{"id":13739,"date":"2016-12-15T21:01:34","date_gmt":"2016-12-16T05:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/?p=13739"},"modified":"2016-12-15T21:02:07","modified_gmt":"2016-12-16T05:02:07","slug":"review-benhur2016-bd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/2016\/12\/review-benhur2016-bd\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Ben-Hur BD + Screen Caps"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>This adaptation of Ben-Hur<\/em><\/strong> wasn\u2019t as bad as I thought it would be but that doesn\u2019t mean it should\u2019ve been made. However, at least Jack Huston gives an earnest and heartfelt performance while Morgan Freeman basically phoned in his performance and the visual effects were mostly impressive.<\/p>\n

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Ben-Hur<\/span>
\n(2016)<\/span>
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Genre(s): <\/strong>Action, Adventure, Drama
\nParamount | PG13 \u2013 124 min. \u2013 $39.99 | December 13, 2016<\/p>\n

Date Published:<\/strong> 12\/15\/2016 | Author:<\/strong> The Movieman<\/span><\/p>\n

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MOVIE INFO:
\n<\/u>Directed by: <\/strong>Timur Bekmambetov
\nWriter(s): <\/strong>Lew Wallace (novel); Keith R. Clarke & John Ridley (screenplay)
\nCast: <\/strong>Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, Rodrigo Santoro, Nazanin Boniadi, Ayelet Zurer, Pilou Asbaek, Sofia Black-D\u2019Elia, Morgan Freeman<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DISC INFO:
\n<\/u>Features: <\/strong>Featurettes, Deleted Scenes, Music Videos
\nDigital Copy: <\/strong>Yes
\nFormats Included: <\/strong>Blu-ray, DVD
\nNumber of Discs: <\/strong>2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Audio: <\/strong>English (DTS-HD MA 7.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Portuguese (Dolby Digital 5.1)
\nVideo: <\/strong>1080p\/Widescreen 2.40
\nSubtitles: <\/strong>English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
\nDisc Size: <\/strong>43.9 GB
\nCodec: <\/strong>MPEG-4 AVC
\nRegion(s): <\/strong>A, B, C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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THE MOVIE \u2014 3.0\/5<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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Plot Synopsis: <\/strong>Judah Ben-Hur (JACK HUSTON) loses everything after his adopted brother Messala (TOBY KEBBELL), now an officer in the Roman army, returns to Jerusalem and accuses the young prince of treason. Stripped of his title and separated from his wife (NAZANIN BONIADI) and family, Ben-Hur must endure years of slavery on a galley at sea. When fate \u2014 in the form of Sheik Ilderim (MORGAN FREEMAN) \u2014 brings the estranged brothers to an epic and deadly chariot race, Ben-Hur finally gets the chance to exact vengeance on the man who destroyed his life.<\/p>\n

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Remakes aren\u2019t going away but at issue is whether some should get the treatment in the first place. And the general answer is: no. The latest is Ben-Hur<\/em><\/strong> which, based on Lew Wallace\u2019s 1880 novel, has been adapted numerous times, the most famous being the 1925 and then 1959 feature films, not to mention TV movies and stage plays. So while this newest adaptation isn\u2019t unfounded, upon watching, there\u2019s no real reason for it to exist. However, it\u2019s not to say it\u2019s a waste of time, just unlike its predecessor, will not stand the test of time and will be regarded as a footnote.<\/p>\n

Ben-Hur<\/em><\/strong> might be another pointless remake, and apparently audiences agreed as it pulled in a mere $94.06 million worldwide against a $100 million production budget (plus more with marketing). But as needless as this movie was, it was hard to deny that there was some quality work done, primarily an earnest but passionate performance from Jack Huston as the title character and director Timur Bekmambetov (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter<\/em>) showcasing some impressive sequences, most notably the sea battle and the iconic chariot race, both utilizing CGI but not to the point where it was overbearing and unrealistic.<\/p>\n

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The supporting cast was fine with Toby Kebbell playing a serviceable antagonist, up-and-comer Pilou Asbaek (next seen in Ghost in the Shell<\/em>) as Pontius Pilot was more or less a side character, and Morgan Freeman was probably cast for his opening voice over, otherwise seemed to phone in his performance. Nazanin Boniadi was a decent love interest as Esther and Rodrigo Santoro made for a nice down-to-earth (so to speak) Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

In the end, Ben-Hur<\/em><\/strong> isn\u2019t terrible and does have some well shot action scenes and solid acting, but there\u2019s no reason to see this adaptation when you\u2019ve got others to watch that are far better and more impressive for their time. As it is, it might be worth a rental but not much more than that.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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SPECIAL FEATURES \u2013 3.0\/5<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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This release comes with a semi-glossy slip cover<\/strong>. Inside is a DVD Copy<\/u><\/strong> and a redemption code for the Digital HD<\/u><\/strong> copy.<\/p>\n

Ben-Hur: The Legacy (10:37; HD)<\/u><\/strong> looks at the previous incarnations and what the filmmakers wanted to instill on a new generation. Includes behind-the-scenes footage.<\/p>\n

The Epic Cast (12:10; HD)<\/u><\/strong> breaks down the casting of the iconic characters.<\/p>\n

A Tale for Our Times (15:25; HD)<\/u><\/strong> is on Timur Bekmambetov\u2019s approach to directing the film as well as the historical accuracy from the sets, costumes and dialogue.<\/p>\n

The Chariot Race (10:37; HD)<\/u><\/strong> is a more in-depth look at the film\u2019s key sequence.<\/p>\n

Deleted and Extended Scenes (10:23; HD)<\/u><\/strong> \u2014 There are seven scenes included here, some with expansion on character but nothing that would\u2019ve improved the movie that much.<\/p>\n

Music Videos (HD):<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n