Similar But Not the Same: 5 Pairs of Movies That Are Pretty Much the Same Thing

By Caroline Evans Tue., Jul. 12 2011 at 8:00 AM

Friends With Benefits opens July 22, and more annoying than the fact that some studio executive probably said, "You know who I want to see in a movie? Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis!" is the fact that this movie comes out a brief six months after No Strings Attached, which is basically the same story line. Sure, we all got a little mad when Hangover II ended up being pretty much the same thing as Hangover I, but who doesn't go into a sequel without expecting it to be somewhat like the original?

What I have a problem with are movies that purport to be completely separate franchises but are essentially the same story. To make matters more infuriating, these movies tend to appear around the same time, have actors of similar bone structure and have the same number of words in their titles.

The fact that the words "friends" and "benefits" appear on this poster is disheartening.

In Friends With Benefits, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis star as two friends who like to have sex with each other without all of that icky relationship stuff. Of course, there ends up being some kind of complication because it turns out they really like each other and I'm guessing there's a scene of someone running through the streets in the rain.

I really liked this movie the first time I saw it...when it was called No Strings Attached. Okay, maybe that was a rehashing of a David Spade joke, but if the studios aren't even going to try, why should I?

And why are these movies coming out within months of each other? Did Hollywood think that we were just dying for yet another movie about a guy and a girl who are friends but decide to have sex because it's easier than being in a "real relationship"? Did they not think we could just rewatch that episode of Sex and the City?

In any case, this is nothing new, and Hollywood has remade itself time and time again.
So, just to drive home our point, we came up with five pairs of movies that are way too much alike.

1. The Illusionist and The Prestige.
Both are gothic dramas about magicians. The Illusionist gets points for being "artier." The Prestige, on the other hand, has Michael Caine.

Tags:

armageddon, clue, dantes peak, deep impact, friends with benefits, love actually, movies that are the same, murder by death, no strings attached, the illusionist, the prestige, valentines day, volcano

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Alan Atley Ho

I disagree with The Illusionist and The Prestige being on this list. The only similarities between them are the time period and the inclusion of magic. The plot of The Illusionist is completely different than that of The Prestige.

The same can be said for Armageddon and Deep Impact. Sure, the focal point is about an asteroid coming to destroy Earth, but that's where the similarities end. You even mention it in your comparison. One common theme makes an entire movie similar?

From what I can gather, you consider these movies similar because they have a similar aesthetic and the plot has no bearing on your opinion on the degree of similarity.

H_e_x

I went to The Illusionist thinking it was The Prestige. I kept waiting for Christian Bale and David Bowie, and when they never came on I knew I had been hoodwinked.