Summary
Period epic starring Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell and Morgan Freeman. A rich Jewish prince vows revenge after he is betrayed and thrown into slavery by a man he considered a brother and friend.
Period epic starring Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell and Morgan Freeman. A rich Jewish prince vows revenge after he is betrayed and thrown into slavery by a man he considered a brother and friend.
While there is nothing particularly awful about this remake of the 1959 classic, the brash, breakneck style - obviously geared towards a young, modern audience - renders it less epic. At best this version of Ben-Hur (also filmed in 1925, from Lew Wallace's novel) is decent popcorn entertainment, with an exciting and brutal re-creation of the famous chariot race which, surprisingly, doesn't look like a computer game. Jack Huston (British grandson of director John Huston) lacks the imposing presence of Charlton Heston, but he does cut a dashing figure in his own, quiet way as the Jewish prince reduced to a slave by the man he considered a brother, Roman officer Messala (Toby Kebbell). Director Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) is clearly more at home with the action scenes than the human drama, and his drive for a grittier telling of the story dampens its power somewhat. Rodrigo Santoro is almost too human as Jesus whose sacrifice underscores the thin line between love and hate. Morgan Freeman could have phoned in his performance as the impresario who steers Ben-Hur to revenge and redemption in a chariot, but Huston stands firm and some viewers may appreciate the brisk pace.
role | name |
---|---|
Judah Ben-Hur | Jack Huston |
Messala | Toby Kebbell |
Sheik Ilderim | Morgan Freeman |
Esther | Nazanin Boniadi |
Naomi | Ayelet Zurer |
Jesus | Rodrigo Santoro |
Tirzah | Sofia Black-D'Elia |
Pontius Pilate | Pilou Asbaek |
Quintus | James Cosmo |
role | name |
---|---|
Director | Timur Bekmambetov |