Classic War Films That Need a Reboot

Seemingly every other movie these days is a superhero flick or remake, but there is one classic genre that doesn't often get the updated treatment—the war film. Some of the greatest cinematic masterpieces have been war movies, but imagine them with a 21st-century update? The special effects for the battle scenes alone would be worth checking out.

However, not all of these are all-time greats, but rather films that would be much more timely and relevant today, with a little touching up. With better technology, some of these old movies would look miles better, and that alone should get content-starved Hollywood paying attention. See the classic war films that need a reboot here.

The Dirty Dozen was one of the biggest box office hits of the 1960s, and is widely considered a classic of the WWII sub-genre. The original film starred some of Hollywood's biggest names at the time, and imagine how big of a monster the remake would be if it was full of current A-list actors?

With tons of action and dark humor, The Dirty Dozen would play especially well today, and it's definitely one of those war films that need a reboot. In the film, Maj. John Reisman recruits military death-row convicts for a suicide mission, deep in Nazi-occupied France. With today's technology, the special effects could be amped up, and it could be a watchable version of The Expendables.

Dr. Strangelove is an absurdly dark comedy about impending nuclear disaster. At the time the film was made, war with the Soviet's was thought possible at anytime—The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred just two years prior.

It could be done as a straight remake or updated for today's geopolitical climate—scary! With the shaky at best president we have, and a Nuclear North Korea (and eventually Iran), the film would certainly cut close to real life. Maybe an absurd film is what we all need, and for that reason it's one of the classic war films that need a reboot.

WarGames was a movie ahead of its time, and what it had to say about technology might be better understood today than at the time of its release in 1983. The plot revolves around a kid who hacks into a government supercomputer and starts a game called "global thermonuclear war." The only problem is—the game is real.

At the time, this stuff could be mostly laughed off, but with what happened to our recent election, we are starting to see our sacred institutions aren't as secure as we once thought. It could be revamped in a number of ways, but it is clearly one of those war films that need a reboot.

The Longest Day is one of those movies all film buffs should see, and it's also among the classic war films that need a reboot. It's an old school war movie starring the likes of legendary John Wayne. The longest day they are referring to is D-Day, or the invasion of Normandy.

Remade, it could be amazing for IMAX and other high-definition screens. Get a couple modern day titans and an all-star director, and I believe you'd have a hit on your hands.

While I'm not sure there is anyone in Hollywood quite as cool as the late Steve McQueen, a remake of The Great Escape has rare award-winning blockbuster written all over it. The film is an epic adventure about a group of Allied POWs that attempts one of the biggest escapes from a German prison camp, during WWII.

Based on a true story, the film has it all in is one of the classic war films that need a reboot. It has comedy and camaraderie in the first half, and then the escape in the second half has the energy of a great heist film. It's the perfect balance for a great film.

All Quiet on the Western front is one of the most influential anti-war films ever made; a remake of the 1930 classic is long overdue. In the original film that won two Academy Awards, a young soldier faces profound disillusionment and questions the meaning of life.

It's one of the war films that need a reboot because it covers issues that are always relevant. It could be a straight remake or updated for a more modern conflict with enhanced special effects; but either way, it's the type of film we all could use more of.

As far as movie remakes go, The Bridge on the River Kwai is a perfect candidate. Prisoners of war led by an obsessive Colonel are forced to build a strategic bridge that, at the same time, Allied forces are trying to destroy.

It's an epic film about the absurd wastefulness of war, and is one of those classic war films that need a reboot. The film also won seven Oscars and is widely considered one of the greatest movies ever made.

The inspiration for the classic sitcom, M.A.S.H. is definitely among the war films that need a reboot. The movie and the show were always hilarious, and held nothing back when commenting on the pointlessness of war.

The movie is about the staff of a Korean War field hospital who use humor and pranks to keep their sanity in the face of the horrors of war. It took home one Academy Award and stars Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, and Tom Skerritt.

Widely considered the turning point in the Pacific during WWII, Midway should be remade for a modern audience. One of the main reasons this is one of the classic war films that need a reboot is because nobody knows much about the Pacific Theatre.

Generally, the Nazis are the nemesis in WWII flicks, and it's rare to see a great film about the Pacific. Remaking a great one like Midway would go a long way to righting that wrong.

Kelly's Heroes is a classic about American soldiers who sneak across enemy lines to get their hands on a secret stash of Nazi treasure. It has an all-star cast including Clint Eastwood and Don Rickles, and it's one of the classic war films that need a reboot.

They find out about the treasure when a drunken soldier spills the beans, and Kelly plans for himself and a few of his fellow soldiers to slip into enemy territory, and steal it all. It has a good bit of comedy and heist film aspects, and it would be great to see on the big screen, once again.