. Though Johnny Depp's character was springy and contained Michael Jackson-like quirkiness, the directing didn't hold a candle to the warmth of Mel Stuarts's 1971 adaptation, nor did the recent movie have the soul of other Burton classics like "Edward Scissorhands" or "Sleepy Hollow."

Another sign of shoddy rehashing: Depp took the main role in both "Corpse Bride" and "Willy Wonka." He's been swimming in the mainstream ever since everyone and their mother discovered that he looked hot as a pirate with eyeliner. Though Depp is an incredible actor, his recent popularity signals the most important reason for poor and hasty remakes: money.

"Corpse Bride" bedroom sets and talking two-foot Willy Wonka figures are already falling off the shelves (and really, what does one exactly do with a two-foot Wonka doll?). It seems as if Tim Burton has sold out to big-name business-ironic, considering that he normally steers away from the mainstream.

Be it corporate pressure, running dry of ideas or sniffing out a buck, the recent remakes and adaptations seem to be relying on stale ideas. The fallen film directors aren't completely hopeless, they just need to take a sabbatical for a few years and come back with something refreshing and original.