Current Events > It's funny how a remake can change the perception of a rivalry.

(+) Yeah! (+)

These aren't real spoilers. Keep your finger off the button.

A movie is made. The villain is a serious foe, but he's twice defeated by the hero without any victories on his end. With respect to the villain's ability, the final score is 2 and 0 in favor of the hero.

Now comes the remake:

* If the villain gets a victory over the hero at some point, then they are two equal foes battling it out and the hero wins in the end primarily because he's the star. The villains' cumulative losses in the earlier version were simply reflective of that film being made back when the good guys always won. (Even though that was never actually a thing in fiction.)

* If the villain fights the hero once and loses, the villain is still respected but victory over the hero remains out of the villain's grasp as it did in the earlier version of the story.

* If the villain fights the hero multiple times, and loses each time as he did in the original version, then the villain is sheer foil for the hero. Yesterday, today, or tomorrow, it seems like the hero will always triumph whenever these two meet. Even if the remake is a straight retelling of the original story.

This is, of course, with regards to those who have seen both versions of a story. To those who have only seen one version, that version is the story in its entirety.

Interesting topic, especially this bit.

Skye Reynolds posted...

This is, of course, with regards to those who have seen both versions of a story. To those who have only seen one version, that version is the story in its entirety.

The topic was inspired by Peter Pan. It's Captain Hook's backstory that he lost his hand to Peter, so he enters each interpretation with a loss on his record. Whether he gains a victory over the hero, and whether he's treated as menace or foil, depends on where the story goes from there.

Disney's Peter Pan
Captain Hook is defeated twice in the film. (Thrice including the encounter which took place before the film.)

TriStar's Hook
Captain Hook defeats and captures Peter Pan, now an amnesiac adult, before losing to him in the finale.