Review of Ben-Hur (2016) by Garry B — 19 Aug 2016

Ok, so the 1959 version is better, campy, spectacular cinematography, more reverent and, of course, has Charleton Heston. That being said, viewers should quit comparing the two! The new Ben Hur as a stand-alone movie is excellent! The movie is gritty with a very realistic look. Sure there are a lot of things I would change including the ending. (i.e. The mother and daughter scene getting healed is really lame.) I like all the actors. The only one, in my mind, that doesn't really fit is Morgan Freeman. He plays his usual reassuring figure that he has played in a dozen other movies.

As a summary, it is a very good movie definitely worth seeing. The critics, of course, automatically dismiss it because it has a religious element to it. If they ever begin to realize that faith is an integral part of many people's lives maybe they could provide relevant reviews! Definely go see it!