User Reviews

I agree with the question that many of the reviewers here have brought up: why on earth would someone decide to spend a lot of time and effort and money in remaking a once-in-a-lifetime classic movie like Ben Hur. The only sensible reason can be that you want to give the story an interesting twist: make it some sort of prequel or sequel to the original or focus on some new aspects. But to re-make the entire original movie step by step, almost without changing a thing, seems superfluous to say the least, or down-right stupid.

Having stated this, I must give the makers of this version due credit: it's not such a bad movie at all. It's visually attractive, has a good pace, the (unchanged) storyline is as strong as ever, and the acting (contrary to what some of the reviewers think) was in my opinion pretty good, as far as the protagonists of the story are concerned. It took me a few minutes to adjust to Joseph Morgan, but after that he turned out as a very convincing Judah Ben Hur, with a strong and very physical screen-presence, equally realistic in his emotional outbursts and anger as in his more softer moments. He totally held his own against the very strong Stephen Campbell Moore as Messala. The Roman characters like Quintus Arrius, Marcellus Agrippa, Pilate and emperor Tiberius were also given solid performances. Emily VanCamp as the love-interest Esther had more will-power than beauty, but this fitted the story fine. And I didn't have any trouble with Lucía Jiménez as the prostitute slave-girl Athena; maybe her way of talking seemed a bit declamatory, but she had to play a foreign (Greek) woman so her accent and deliberate speech was actually a realistic part of the story.

My only disappointments concerned the mother and sister: their parts were rather small and unconvincing, but this was mainly due to the script that didn't offer them much space. Why on earth Kristin Kreuk (who is a gifted actress that I absolutely loved in Smallville) agreed to play the sister is beyond me, her character was as thin as wall-paper with hardly three lines to say! Well, maybe she just needed a vacation in Marocco, where they filmed!

The movie has some great and spectacular scenes, like the sea-battle with the galley's and of course the famous chariot-race. The religious aspects (the Ben Hur story more or less crosses the story of Jesus on his way to crucifixion) are not overblown, but still very much present. Judah's magical moment when facing Jesus and helping him with lifting the cross-wood during his way to Golgotha is well-done, although this Jesus must be the most uncharismatic Jesus that I've seen for ages in a movie, it's a wonder in itself that Judah senses anything special at all. For some reasons (they were probably afraid to shy away the non-religious viewers) the miraculous healing of the mother and sister from their affliction with leprosy is not visually linked with the meeting or touching of Jesus (or are we to think that they were hiding in the wagon nearby and the healing was radiated to them from a distance?). Anyway, the sickness didn't seem to be so bad as to justify the fuzz everyone was making over it, I mean, the make-up department could have put in a little bit more effort. Now we see Kristin Kreuk desperately trying to hide her afflicted face but when Judah lowers her scarf she reveals her usual beautiful self with just one large pimp on her forehead.

All in all I was reasonably entertained and satisfied, but still left with this unsolved question: why did they bother???

This was an okay adaptation but could have been so much better. The lead actor didn't suit the role at all and everything was a little too clean cut. For instance, the part where Ben Hur has been on a galley ship for 3 years is laughable. He is clean shaven, hardly a hair out of place (still short back and sides!) and not a sign of a blemish on his skin! Really! Hmmm... perhaps he had a shower everyday??! Ray Winstone was very good in his role as was Stephen Campbell Moore, Alex Kingston and Art Malik. So it was watchable but if you compare it to Rome or Spartacus then it falls way short! I certainly wouldn't bother watching it again but if you have nothing else to do, watch it but just don't expect anything gripping!

I love the original version. As a matter of fact it is one of the first movies I bought on VHS. So watching this thing was to say the least disappointing. This could have been a good TV series. The actors are good, the costumes and sets well made and accurate but the luck of DIRT is very obvious unfortunately! (The Romans cross the desert, and they look clean and refreshed as if they just had a bath lol), and the photography and lighting quite nice. However, the story adaptation and script in general, looks like it was done by a 10 year old. The characters are shallow and they are completely detached from one another. The bonds that should drive the story are weak, almost absent, and we simply watch this movie as a companion to the original. There is no real reason as to why Ben Hur should be adopted by his roman dad in this version. There is no reason for him playing gladiator besides adding some sword fight to the recipe. There is no reason why the mother and sister wake up healed in the end. There is no reason for A lot of things happening in this movie. The movie is watchable if you have nothing better to do on a workday afternoon. Personally I watched this at work, so I did not waste any of my precious time. I suggest you do the same. I Voted with a 3 only because of the costumes and sets.

Watching the 1959 version again after the 2010 version - I was struck by how ridiculous the old version really is. It left me unsatisfied on so many levels.

I far prefer the new version because it is more "humanized" and the relationships between characters is more developed, and representative to what I imagine the times to have been. The closer view of Judah and Quintus's relationship and the father-son sentiments really ripped at my heart. This is something the old version never showed the viewer. Giving someone your name was very special in Ancient Roman culture and this is shown nicely - for those who looked and listened carefully to the dialogue, which, by the way, I thought was good. OK, so some of the effects aren't worth millions - but I think the casting wasn't half bad. Ray Winstone as Quintus Arrius was EXCELLENT!! I loved this product. Sorry smooches - but I think its good...

Now, I will not claim to have seen the originals. In fact, I had never heard of them beyond this film. (In England it is shown as a 3 hour film). This, on its own merits, is a very good film. The acting is visceral, emotional and believable. The setting for the film very convincing - at least to me, and the dialogue accessible.

Joseph Morgan is most convincing as Ben Hur. Especially as his character develops. By the time he is a galley slave, then a Roman, you are totally invested in his plight. Similarly, you feel dislike and pity for Messala all at once. I was especially surprised how much Joseph Morgan in Ben Hur did not remind me overly of Klaus from Vampire Diaries (where I knew him from). Athene is also convincing as the unwilling but good willed prostitute, and the nearly-father-son relationship between Ben Hur and Arrius is extremely convincing and moving.

Overall, the storyline does contain a few holes and a few weak points. You could even say that certain characters were not explored enough. But this is definitely a very humanized, very watchable version of Ben Hur. It brings it to a wider audience and is not overly religious - which would put off many nowadays.

You will certainly not regret the time spent watching it. A drama, with, thankfully, a fantastic ending - whether or not it is better than the earlier ones.