Sci-fi remakes or re-envisionings can be a controversial topic to those of us who grew up with versions of films that we tend to identify as the only appropriate treatment of the subject matter. But from time to time there have been a few out there that have managed to successfully re-imagine and re-contextualize the original story for a new generation.

Where earlier audiences had their thrills at a drive-in theatre, present movie buffs now do so in front of 40 inch TVs like these at home. The way we watch them might have changed, but a good remake has a few things in common with the original – powerful characters, engaging storylines and elements that connect with our social and cultural circumstances.

Here are five remakes that have matched the originals and connected with new generations.

1. The Fly

David Cronenberg’s 1986 version of the 50’s classic was a critical and commercial success. The director transformed the technology out of control trope and combined it with body horror elements that allowed it to speak meaningfully to those in the decade in which it debuted. Jeff Goldblum brought a completely believable, menacing vulnerability to his portrayal of scientist Seth Brundle, and his slow human decay in the process of transformation into “Brundle-Fly” connected with the AIDS fears of the 1980s.

2. Invasion of the Body Snatchers

This 1978 version was a thoroughly enjoyable retelling of Don Siegel’s 1956 classic film is based on the book by Jack Finney from 1954. A reimagining of Finney’s ideas, shaped to reflect the social and cultural circumstances of the 1970s. While Siegel’s version can be read as addressing McCarthyism and the lack of individuality, the 1978 interpretation was aimed at addressing the concerns of the “Me Generation,” including religious extremism of the time as exemplified by Jonestown.

3. The Thing

John Carpenter’s 1982 remake presents a telling of an extraterrestrial shapeshifter that is far closer to the original novella by John W Campbell than Howard Hawks’ excellent 1951 film. An Antarctic research station is overrun by a hostile alien life form, and the isolated community disintegrates rapidly, with fear and paranoia fueling much of the tension between station members. Carpenter’s fine directing benefited from Rob Botin’s makeup and special effects that continues to hold up in an age of CGI. Although it did poorly with critics and audiences in the 1980s, it has gone on to earn fan and critical acclaim as one of Carpenter’s best efforts.

4. War of the Worlds

Of the many science fiction films of the 1950s that featured alien invasion, George Pal’s War of the Worlds from 1953 is considered one of the best. It helped express the fears of Communist attack and invasion of the Cold War. Steven Spielberg’s 2005 remake involved adaptations that reflected the angst of a new generation. With the Cold War over, the new fear was terrorism, and this is expressed in the film not only by way of large scale destruction, but also in the dialogue as the children fleeing destruction with their father ask if the explosions around them are related to terrorists. Spielberg’s vision encapsulated the new fears of a nation at war.

5. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

This 2011 film was greeted by fans of the Apes franchise with initial skepticism given the disappointment with Tim Burton’s cinematic attempt from 2001. It was a reworking of the fourth film in the initial Apes series of films that begin in 1968. Providing an updating of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes from 1972, Rise shifted its setting from Los Angeles to San Francisco, while maintaining the theme of freedom from the bondage of oppressors, and also introducing the concerns of a new generation in terms of genetic engineering, contagion, and animal rights. Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a box office and fan success, with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes scheduled for 2014.

Growing up in the 1970s I enjoyed the originals of these films on a small black and white television. Now I am able to enjoy them and their new incarnations on a large screen in high definition. But whether the original versions or newer treatments, on the small screen or large, these films represent some of the best expressions of science fiction in film.