Sam L. Jackson + Kevin Spacey = EPIC!



I saw True Grit lately, both on DVD for the old version and at the movie for the new version.I'd say that was a fair analysis of the two movies DJ. Especially regarding the music part.
I've always thought that music played an important part of a movie. Movies like Bagger Vance, Glory, and Rudy come to mind where music really made the story complete. The music in the old TG movie blew away the modern version. One scene where music is so important is when late in the movie, Rooster is racing to save the girl after being bit by a rattler. The original music was very moving and you could see where Rooster cared to save the girl. On the new version, for basically the same scene, the music was not there, and therefore the scene wasn't nearly as dramatic. You could tell that Bridges cared, but because a lack of quality music, the scene was far less dramatic and far less moving.
John Wayne is an iconic movie star and some feel the TG was his iconic role. Poor Jeff Bridges, who is one of my favorite actors, just couldn't beat out the Duke. Great try, but the Duke is 'THE DUKE'. If the new version was the only version, I could buy Bridges as Rooster, but it's not.
Kim Darby was very good as the girl, but Hailee Steinfeld was so much better in the new version.
Glen Campbell was a joke as the Texas Ranger, while Matt Damon carried the role far better. Campbell was a singer, Damon is an actor, and it showed.
Barry Pepper/Robert Duvall both were good so I call a draw here. Josh Brolin was a far better Tom Chaney versus the original.
The ending was completely different and many points go to the original ending, the new version was not even close. As a matter of fact I hated the new ending, no matter that the new ending was by the book.
Like The Longest Yard, the remakes of these iconic movies are very difficult to do. Both TLY and TG have things about both movies that the new versions also shine, but at the end of the day, it's hard to beat an original, when the original is a great movie. Originally Posted by DEAR_JOHN