Worth a revisit

Ervell E. Menezes
This time we’ll have to bypass the ‘comparisons are odious’ line as William Wyler’s 1959 version was a wonder and though the chariot race was the biggest, it was not the only one. “Ben-Hur” 3D is more modern and director Timur Beckmembetov takes a few liberties with the script, but the overall effect is more than a notch below the original.
Firstly, the lead roles by two unknowns Jack Huston (no relative of John Huston) and Toby Kebbel as against giants like Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd, is a major handicap. That Kebbel sort of resembles a young Jerry Lewis is another no-no. Also their performances are just about average.
The plus points are - a more ‘Christian’ ending, greater footage to Jesus (Rodrigo Santiro) and the ‘galley slaves’ exposure.
That Judah Ben-Hur (Huston) and Messala (Kebbel) “adopted brothers” have to part due to socio-religious reasons only show the extent to which former friends become bitter enemies. But here too the parent film is more lucid.
The road they tread is long and the sets quite impeccable, as also the characters diverse. Sheikh IIderim (Morgan Freeman) puts Ben-Hur in touch with horses and hence the chariot race, and Esther (Nazanin Boniadi), the hero’s love interest, who moves in and out of the frame from time to time. But the movie tends to slip out of grasp now and then, even though it is shorter (123 minutes) than the original.
In sum ‘Ben-Hur’ 3D is still worth watching.