Ben-Hur

Why on earth would someone want to remake Ben-Hur, the 1959 sword-and-sandals epic that set an Oscar record, winning 11 out of 12 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler), and Best Actor (Charlton Heston)? Produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, the husband-and-wife team behind the miniseries The Bible, this new version returns to the religious roots of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ, and is aimed directly at a faith-based audience. Set in Jerusalem, the narrative centers on wealthy Jewish nobleman Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), and his adoptive Roman sibling, Messala (Toby Kebbell). When ambitious Messala betrays their family, Judah vows revenge, but in witnessing the Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth (Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro), he learns compassion and forgiveness. Russian director Timur Bekmambetov deserves credit for period authenticity, effectively depicting communal life and the graphic brutality of Judah's five years as a galley slave while battling Greeks on the Ionian Sea. But there is a jarring tonality shift toward frenetic NASCAR/Formula One-like racing action when Judah learns how to become a charioteer from Nubian Sheik Ilderim (Morgan Freeman), leading to the climactic Circus Maximus chariot race. Visually impressive but dramatically bland, this is not a necessary purchase. [Note: Blu-ray extras include the behind-the-scenes featurettes “A Tale for Our Times” (16 min.), “The Epic Cast” (12 min.), and “The Chariot Race” (11 min.), deleted/extended scenes (11 min.), a segment on “The Legacy” (11 min.), the music videos “Back to You” by Mary Mary, “Ceasefire” by For King & Country, and “The Only Way Out” by Andra Day, trailers, and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing remake.] (S. Granger)