The Japanese version is still better - Shall We Dance? (2004) Discussion

[–] jedilink109 18 years ago

Yeah I only saw a little bit of the remake and they look like totally different films! It's weird though because both of them have some exact scenes from the other one while the Japanese one seems to do it better! It's more realistic and natural. The remake looks acted and isn't natural. Besides the draw for the original is that it's English dancing in an Asian setting. Two complete opposites drawing people together. So forget these people who have only seen the remake. They suck anyway. Asian films are always better anyway!

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[–] unicornpeter 16 years ago

thank God Asian does not need to remake any of Hollywood's productions.
Otherwise the Asian versions will just embarrass Hollywood more, agree?

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[–] jerry4444 15 years ago

asians just remake their dvds, lol. opps, i mean chinese. just kidding.

i saw the american version and thought it was quite good actually, so the japaese version must be waay better then.

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[–] laozii 18 years ago

yup

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446059/board/nest/54071938

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[–] tsukamo 17 years ago

Here Here!

Not that I didn't enjoy the remake. It was just...different. As for what poster two states...I wouldn't say that per say...Asian films are Asian films, American films are American films. We all have our ups and downs.

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[–] velcronewsletter 17 years ago

the american version was good for what it was. nobody tipped it for an award, it doesn't deserve the slagging off its getting. its a different culture to the japanese one of course and thats what defines the japanese version but it doesn't mean that its so bad

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OOOOH MATRON!

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[–] paint31 17 years ago

I guess I am odd, because I don't care if the Japanese version was better or not. I take each movie for itself. I enjoyed this film no matter what was made before.

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[–] scottlyttle-1 17 years ago

It's been some time since I've seen the original (probably about 8 or so years, but at the time, I was just coming off of 4 years of doing ballroom dance in college (not professional, just a fun Phys. Ed. class). The original is still better than this, but each has merit.

What really stood out with me on the American version was the Ms. Mitzi character--some of her comments made the movie watchable. I'm not the biggest J-Lo fan, and I didn't see it in the theater, just because J-Lo was in it. The movie is fun and enjoyable to sit down and watch.

The american version did have some great little bits that the original did not. Stanley Tucci's bit where he's being mocked by co-workers, and he takes the female co-worker, spins her around and drops her back in her chair, and walks off was just great!

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[–] lovelula 17 years ago

i saw the original when i was young.. probably 8 or so yrs old, and i LOVED IT!

needless to say, the US version is completely different, but i still liked it :)

___________________ _
copper-boom!

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[–] rhps2000 16 years ago

Yes, the original was better in that it really conveyed how unusual it would be to take up ballroom dancing. Japanese society would view that as frivolous. I loved the original. I do like the American version for it's Hollywood humor too, but really loved the original. :-)

Sedagive?!!!

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[–] kay_cee_d 16 years ago

I liked the original ending with the huge ballroom and the light going around the room than the "shall we dance."

The spirit is eternal, deathless...

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[–] smoovasbutter 15 years ago

The Japanese one is better and funnier. But the Hollywood one isn't bad too. A worthy remake.

My only complaint is that J Lo almost ruined the movie for me. Totally miscast. Her dancing reminded me of Marie Osmond on dancing with the stars LOL

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[–] deandrajavan 15 years ago

I haven't seen the remake, so I know that I don't have any weight in this... but I know that when I saw the original, I thought it was definitely one of the best Japanese movies I've ever seen. And I specialize in foreign movies as a hobby. Compared to "Amelie" (an all-time favorite for so many), I'd rather watch the original "Shall We Dance".

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[–] Desertman84 15 years ago

The Asian film was a lot better in the sense that it explored the pains of middle age even more while the American film provided entertainment to the viewer.In short,the Asian film was deeper compared to the American film while the American remake was a star vehicle for both Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez.

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[–] inlovewithmovies 13 years ago

Yes, the Japanese version was a tough act to follow... it really hit it out of the park and is probably my favorite foreign film followed by Amelie, which was cute also. I stumbled on this movie in the movie store by accident and was astounded at how good it was and how it drew me into the story. The American remake is actually pretty solid and enjoyable in some respects, but here's why the Japanese version was way better:

You can feel that sexual yearning the middle-aged man had for the mysterious dance teacher in the window way more in the Japanese version. The Japanese actress somehow conveyed a more elegant mystery to her....and J LO was just hamming it up a bit.

JLO was miscast...like I said the linchpin of what made the first one great was the huge motivation that had to draw the middle aged business man to the dance class. The elegance and msytery of the Japanese actress added to the sexual tension and that unattainable quality I found in JLo's performance. Maybe, it's JLO's acting, but it always feels like she's reading lines...

Stanley Tucci was not funny in this. The Japanese actor who played the friend was hilarious and had kind of a wild misfit quality to him. Tucci was just hamming it up and doing his best impersonation, but there was something missing in his performance. Not that I don't normally find Tucci pretty good, but didn't feel like Tucci fit this role at all.

American version tries to sugarcoat things a little more to make it more palatable for audiences whereas the Japanese version just kind of went for it. It's basically a middle aged man that saw a beautiful mystery girl in a window and wanted her..only to be drawn into dance. The American version tried to sugarcoat this by having Richard Gere suddenly be romantic in the end...kind of gave a false ring to it.

Production values are better for the American version and kind of wished they had nailed the chemistry of the Japanese version just right because would have loved to see a Richard Gere Shall We dance movie hit it out of the park, but they kind of did a paint by numbers job on this one.

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