BEN-HUR (5 out of 10); Directed by Timur Bekmambetov; Written by Keith Clarke and John Ridley; Starring Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, Morgan Freeman and Nazanin Boniadi; Running Time 123 minutes; Rated PG-13 for “sequences of violence and disturbing images”; In wide release August 19, 2016.
The original “Ben-Hur” from the 50s is a cinematic classic that even people unfamiliar with it will know from its legendary chariot race. That film went on to win nearly a dozen Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and is considered one of the best epics of its time. It makes one wonder, then, who was clamoring for a remake and why such a retelling is necessary. After viewing it, those questions are hard to answer. This new version, while exciting at times, is incredibly lackluster and feels like it would be more at home on the Hallmark Channel than in a movie theater.
Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) is a Jewish prince who has grown up in Roman occupied Jerusalem around the time of Christ. He and his adopted, Roman brother Messala (Toby Kebbell) are as close as can be until Messala feels he needs to find his way as a Roman officer and leaves to pursue glory and stature as a legionnaire. He returns years later and the difference between their two paths is easily apparent. Judah wants peace between his people and the Romans yet is unwilling to turn in the violent zealots who are causing riots and causing problems with their overlords. Messala wants peace as well but knows that in order to keep his rank, violence could be a necessary evil to keep the people at bay. When Judah is arrested for sedition, he is sentenced to the galleys while his wife and family are arrested and apparently crucified. Upon escaping during a sea battle, Judah finds his way to land and befriends a wandering sheik, Ilderim (Morgan Freeman) who agrees to help him get vengeance on Messala in a chariot race that will either free him or cost him his life.
While there is nothing really bad with “Ben-Hur”, there is little to be said for it that would warrant a trip to the theater to see it. While the story is a bit different – and thankfully shorter – than the original, the same tropes and moments are hit to the point that if anyone has seen the classic, there really is no need to revisit.
Jack Huston is a decent Ben-Hur, but it is somewhat confusing that he changes up the role after being sent to the galleys and spends the rest of the film rasping his lines like Christian Bale from “The Dark Knight.” It’s never really explained and almost a bit humorous since pieces from that film trilogy kept coming to mind every time he spoke. Toby Kebbell is just fine as Messala, but again, doesn’t do anything that stands out and is memorable. Morgan Freeman couldn’t be phoning it in any harder if he had a literal phone strapped to his head, and the female actors do little than pine for the men and are literally prizes for them to purchase or win via contest.
The only exciting moments are in the chariot race, and the movie constantly reminds us that it’s coming and we should look forward to it, but by the time it finally arrives, we really don’t care. Too much has gone on with nothing happening to keep our interest an hour and 45 minutes in.
So who was this movie made for? Possibly our parents or grandparents who remember the original fondly and are looking for a bit of nostalgia on a Sunday afternoon. There are some religious undertones barely woven in before standing forefront in the final minutes, but even those seem shoehorned in and there just to pander to a certain type of audience. “Ben-Hur” ends up being completely forgettable, and it’s hard to understand why it exists in the first place. The original has already told this story, and this remake will be forgotten the week after its release.
5 out of 10