Neil Welch Rich Jew Judah Ben-Hur is sent to the galleys by Messala, his youthful best friend, because of an attack from his roof during a Roman parade. Escaping after 5 years as a galley slave he seeks to take revenge on Messala by beating him in a chariot race. After the race, the blood from Jesus' crucifixion cures Judah's mother and sister of leprosy and takes the hate from Judah's heart.The danger of a remake is pitching the new film in a place where it is different enough so that it isn't pointless, but captures enough of what made the original work. And the original, here (if one ignores other versions), was a multi-Oscar winning, sprawling Biblical epic. So what Timur (Wanted) Bekmambetov has done here is capture the main story beats, but changed almost everything else.The almost homoerotic jealousy which drove the relationship between Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd in Wyler's epic is, here, replaced by a most unexpected fraternal bromance in which the driving force appears to be Messala's wish to impress Judah's mother (I am deliberately not spoilering a plot element here). This lengthy opening sequence, albeit seasoned with a couple of flash-forwards, gives the story-teling a completely different rhythm to the 1959 version.Visually, there is some good stuff, with production value well on display. Locations, particularly the location which substitutes for Jerusalem, are mostly spectacular (with the exception of the early, rather jarring, appearance of the overly-familiar Vasquez Rocks), the chariot race is well-staged, and the CGI sea battle is more convincing than Heston's toy boats (although, curiously, far less exciting).But there are two areas where the film falls down. One is the script which is, at best, functional, but often rather feeble. And the other is that, with the exception of Rodrigo Santoro's Jesus and Nazanin Boniadi's Esther, none of the performers offer anything beyond photogenic competence. There is nothing to match Heston's sheer presence or Boyd's passionate malice. This film is in an altogether lower key. Even Morgan Freeman's usual gravitas is undermined by his out-of-place American accent.I enjoyed this, especially because it gave me much which I did not expect. But it is not an epic.

sergelamarche Les femmes portaient brassières et slips, le texte trop moderne, c'est pas crédible. Quelques bonnes scènes dans le bateau et la course de char. On a l'impression d'être dans un futur éloigné au lieu du passé.

Michael Ledo We already know the end of the story as Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) is synonymous with chariot race. There is no mystery as to what happens to the Jesus character (Rodrigo Santoro) either. Jack Huston is not as a commanding figure as Charlton Heston, nor is he meant to be. They humanized the character.The film is introduced by Morgan Freeman who later turns up as the desert trader Ilderim. Toby Kebbell plays Messala Severus, a complex protagonist/antagonist character, the adopted Roman brother of Judea Ben-Hur. The costumes were not very historical, the pants suit Ester wears, the saddles with stirrups, modern stitching showing on sleeves cuffs, etc. They attempted to keep things historical, but there may be a few issues there. At least no one was wearing a Rolex (Spartacus 1960).Be aware there is a mock-buster "In the Name of Ben Hur" that is not worth a free viewing.The film had a happy uplifting ending. Spiritual at times. Watch it to get the feeling, should have a rapid price drop.

huntergerald-34771 Take William Wyler, Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Sam Jaffe and the stunt director Yakima Canutt. The result? A film that should NEVER be remade, and this effort absolutely pales in comparison. There is no depth to the characterizations, and major events are simply pedestrian. For example, this film takes half an hour to introduce you to the relationship between Judah and Messala, something William Wyler accomplished beautifully in just one scene. The 1959 Heston film was a powerhouse of emotion, while this tepid film barely scratches the edges of relationships, leaving out many of the key elements and characters of the book, by General Lew Wallace, and the film version that won 11 Academy Awards. Pass this stinker up.