Ben-Hur

quick hit: despite the best efforts of the cast, the latest take on ben-hur only comes alive under timor bekmambetov when it's time for the big action and visual effects spectacles. the drama in this long-beloved story, typically its greatest strength, is largely inert in the script by keith clarke and john ridley, and bekmambetov doesn't do anything with these sequences that makes them stand out. the chariot scene is fantastic and other scenes pop when it's time for what bekmambetov does best, but otherwise this is a disappointing film that should have been much, much better. read more

today in unnecessary remakes we have ben-hur. it is a bold move to remake an all time classic, and this remake falls flat. it is impressive that they cut an hour and a half off of the 1959 version and somehow made it feel longer. they basically eliminated the character of quintus and that entire section of the story, which was my favorite from the 1959 version. the acting was underwhelming without anyone standing out, good or bad. the chariot race was the low point, it was dull and over-edited to the point that it was a little difficult to follow. apparently they used as many practical read more

a lot shorter than the original, but they still found time for someone to get head-butted in the face. read more