The music was the best thing about the Tom Hanks remake of "The Ladykillers." The DVD includes a couple of additional performances by the gospel choir featured in the movie, and they're pretty great, too.

I think a fair number of Americans over age 40-45 had some familiarity with the British original "Ladykillers," since it was shown often on TV in the 50s and early 60s. It was one of my father's favorite movies of all time, and he had never been to England. Of course, I had no idea until recently that it was originally filmed in color, having seen it exclusively on pre-color television in my youth.

There was a thread on the subject of "remakes" at about the same time as this thread dedicated to a particular remake, or perhaps a week or so earlier. I'm pretty sure some comments on the new "Ladykillers" (including some of mine) appear in that other thread.

Anyone who knew and loved the original would probably have found the more recent US version at least a little inferior, but it was different enough to stand on its own and claim its own identity and validity. I just don't thank it was all that great, and the proof is in the pudding ~ it wasn't tremendously successful. I don't think Tom Hanks (usually one of my favorite actors) was at his best in this one; his phony accest was pretty bad, and his whole characterization was similarly mediocre.

But Jim Dixon is right ~ the music is excellent!