Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Your movies and TV digest from the team at GamesRadar+

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

20 Films Improved By Mike Leigh

Features
By Simon Kinnear
Published 3 November 2010

Hollywood reimagined by the sultan of suburbia

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Transformers (2007)

Transformers (2007)

The Original: Michael Bay's juggernaut of a movie about vehicles with the amazing power to turn into robots that look exactly like other robots.

The Leigh-make: Down-at-heel robot electrician Optimus Prime (voiced by Timothy Spall) discovers the "All Spark," a powerful device that enables him to compete with business rival Megatron (Eddie Marsan).

Key Scene: Optimus sets the All Spark to work, giving himself enough time to sit down for a nice cuppa.

Page 1 of 20
Page 1 of 20
Van Helsing (2004)

Van Helsing (2004)

The Original: Stephen Sommers' overblown attempt to tag-team the classic Universal monsters by throwing them simultaneously at Hugh Jackman's eponymous vampire hunter in a flurry of bad CGI.

The Leigh-make: Van driver Abraham Helsing (Jim Broadbent) is the town eccentric, trying to drive chavs off the estate to win the love of loca gypsy (Alison Steadman).

Key Scene: Helsing is brought before a magistrate for hitting a bunch of trick-or-treaters with a broomstick.

Page 2 of 20
Page 2 of 20
Aliens Vs Predator (2004)

Aliens Vs Predator (2004)

The Original: Paul Thomas Anderson's "two birds with one stone" slaying of classic sci-fi franchises. Whoever wins, cinemagoers lose.

The Leigh-make: A camping trip for Candice-Marie (Alison Steadman) and Keith (Roger Sloman) goes awry when the battling extra-terrestrials land in Dorset. Nuts.

Key Scene: Pedantic Country Code follower Keith wades in to an Alien/Predator scrap to reprimand the duo for making too much noise.

Page 3 of 20
Page 3 of 20
Die Another Day (2002)

Die Another Day (2002)

The Original: Franchise-wounding Bondage, as Pierce Brosnan's 007 battles with iceberg surfing, invisible cars, and Madonna as a fencing instructor.

The Leigh-make: Newly released terrorist hostage James (David Thewlis) becomes convinced he's a secret agent. Now his family must keep his mental illness under wraps.

Key Scene: James "drives" around town in his invisible car. In reality, he's shuffling along the road on his bottom in perpetual danger of being run over.

Page 4 of 20
Page 4 of 20
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)

Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)

The Original: Ed Wood's cult classic about aliens invading a town populated entirely by bad actors.

The Leigh-make: When the dead begin to rise from their graves, chiropodist Terry (Phil Davis) faces an outbreak of patients putting their backs out trying to carry them back to the cemetry.

Key Scene: Terry sees a flying saucer fly past his window, only to discover that it's an actual saucer flung over the garden wall by arguing neighbours.

Page 5 of 20
Page 5 of 20
Titanic (1997)

Titanic (1997)

The Original: James Cameron's Oscar-hogging flood-fest about an ill-fated romance aboard an ill-fated boat.

The Leigh-make: Boating lake employee Jack (Daniel Mays) falls in love with a rich customer (Sally Hawkins), only for their first date to go awry when their pedalo springs a leak.

Key Scene: Jack takes Rose to the front of the boat, 'cause it's the best vantage point to feed the ducks.

Page 6 of 20
Page 6 of 20
Street Dance 3D (2010)

Street Dance 3D (2010)

The Original: Flavour of the month Cowell-cash-in in which ballet dancers are taught to bust propah moves by Diversity and George Sampson.

The Leigh-make: Lesley Manville's boozed-up ballroom dancer gets a shot at redemption when she transforms a posse of street dancers into foxtrot specialists.

Key Scene: The kids' moment of epiphany, when they switch channels from Britain's Got Talent to watch Strictly Come Dancing instead.

Page 7 of 20
Page 7 of 20
The Avengers (1998)

The Avengers (1998)

The Original: Jeremiah Chechik's point-missing Hollywoodisation of the whimsical British spy classic, led by a baffled, miscast Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman.

The Leigh-make: Depressed banker John Steed (Jim Broadbent) pretends to be a secret agent to impress posh totty Emma Peel (Jane Horrocks).

Key Scene: At the local fete, a deluded Steed attacks a procession of performers dressed as teddy bears with an umbrella, reducing onlooking children to tears.

Page 8 of 20
Page 8 of 20
Suburban Commando (1991)

Suburban Commando (1991)

The Original: Hulk Hogan-starring family actioner about instellar warrior Shep Ramsey getting trapped in suburbia with Christopher Lloyd's white-collar square.

The Leigh-make: Hogan keeps his role, but this time he's stuck in the home of Beverly Moss (Alison Steadman), which means he's got to endure one of her awful dinner parties.

Key Scene: A pissed Beverly insists that Shep slow-dance to a Demis Roussos song.

Page 9 of 20
Page 9 of 20
Dungeons and Dragons (2000)

Dungeons and Dragons (2000)

The Original: Jeremy Irons puts his kids through college as the bad guy in the lame big-screen makeover of the classic role-playing game.

The Leigh-make: Back to basics. This version's about the original game, as regional champ Eddie Marsan meets his match in hot-shot newcomer Sally Hawkins. But can he overcome his shyness to deal with a woman role-player?

Key Scene: Against his mates' advice, Marsan comes to the first date dressed as a dwarf. Fortunately, Hawkins has come as an elf. What larks.

Page 10 of 20
Page 10 of 20
The Passion of the Christ (2004)

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

The Original: Mel Gibson's flay-tastic recreation of Jesus' last hours.

The Leigh-make: When the local council turns up to evict Jesus (David Thewlis), he nails himself to his house to stop the bulldozers coming in.

Key Scene: Mary Magdalene (Imelda Staunton) climbs up on a ladder to offer Jesus a sip from her Thermos.

Page 11 of 20
Page 11 of 20
Clash of the Titans (2010)

Clash of the Titans (2010)

The Original: Louis Leterrier's ill-advised remake of the Ray Harryhausen gods 'n monsters classic.

The Leigh-make: Days ahead of the flower show, a couple of unscrupulous growers (Broadbent, Steadman) send young gardener Perseus (Daniel Mays) to steal the rhodedendron bush of deadly rival Medusa (Imelda Staunton).

Key Scene: Medusa attacks Perseus with a garden hose.

Page 12 of 20
Page 12 of 20
Howard the Duck (1986)

Howard the Duck (1986)

The Original: George Lucas-produced failure to turn a horny alien duck into the next big kids' franchise.

The Leigh-make: Eccentric British comedy about a clumsy Mallard who ignites an affair between a widow (Brenda Blethyn) and a park ranger (Timothy Spall).

Key Scene: In a hilarious misunderstanding, Spall ends up in bed with the duck.

Page 13 of 20
Page 13 of 20
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

The Original: The Wachowski Brothers' muddled sequel to the bullet-time masterpiece: 50% overblown action, 50% verbose cod-philosophy.

The Leigh-make: In this early 90s period piece, lonely I.T. geek Thomas (David Thewlis) discovers a world beyond his imagination when he fixes the computer of pill-popping political activist Trinny (Jane Horrocks).

Key Scene: Thomas' mum (Alison Steadman) lets loose at an illegal rave in the Home Counties.

Page 14 of 20
Page 14 of 20
I Know Who Killed Me (2007)

I Know Who Killed Me (2007)

The Original: Lindsey Lohan's infamous attempt at more adult material, in which she plays stigmatic twins terrorised by a serial killer.

The Leigh-make: Sally Hawkins is a happy-go-lucky teacher whose life unravels when her long-lost twin sister (also Hawkins) turns out to be a misanthropic bitch.

Key Scene: Locked together in the school overnight, nice Hawkins has to listen to nasty Hawkins' ugly conspiracy theories, while a creepy janitor (Timothy Spall) stalks them.

Page 15 of 20
Page 15 of 20
Kickboxer (1989)

Kickboxer (1989)

The Original: Muy thai talented Jean Claude Van Damme kicks, boxes and writes the script. In retrospect, maybe the last of those was a bad idea.

The Leigh-make: Skinhead Gary Oldman is the local kickboxing champ who has to fight to help his poor family stay afloat.

Key Scene: After getting in yet another scrap, Oldman is giving a dressing down by his nan (Liz Smith).

Page 16 of 20
Page 16 of 20
Independence Day (1996)

Independence Day (1996)

The Original: Roland Emmerich's flag-waving vision of America defeating aliens on the 4th of July.

The Leigh-make: Timothy Spall's new American diner comes under threat from the local nimbies, who want him to make British food.

Key Scene: Spall sees the error of his ways and launches the rebranded restaurant - complete with fireworks - on Bonfire Night.

Page 17 of 20
Page 17 of 20
Alone in the Dark (2005)

Alone in the Dark (2005)

The Original: Uwe Boll's video game horror about Christian Slater's supernatural detective discovering things that go bump in the cinema when the audience walks out.

The Leigh-make: Eddie Marsan plays Edward Carnby, who discovers that an old folks' home is haunted by the ghosts of the dear departed (Brenda Blethyn, Alison Steadman and Ruth Sheen).

Key Scene: The staff think Edward's gone loco when he organises afternoon tea for the ghosts.

Page 18 of 20
Page 18 of 20
Twister (1996)

Twister (1996)

The Original: Jan De Bont spends all of his cash on the meteorological effects. There's none left for a script.

The Leigh-make: A family camping trip turns into a disaster when they spend the night playing board games. Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville and David Thewlis star.

Key Scene: Old secrets resurface when a "right hand red" brings Thewlis into an uncomfortable position.

Page 19 of 20
Page 19 of 20
Epic Movie (2007)

Epic Movie (2007)

The Original: Vintage Friedberg/Seltzer, this is the one spoofing any film that vaguely resembles an epic and/or was popular that year.

The Leigh-make: Leigh (playing himself) stars as an independent British director hired to make a Hollywood spoof, who causes alarm with studio executives when he starts secret rehearsals having not seen the films he's supposed to be parodying.

Key Scene: The execs watch the big Narnia set-piece, now transformed into a melancholy scene where Jane Horrocks finds a box of secrets and lies inside the wardrobe.

Page 20 of 20
Page 20 of 20
Simon Kinnear
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter
Latest in Movies
Glenn Close in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Action Movies The Hunger Games director explains why Sunrise on the Reaping is a "return to form" for the franchise
 
 
Jake Gyllenhaal in Remain
Thriller Movies M. Night Shyamalan's new movie is being called a "masterpiece" and the "perfect companion" to The Sixth Sense
 
 
Andrew Koji as Ryu in the trailer for the upcoming Street Fighter movie
Live Action Movies Street Fighter movie references the franchise's most iconic match: the parry-fest of Evo Moment 37
 
 
An image of Maul (Dwayne Johnson) from the Moana trailer
Family Movies Disney boss thinks the live-action Moana sunk at the box office because there wasn't enough "demand for another film"
 
 
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff in the upcoming movie, Kraven the Hunter.
Marvel Movies Kraven actor knew "in the moment" the Spider-Man spin-off would be bad
 
 
Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen in Clayface
DC Movies Despite writing the script, Mike Flanagan says he hasn't seen Clayface and it's "very much not mine"
 
 
Latest in Features
A painted Legio Custodes miniature on a wooden surface
Tabletop Gaming After over 8 years, Warhammer 40K finally got the Custodes right
 
 
Avatar: Seven Havens on Paramount+
Animated Shows What is Avatar: Seven Havens? The Last Airbender sequel explained
 
 
A reviewer holding the Steam Frame
VR I played an evening of Big Walk on Steam Frame, and it felt like wearing a Steam Deck on my face
 
 
Sam stands in front of a massive clock in Heartworm
Survival Horror Games Heartworm is a survival horror throwback with plenty of fresh ideas
 
 
Paul Bettany as Vision in VisionQuest
Marvel Movies New York Comic Con 2026 preview: The 5 panels you can't miss
 
 
Marvel timeline: Tom Hiddleston looking straight ahead during season 1 of the Marvel series Loki.
Marvel TV Shows 5 years on, it's clear Loki used the multiverse better than anything else in the MCU
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. "The work is the creative work, not what the market thinks of it"
    1
    Former GTA lead says "there's no greater compliment" than being compared to his Rockstar classics
  2. 2
    Platinum boss teases more Bayonetta games in the future
  3. 3
    Fans might not "pull out $1,000" for PS6 and Project Helix, says ex-PlayStation boss
  4. 4
    Jagex announces a fourth Runescape MMO, but "RS4 is not a replacement for any of our games"
  5. 5
    Playing God: The revolutionary AI that made Black & White still unforgettable

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...