After a wave of ’80s reboots,’ 90s movies are making a comeback. It was the dawn of CGI, the colors were brighter, and the internet and home viewing was changing the way movies were viewed and even produced.
Editors discussed which ’90s movies most deserve a new treatment in the 21st century. From kitschy Halloween classics and sci-fi parodies to a John Hughes romantic comedy, there are a wide variety of movies out there that deserve a second chance.
As Redditor @la_vida_loca points out, The shadow is’ 90s fun that needs to be restarted. Lamont Cranston (Alec baldwin), a billionaire playboy, becomes a superhero with the powers of near-invisibility and hypnosis after learning his powers from a Tibetan holy man. He returns to New York, taking on a vigilante alter ego and ultimately saving the world.
He’s been criticized for his lack of strong storytelling, as well as his little aged racial stereotypes, but @la_vida_loca may be right, saying that reframing the film as a country pamphlet of superhero features would be exactly what The shadow must revitalize it. A billionaire playboy with a sidekick who only exists to be a feast for the eyes, a villain who shows up in a sarcophagus, throws knives and car chases; As ridiculous as the original movie was, it has the potential to be an entertaining reboot.
A cult classic with Arnold schwarzenegger, @asecuredlife offers Heroes of the last action. Transported by a magic ticket in the universe of an action film, a young boy helps the character of Schwarzenegger (arguably one of his best performances) realize that his world is fictional and defeat a mob boss and his henchmen. The film is an action genre satire, which has changed and grown since the 90s. A reboot could now feature a futuristic or fantasy setting, which is becoming more and more popular in the genre, and @asecuredlife also features ” anchor a reboot around the filmography of a specific actor, such as Christian Bale.
@khamuncens disputes The mask, a superhero comedy that was “meant to be a horror movie”. When a goofy, cartoon-obsessed bank teller finds a mask that gives him power over his appearance and surroundings, he unleashes a vengeful rampage on anyone who has ever hurt him. He gets tangled up with a crime boss who sets out to put an end to his misdeeds. Even if The mask is an excellent comedy with a great cast (including Jim carrey and Cameron diaz), @khamuncens points out that in the comics the story is based on, the mask is used by many different characters and shows the nuances of psychological disorders. A reboot could develop those ideas, and the concept of the weak finally gaining strength and the psychological erosion that it can cause would make it an intriguing thriller.
A romantic comedy directed by John Hugues, the “good-for-nothing” Jim Dodge (Frank whaley) is forced by his father to work as a night porter at Target. He’s locked up with a rich girl who was trying to shoplift, and they fall in love and repel a heist. @ Million2026 says “I think the premise is great.” Full of signature Hughes humor and the characters’ entertaining antics, it’s a light-hearted film that has the potential to deepen a conversation about class, equality, and family. A contemporary setting could also update some of the more negative stereotypes and attitudes that are sadly pervasive in Hughes’ works.
@outforascroll compliments the story of Johnny Mnemonic, but deplores its “campy atmosphere”. The cyberpunk thriller would benefit from an effects update, but the story has strong bones and a reboot could certainly have mass appeal. Set in 2021, the world is controlled by mega-corporations that use humans to transport sensitive data through brain implants. Johnny (Keanu reeves) flees the Yakuza as he seeks to deliver one last data transmission before it destroys his mind.
With the technosphere being even larger today than in the 1990s, a reboot could focus on cyberethics. Megacorporations profiting from human suffering also seem to be a relevant topic, and although Johnny Mnemonic entered the history of cinema as a total failure, mainly due to a lack of technological knowledge and an uncontrollable budget. A contemporary Johnny Mnemonic could offer a critical perspective in the Information Age, and yet another Keanu Reeves appearance the world is still grateful for.
An underrated queer campy comedy, To Wong Foo, thank you for everything! Julie newmar is offered by @LisaChimes. Three New York drag queens find themselves stranded in a small town after their car breaks down on their way to a competition, and they are forced to hide their biological sex for fear of backlash. They make themselves loved by the inhabitants of the small town, teaching them to strut and defend themselves. Queer representation has evolved considerably since the 1990s, as has popular culture influenced by the drag community. Rebooted with some of the stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the film could be a funny and tender exploration of trans and queer identities, internalized homophobia, and the connectivity available to all of us when we put our prejudices aside.
@fma_nobody lists Galaxy Quest, among other movies, like The One That Needs a Reboot. It’s an outrageous comedy and a sci-fi parody, especially Star Trek. The cast of a sci-fi soap opera find themselves in space, forced to defend Earth and aliens from a terrorizing warlord. It has a cult following and features a stunning cast (Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, and Alan rickman).
A reboot could improve effects and humor, as well as experiment with a new cast of characters. Reboot plans were reportedly halted in 2016, following Rickman’s tragic death, and again in 2018, however, the cast remains positive about future developments.
According to @ ggroover97, Spawn was one of many underwhelming superhero movies of the 1990s. They criticize the film’s “laughable” CGI and script. One of the first great African American comic book superheroes to hit the screen, Spawn follows an American Marine who dies in Hell, then returns to Earth, after making a deal with demonic forces to help usher in Armageddon. Following his evolution towards the rejection of his desire for revenge in favor of a justice of self-defense, Spawn had potential as a dark and gritty antihero story, but the 1997 film failed to strike the right chord. A reboot was offered, but stalled and lacked support from the original star of Spawn, Michael Jai White. Still, with the right script, a reboot could offer a more fleshed out antihero and incorporate more spooky aspects of Catholic and Christian mysticism, in the same way that Midnight Mass used religious fanaticism as the basis of its horror.
Like a more disturbing asset Eternal Tuck, two longtime rivals go head-to-head for a potion of immortality, clinging to their fading glory and beauty. @[deleted] proposed a restart of Death becomes her, with a new director and a new twist in history. While the premise is intriguing and the film starts off strong, the story quickly tapers off and the effects are jarring. Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, and Goldie hawn also gave surprisingly one-dimensional performance; the film wobbles at the edge of thematic clarity but fails quite to assert its intentions, and those it does are presented in such crass fashion that it seems parabolic. A reboot could modernize the story and give new actors a chance to bring more dimension to lifelong rivals; maybe a romantic obsession with a dynamic similar to that of Kill Eve.
With Hocus pocus getting a sequel in 2022, another Halloween classic needs to be updated, according to @ UV-SkillCityProds, who would love to see a Halloween town restart with the original cast (Debbie Reynolds, unfortunately, passed away in 2016). A young girl discovers that she is a witch and opens a portal to the magical land of “Halloweentown”, filled with ghosts and ghouls of all kinds. It’s a disney channel Original, with a ridiculously heartwarming story but too old-fashioned acting and effects to have much appeal beyond nostalgia. The franchise already has several sequels, and the nostalgia won’t be enough to sustain a reboot. Yes Halloween town could be updated with thrills and higher stakes, it could become a Halloween classic not only for its loyal fan base, but with mass appeal.
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