Josh Brolin’s Most Embarrassing Flop Is a Warning Hollywood Can’t Ignore

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The 2003 film Oldboy is a groundbreaking adaptation of Garon Tsuchiya’s 1996 manga, adding depth to its complex characters and featuring a famously unexpected plot twist. In contrast, the 2013 remake feels like a poor imitation. Although Josh Brolin’s performance isn’t terrible, the film was a commercial failure and is generally considered a disappointment.

2013’s Oldboy Is an Embarrassment for Everyone Involved

The 2013 American remake of the Korean film Oldboy starts in 1993 and stars Josh Brolin as Joe Doucett, a generally unpleasant advertising executive. While some of his troubles are his own fault, Brolin’s occasionally over-the-top performance, particularly in scenes where Joe is alone, makes things even worse.

Josh Brolin’s performance feels forced, starting with him pretending to be out of shape. The first part of the movie shows his character, Joe, getting into trouble, and then he’s inexplicably locked in a hotel room for twenty years. While he’s imprisoned, his former wife is attacked and killed.

Despite some inconsistent character development, this is where the film starts to falter. It’s understandably challenging to perform in a scene relying on unspoken reactions and a lack of response. However, the film relies too heavily on obvious signals – in its visuals and dialogue – instead of letting the story unfold naturally for viewers.

The movie falls apart in several places. Josh Brolin’s performance feels weak – he spends much of the film dramatically mourning his deceased pet rats. The pacing is also off; for example, he immediately starts treating a pillow like a person – complete with a drawn-on face – right after finding out his ex-wife has died. It feels strangely timed and out of place.

Even as a Revenge Flick, 2013’s Oldboy Stumbles

The movie continues to take inspiration from the storytelling of Oldboy, and focuses largely on Joe’s pursuit of revenge after being locked away for two decades. With little else to occupy his time besides training and letting his beard grow like in Cast Away, Joe transforms into a typical, tough action hero.

I don’t mind a good revenge movie, but this one felt a bit clunky. The way time passed felt all over the place, and it was often pointed out awkwardly through characters simply stating the year. It wasn’t all bad, though – the film did a nice job of weaving in real historical events as seen on TV, which was a clever touch.

The movie’s visuals feel clumsy and don’t quite capture the spirit of the original 2003 film. Instead of creating something new, it feels like a failed attempt to recreate it. There are also moments that unintentionally highlight how dated the movie is, like when characters use Google+, a platform that was only popular for a short time.

It feels strange to praise a remake simply because it copies the original film. If the original is better – and often it is – why watch the remake at all? A prime example is the famous hallway fight in Oldboy. The remake completely ruined it, turning a tense, brutal scene into something unintentionally funny by making the space too large and the action clumsy.

I have to say, Sharlto Copley’s performance as the villain was really off-putting. They gave him a surprisingly sad backstory, even more tragic than the original character’s, but he still acted like it was all Joe’s fault. It just didn’t capture the intense, all-consuming need for revenge that Lee Woo-jin had in the 2003 film – that desire to make Oh Dae-su experience the same pain of a forbidden love gone wrong.

Oldboy’s Failure Was Not Entirely Its Director or Cast’s Fault

Spike Lee is a highly skilled director known for many great films. He even told Ebaster that the movie still drew ideas from the original Japanese comic book it was based on. However, studio executives heavily edited his initial cut, reducing it from 140 minutes to around 105. This ultimately led to the film’s failure at the box office and a lasting negative reputation.

I noticed some hints of Spike Lee’s signature style in the finished movie – like a quick shot reminiscent of his double-dolly technique after Joe breaks free. But overall, it didn’t feel like a typical Spike Lee film. The biggest clue was the opening title sequence. Usually, he brands his movies as “a Spike Lee Joint,” but with Oldboy, it was a much more reserved “a Spike Lee film.”

This movie feels strangely disconnected and doesn’t quite fit for the actors involved. Despite featuring a strong cast – including Marvel stars Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Olsen, and Samuel L. Jackson – and talented performers like Michael Imperioli, the late Lance Reddick, and a soon-to-be Oscar winner, Rami Malek, Malek’s role is surprisingly small.

Despite having a lot of potential, the 2013 film Oldboy didn’t perform well at the box office, earning only $5.2 million worldwide despite costing $30 million to make. Some of its most talked-about scenes, like the long, unbroken hammer fight, were changed due to studio meddling, and weren’t as effective as they could have been. This kind of issue isn’t uncommon, though – films like Daredevil often manage to get it right.

The 2013 Remake Is a Lesson and Thankfully Not a Destructive One

The remake of Oldboy didn’t harm the careers of the people involved. Spike Lee, for example, has continued to make great films like BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods, and Highest 2 Lowest in recent years. Josh Brolin has appeared in critically acclaimed movies directed by Denis Villeneuve, such as Sicario and Dune, and has become a major star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It seems Oldboy was the only remake that didn’t lead to successful follow-up work for those involved.

Hollywood continues to remake foreign films and series, especially those based on Japanese manga and anime. The 2017 film Ghost in the Shell and The Lake House showed that these remakes can be financially successful. While HBO’s upcoming Parasite series looks promising, most attempts, like the 2021 series Cowboy Bebop, haven’t fared well.

Viewers shouldn’t automatically assume a movie is good just because it was made – even the people who created it might not be happy with the final result. Often, this means spending time and money on a film you’ll quickly forget. The 2013 movie Oldboy is a prime example of this problem.

Although it’s an oversimplification to say it shouldn’t have been made at all, the 2013 film Oldboy didn’t live up to its potential with the way it ultimately turned out.

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2026-01-12 06:32