Ben-Hur - directed by Timur Bekmambetov
I have mixed feelings about remakes, reboots or re-imaginings... whatever word the studio decides to slap on the latest movie retread.
A lot of the time they are bad but then again we have to bear in mind that "The Thing", "True Lies", "True Grit", "The Fly" and "Heat" are all remakes and they are all much, much better than the originals.
So, clearly there are valid reasons to remake films.
Maybe the original didn't really make the most of its concept (The Fly), maybe it didn't have the scope and budget (Heat) or perhaps the technology didn't exist to do the story justice (True Lies and arguably The Thing)
The problem with this particular remake is that none of those reasons apply to "Ben-Hur" - the classic, eleven Oscar winning 1959 William Wyler movie.
I'm not a huge fan of the film but there is no denying that it was huge and hugely popular with critics and filmgoers alike.
So the only conclusion I can come to as to why Paramount decided to spend $100,000,000 remaking it is that they thought that there was a new generation of filmgoers who hadn't seen the original because it is an 'old' movie.
It is clear immediately the film starts that the project is centred on one key scene - the iconic chariot race.
We start as the race is about to commence pitting brother against brother then immediately flashes back eight years as they compete in a similar race on horseback for fun.
Even the end credits are a riff on the chariot race with the names of the cast and crew presented in 3D as blocks of letters hurtle around a computer generated arena and dust clouds.
Fair enough I guess- the sequence in the original film is one of the most famous action scenes ever committed to film.
The success of the remake isn't only about one scene but if this one scene doesn't work it is in trouble for sure.
And to Russian director Timur Bekmambetov's credit it is executed very well indeed.
The scene is well edited and the visual effects and 3D combine nicely to make it very exciting.
Less exciting are the performances of the leads - Jack Huston and Toby Kebbell.
I have enjoyed much of Kebbell's work previously but here he doesn't bring any real weight to the role.
Neither he nor Huston have the screen presence of a Charlton Heston and that sort of charisma is missed here.
Also disappointing is the rushed nature of the script.
There is quite a bit of frontloading as the characters and events are set up but the middle section where Judah Ben-Hur (Huston) is enslaved, escapes and sets off on his path to revenge are brushed through quite quickly.
Jesus Christ comes into the film quite early and of course will return late in the film but these scenes including the crucifixion are given very little screen time.
This film really does need a little bit more on the running time generally because the conclusion is unconvincing and the ultimate fate of the lead characters doesn't feel like as if we have seen it unfold throughout.
The rift between Ben-Hur and Messala didn't convince me nor did the place that they both ended up.
Having said this I enjoyed this movie quite a bit.
Aside from the chariot race there is a pretty nicely done battle on the seas with Ben-Hur chained below decks with his fellow slaves frantically rowing as Greek ships bear down on them with flaming arrows and burning oil.
I also enjoyed the performances of Nazanin Boniadi as Ben-Hur's wife Esther, Rodrigo Santoro as Christ and good old Morgan Freeman as Ilderim the owner of the horses and chariot that Ben-Hur will take into the arena.
As much as the two hour running time hobbles the pacing in terms of character development feeling patchy it also helps in keeping the pace generally pretty zippy.
I fear that this film will be branded a bomb and that would be a shame.
It lacks the weight of the 1959 film and dollar for dollar it is a fair bit cheaper when inflation is considered.
But the action is good, the visual effects, editing and cinematography perfectly fine and it isn't boring for even a second.
It is liable to be forgotten - dismissed as another attempt by Hollywood to remake a classic and I get that but when a film entertains does it really matter?
RATING: 70 / 100
CONCLUSION: Yes- this remake is totally unnecessary but it is not without merit. It has some decent action and is a perfectly entertaining distraction while we wait for the real blockbusters of the second half of 2016
Starring: Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, Morgan Freeman, Nazanin Boniadi, Rodrigo Santoro, Ayelet Zurer, Pilou Asbaek, Sofia Black-D'Elia, Marwan Kenzari, Moises Arias, James Cosmo, Haluk Bilginer, David Walmsley, Yasen Atour, Francesco Scianna, Gabriel Lo Guidice
Screenplay: Keith R Clarke & John Ridley
Music Score by: Marco Beltrami
Cinematography: Oliver Wood
Cinematography: Oliver Wood
Edited by: Dody Dorn, Richard Francis-Bruce & Bob Murawski
Running Time: 123 minutes
Language: English
Rated: M - mild violence
Running Time: 123 minutes
Language: English
Rated: M - mild violence
I have mixed feelings about remakes, reboots or re-imaginings... whatever word the studio decides to slap on the latest movie retread.
A lot of the time they are bad but then again we have to bear in mind that "The Thing", "True Lies", "True Grit", "The Fly" and "Heat" are all remakes and they are all much, much better than the originals.
So, clearly there are valid reasons to remake films.
Maybe the original didn't really make the most of its concept (The Fly), maybe it didn't have the scope and budget (Heat) or perhaps the technology didn't exist to do the story justice (True Lies and arguably The Thing)
The problem with this particular remake is that none of those reasons apply to "Ben-Hur" - the classic, eleven Oscar winning 1959 William Wyler movie.
I'm not a huge fan of the film but there is no denying that it was huge and hugely popular with critics and filmgoers alike.
So the only conclusion I can come to as to why Paramount decided to spend $100,000,000 remaking it is that they thought that there was a new generation of filmgoers who hadn't seen the original because it is an 'old' movie.
 |
| Jack Huston (left) and Toby Kebbell (far right) |
We start as the race is about to commence pitting brother against brother then immediately flashes back eight years as they compete in a similar race on horseback for fun.
Even the end credits are a riff on the chariot race with the names of the cast and crew presented in 3D as blocks of letters hurtle around a computer generated arena and dust clouds.
Fair enough I guess- the sequence in the original film is one of the most famous action scenes ever committed to film.
The success of the remake isn't only about one scene but if this one scene doesn't work it is in trouble for sure.
And to Russian director Timur Bekmambetov's credit it is executed very well indeed.
The scene is well edited and the visual effects and 3D combine nicely to make it very exciting.
Less exciting are the performances of the leads - Jack Huston and Toby Kebbell.
I have enjoyed much of Kebbell's work previously but here he doesn't bring any real weight to the role.
Neither he nor Huston have the screen presence of a Charlton Heston and that sort of charisma is missed here.
Also disappointing is the rushed nature of the script.
There is quite a bit of frontloading as the characters and events are set up but the middle section where Judah Ben-Hur (Huston) is enslaved, escapes and sets off on his path to revenge are brushed through quite quickly.
Jesus Christ comes into the film quite early and of course will return late in the film but these scenes including the crucifixion are given very little screen time.
This film really does need a little bit more on the running time generally because the conclusion is unconvincing and the ultimate fate of the lead characters doesn't feel like as if we have seen it unfold throughout.
The rift between Ben-Hur and Messala didn't convince me nor did the place that they both ended up.
 |
| The visual style of the action sequences impresses |
Aside from the chariot race there is a pretty nicely done battle on the seas with Ben-Hur chained below decks with his fellow slaves frantically rowing as Greek ships bear down on them with flaming arrows and burning oil.
I also enjoyed the performances of Nazanin Boniadi as Ben-Hur's wife Esther, Rodrigo Santoro as Christ and good old Morgan Freeman as Ilderim the owner of the horses and chariot that Ben-Hur will take into the arena.
As much as the two hour running time hobbles the pacing in terms of character development feeling patchy it also helps in keeping the pace generally pretty zippy.
I fear that this film will be branded a bomb and that would be a shame.
Fans of the original film will scoff at this movie as an inferior remake and they are right - it is.
But that doesn't mean that it is a bad film- it certainly is not.It lacks the weight of the 1959 film and dollar for dollar it is a fair bit cheaper when inflation is considered.
But the action is good, the visual effects, editing and cinematography perfectly fine and it isn't boring for even a second.
It is liable to be forgotten - dismissed as another attempt by Hollywood to remake a classic and I get that but when a film entertains does it really matter?
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