A great story with poor execution.
Starring: Jack Huston and Tobey Kebbell
Plot: Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince, has life is turned upside down when he’s falsely accused of an assassination attempt by his best friend and adoptive brother, Messala. He survives years of slavery under the Romans and has several encounters with Jesus of Nazareth before seeking revenge on his Messala, now an officer in the Roman army, in a grand chariot race.
Remarks: I remember the good old days when my grandfather used to speak so highly of an adaption of this story so, I was very excited to see it come to life in 2016. Now, the film has gotten many negative reviews but I chose to judge it for myself. Overall, this isn’t a bad film. However, these are certain elements which could have been improved on. The first hour of the film is very slow and choppy. I felt as if the producers wanted to keep the film as short as they could but missed out on some important storytelling. Despite this, the film picks up once Judah is a slave at sea. I was also left a bit confused with the religious aspects of the film. While they are important, the producers failed at executing this notion into the film – especially Judah’s encounters with Jesus. I also think the film’s climax was, in fact, anti-climatic. The chariot race looked incredibly fake and was almost too unrealistic. Despite this, I enjoyed seeing how Judah and Messala grew their relationship throughout the film – despite the many betrayals on both parties. Sure, there is a whole lot wrong with this film. However, it’s a great retelling of the famous story and worth a watch.
Rating: 2.5/5
Ben-Hur releases on 19 September 2016.
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