If history intrigues you and you are curious about happenings that are encircling the infamous historical character “Ben-Hur”, then the re-adaptation of the Academy Award winning 1959 film under the same name is sure to spark your senses.
While the 1959 version starring Charlton Heston and directed by William Wyler was praised and even won a record breaking 11 Academy Awards, the re-adaptation seems like a failure in comparison to it.
Reviewers and critics who have compared the two versions of the portrayal of the movie said that the Timur Bekmambetov’s latest versions of the movie might have a few discrepancies but ends up disappointing you in the long haul.
The almost $100 million movie has not been well received by the audience yet either. The movie was released on August 9 2016 in Mexico City and August 19 2016 in the United States and worldwide, but till today has made around $14-15 million in ticket sales.
Looks like Bekmambetov was engaging all his attention to the infamous chariot race, and thereby the rest of the movie has suffered. The process of upgrading the technological technicalities has downsized the quality of the movie in general.
Starring Jack Huston as the Judah Ben-Hur, a prince who is falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (portrayed by Fantastic Four’s Tobe Kebbell) who is apparently an officer in the Roman army is what the overview of the story seems like.
Based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, this simply is a movie with plots that are ridiculed upon and scripts that are being questioned for some relevance.
The only thing recommended in the entire 123 running minutes of the movie is the Chariot Race. Installed and shot with the best possible cameras, the resulting graphics and visuals of the scenes is a treat to watch.
Actor Toby Kebbell who plays the role of Messala in the re-adaptation confessed in a recent interview that the chariot race scene was the only reason he signed up for the movie, even if that might sound ridiculous and non-sensical coming out of an actor’s mouth.
Well, if only Toby knew what he was signing up for! We can all agree with Toby’s comments on the rest of the movie falling short of the chariot racing scenes.
The plot has been pretty nonsensical and “made up”. While it is not the intention to ridicule the sacred crucifixion, the mere encounters of Ben-Hur with Jesus on multiple occasions after serving years of slavery under the Romans seems pretty “made up”.
But if you want to indulge your senses in a pretty riled up chariot race that’s shot with a variety of cameras, including small GoPros to bring about a little touch and feel of a Formula 1 or NASCAR kind of edgy visceral experience, then be my guest and give it a watch.
While many comparisons have been floating around of the 2016 version of Ben-Hur with the 1959 film, one of the most questionable differences noticed in the re-adaptation was the lack or rather an absence of the homoerotic plot.
Keith Clarke, the screenwriter of the film, when asked about the aforementioned change in an interview laid down several reasons as to why the 2016 version of the film was put back in the closet.