There is just no getting around it… The Dirty Dozen is just one hell of a movie. A man’s man movie. A film really reflective of a different era, but breathtaking nonetheless even today. I didn’t see The Dirty Dozen for the first time until about 5 years ago, and my jaw just hung open almost he entire time. It’s not the type of movie you can do today… well… at least not right.
Word has been going around (and apparently now confirmed) that Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch) is taking the big chair to direct the Dirty Dozen remake. Our friends over at IESB give us the following:
The British Master of Bullets and Cheeky Bastards is set to round up a Dozen Dirty men and lead them off into combat. ImageWhile promoting the US Release of Revolver Guy confirmed a few quick items to our IESB crew.
1. He confirmed the rumor that he’s the man taking The Dirty Dozen to the lens.
I LOVE Ritchie as a director, and the original Dirty Dozen is magnificent, and I’m generally ok with doing remakes… but this doesn’t fit. First of all, the script doesn’t happen in World War 2…it happens in modern day where a group of Islamist extremists kiddnap some girl, and a rich daddy recruits a bunch of convicts to rescue her with the promise of freedom if they survive the mission. WHAT?!?!
More than most people I understand and appreciate the need for contextual adaptation… but this is NOT The Dirty Dozen. The pulse… nay… THE LIFE BLOOD of the original was its characters, its misogynist, bigoted, vulgar, balls hanging out characters and I’m sorry, but in a modern context you’ll NEVER be able to do those characters right. The guys in The Dirty Dozen made the Spartans in 300 look like a bunch of pussies. And they’re off to rescue a girl?!?!?! Please. In the original their mission was simple… GO KILL LOTS OF NAZIS YOU BAD ASSES!
I’m fine with remakes… but this is no remake. This is just another movie with the same title and one shared concept (prisoners offered freedom if they do something risky). And even with Guy Ritchie at the helm, I don’t have any faith in a project like this.
I think that the Dirty Dozen should be left alone. The calibre of stars in the original cannot be matched today. The setting IS the film. It has to be a WWII film not some lamo terrorist/extremist crap! And what’s with some damsel-in-distress action!? I mean really! The dozen are supposed to hardened criminals who commited all sorts of horrible acts, not the kind that generally say “well, okay. Your poor little girl is in trouble, we’ll go get her just make sure you let us go afterwards.” They would be more likely to say: “Sorry for you, but we really don’t give a rat’s ass, now let us go or we’ll kill you!”
Dumb Idea.
Fist of all Hollywood needs more originality – stop the freaking remakes. Second, if you’re going to remake something you kinda have to stick to the original idea right? The producers are probably thinking that they need to update it for today’s teenage audience. They are probably betting that no one is going to remember the original one (made in 1967 I believe). Do you satisfy the fans of the original movie or do you think “re imagining” it will bring in more dollars?
I’d rather just see them kill lots of people and be completey bad ass motherfuckers lol.
As for Inglorious Bastards if that ever gets made by Tarantino its essitianly going to be a remake. His style is one of paying tribute to movies and if he does make it prolly going to be a remake of The Dirty Dozen. Tarantino even said it himself that Inglorious Bastards would be his version of the Dirty Dozen.
Ron Perlman for the LEE MARVIN Role.
Did you check out the hair-do Perlman had going in DUNGEON SIEGE? His attitude, size and potential coiffure opportunities DEMAND this.
Besides He can join the Uwe Boll / Guy Richie crossover club currently occupied by Jason Statham and Ray Liotta.
Also, with Quentin Tarantino’s “INGLORIOUS BASTARDS” still being mentioned frequently…seems like Ritchie really wants to be known as the ‘tarantino wannabe’ he is often labelled as…
oi!
Sounds ridiculas, and I think Guy Richie has proved himself to be a one trick pony, outside of his very small genre, he dosent have a clue, and the story for this sounds extremely poor.
remakes are just that, leftovers ‘cooked’ with modern technology. I think “re-imaging,” which, I’ll be the first to admit is a silly ‘modern’ term, is probably a better direction to take a project like this. John is right, the characters are the key. Guy is a man with vision and someone who has made a career out of creating likable, over the top characters. I think he may be just the man to lend some credibility and direction to a project like this. To me, this seems like a step in the right direction.