Rating: C+
Set in ancient Roman-occupied Jerusalem, Ben Hur is a remake of the 1959 film directed by William Wyler, which famously grabbed a record 11 Academy Awards at the time. Unfortunately, I cannot see many awards lurking in the near future for the 2016 version, although I will admit that the film’s grand finale was entertaining.
Ben Hur tells the story of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jerusalem prince and trader falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala, a high-ranking Roman officer. He and his family are severely punished for the alleged crime and Judah sets out on a quest for revenge against Messala and the Roman Empire.
Ben-Hur challenges Messala in the Roman bloodsport of chariot racing (obviously), where Messala is the undefeated champion. With the help of Sheik Ilderam (Morgan Freeman), Judah trains for his final showdown with Messala in the Roman circus.
The film follows the plot of your standard action movie; ‘someone is wronged and then they come back to face their adversary’. And as many Hollywood action movies do, Ben Hur lacked any real substance or narrative complexities. Despite the climatic finish being violently enthralling, I felt overall it was rather mundane for what I was expecting. The addition of Morgan Freeman was a highlight simply because I like to listen to his voice but as far as developing characters, even he could not bring a whole lot to the party.
If you are in the market for a movie that sparks little thought but provides a quick fix of blood and gore, then Ben Hur will most likely fulfil your desires. However if I am to be perfectly honest, with a little more effort, you could easily find something a few stars better.