I think the new version is much better than the original. It's darker and more realistic. I also liked how jaded Mattie became later on. I also liked how the writer's let her be a little girl in the way she tried to ease the tension between Rooster and La Bouef during their ,I believe, first night on the hunt.
I also liked noticing the huge cultural differences between the two movies.
The John Wayne movie is so optomistic it's unreal. It's chock full of the "We're number one and can do nothing wrong!" attitude that we got after winning WW-II and having a huge boost in our economy. (As a note: I am not saying that as an insult or slam. I am noticing the differences here.)
The new one fit's todays outlook. Tough and gritty. Character's full of weaknesses and problems, yet still willing to get the job done. ANd they actually smoked on screen. When was the last time you saw that?