Has Hollywood run out of original ideas? Eight of the summer’s biggest grossing movies were remakes of older films or television shows. Here is a list of some:

The box-office hit “War of the Worlds” was a remake of a 1953 classic, which was remade from the famous Orson Welles radio broadcast, and even that was ripped from the 1901 H.G. Wells book!

“Herbie: Fully Loaded”…There have been so many “Herbie” movies, even Micky Dolenz (of band “The Monkees”) and Bruce Campbell (of Evil Dead fame) have been in one. Here are the years that had a “Herbie” movie released: ’68, ’74, ’77, and ’80, ’81, ’82, ’97, and the current one, ’05. Did we really need another “Herbie”? Didn’t the first seven movies say enough?

I personally, was very surprised when I found out how poorly “The Honeymooners,” with Cedric the Entertainer, performed at the box-office, considering it was a remake of the ’50s television show!

The film that many loved, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” was a remake from the 1971 classic, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Gene Wilder was funny, while Johnny Depp was just creepy. They could have re-titled this film “What if Michael Jackson Owned a Chocolate Factory?”

Finally, here is a quick list of films that were old television shows, old movies or sequels.

“The Longest Yard” (remake of 1974 film)

“Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith” (sequel)

“The Amityville Horror” (remake of 1979 film)

“xXx: State of the Union” (sequel with a different main star)

“George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead” (sequel to a series that ended in ’85)

“Batman Begins” (sequel/remake only Batman film done right)

“Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (remake of 1941 film)

“Bewitched” (film version of ’60’s television show)

“Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo” (sequel)

“The Dukes of Hazzard” (film version of ’70’s television show)

Before going to the theatres, ask yourself, could I rent a better version of this movie for less money?