Remakes of classic films tend to make bad movies. If the original were such a classic movie, why not just watch the original? However, some remakes are able to rise above their source material and stand as good movies in their own right. A successful remake will take the source material and contribute new aspects to it-new characters, new plot events and different takes on established events. \Ocean's Eleven"" did this, as did the recent ""Dawn of the Dead."" ""The Ladykillers,"" a remake of the 1955 Alec Guinness film, is another addition to this group, succeeding as both a remake and a stand-alone movie.
The only aspects taken from the original ""Ladykillers"" are the title and the basic premise. A Southern professor, Goldthwait Higginson Dorr (Tom Hanks), talks his way into renting the basement of Marva Munson (Irma P. Hall), a widower whose only cares are church and her new kitten, Pickles. He claims he will be using the space so his band of musicians can practice their classical music. It turns out that Dorr is actually planning on using the basement to tunnel into a casino's vault and lift $1.6 million.?? The plan becomes complicated when Munson catches on, and the title alludes to the new plan.
A considerable amount of talent went into making this film on both sides of the camera.??The directing team of Joel and Ethan Coen is behind the camera, and they adapted the story as well. After the bland ""The Man Who Wasn't There"" and the horrible ""Intolerable Cruelty,"" ""The Ladykillers"" represents a return to form for the Coens.
There is an inherent darkness to making a movie about killing an old lady, but the Coens are able to pull it off with a very lighthearted approach. The dark humor works because the villains are inept- they are more likely to go off on a tangent about irritable bowel syndrome than they are to actually attempt their murders.
On the other side of the camera is the considerable talent of Tom Hanks. He normally plays the everyman facing up against extraordinary events, and it is obvious he is delighted to be playing against character in this movie. He plays the villain, an unsavory character and, unlike his character in ""Road to Perdition,"" there is no redeeming side to him. Hanks injects a sense of insanity into Dorr by making use of a clich??d Southern accent, a ridiculous laugh and over the top mannerisms.??A sense of glee can be seen in Hanks' eyes whenever he's on screen-it's like he is saying ""Yes, I am Tom Hanks and I am playing the bad guy. Isn't that great?""
The only real problem is that the movie ends too early. This might be because the light-hearted pace moves the plot along at a brisk speed, but there is also a feeling of incompleteness. Several plot lines get built up and then just end without a satisfying conclusion. There is little resolution and the ending feels like a cop-out. Including just one more scene between Dorr and Munson would have helped to flesh out a better conclusion.
Despite the rushed ending, ""The Ladykillers"" is a good movie. The acting, writing and directing are all top-notch.??This remake is definitely able to stand on its own.
