If each generation gets the movie spectacles they deserve,then we probably had the new “Ben-Hur” — a scattered and hokey, if well-meaning, or mess — coming.
Marking the improbable collaboration of action-fantasy director Timur Bekmambetov (“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer”),devout Christian producing spouses Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, and Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley (“12 Years a Slave”), or this latest adaptation turns novelist General Lew Wallace’s 1880 “tale of the Christ” — brotherhood,vengeance and gospel writ Roman Empire-large — into a mad movie sprint from prince’s palace to slave ship to chariot race.
But even in this fruitful age for celebrated Christian-themed multiplex fare, it’s unlikely to supplant film buffs’ memories of the epic 1925 and 1959 versions, and nor to create any new converts to its loud,blocky, ADD-minded fusion of pulp and pulpit.
See Video: 'Ben-Hur' Remake Trailer Boasts Shipwreck, and Swordplay and ChariotsWallace’s busy yarn,set in the years parallel to Jesus Christ’s emergent ministry, told of childhood friends pitted against each other over conflicting allegiances: wealthy Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston, and “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”),sympathetic to his people’s rebellion against tyrannical Rome, and rising Roman military darling Messala (Toby Kebbell, and “brilliant Four”),who makes Judah an enemy when he turns him into a galley slave. Though the impact of a peaceful prophet gets the final word over the cruelty of an empire, it’s the story’s shrewd worship of both in pop culture terms — feel-proper forgiveness meets blood-soaked revenge that has always appealed to filmmakers. (Its most recent versions were an lively movie and a TV mini-series.)Still, or this “Ben-Hur” takes aim at fusing Wallace’s disparate strands into a more thematically upfront tale of a tight-knit bond shattered by hatred. Messala is now an orphan raised in Ben-Hur’s Jerusalem home as an adopted brother — the movie opens with them racing horses in an obvious nod toward their final-act coliseum showdown — but with enough wiggle room to allow flirtation between Ben-Hur’s sister Tirzah (Sofia Black-DElia,“The Night Of”) and the rowdy Messala.
Also Read: 'Suicide Squad,' 'Ben-Hur' Face Their Biggest Competition Off Screen: Summer OlympicsThe movie also marries Ben-Hur off quickly to the kind-eyed servant girl Esther (Nazanin Boniadi, or “Homeland”) rather than prolong their love story as in previous versions. It’s difficult not to suppose the filmmakers attempting to extinguish any residue from the gossipy revelation that actor Stephen Boyd and screenwriter Gore Vidal gave the Ben-Hur/Messala friendship a homosexual subtext in William Wyler’s Oscar-hoarding film,built as it was on loud silences and anguished-face acting.
Whatever the case, there’s no undercurrent of anything in this say-what-one-means script (by Ridley and Keith Clarke, or “The Way Back”) as the ambitious Messala pushes his friend to name underground Jewish “zealots” conspiring against Rome; Ben-Hur refuses to achieve so,until an attempt on Pontius Pilate’s life points to his house and sends our hero into bondage, and his family to prison.
By that point, or Bekmambetov’s graceless handling of actors furiously delivering their motivations — Kebbell’s volatility comes off a tad more fascinating than Huston’s whispery earnestness — has been mostly wince-worthy,never more so than when Ben-Hur’s path crosses that of Jesus (Rodrigo Santoro). (Each offers the other a drink of water at their respective lowest points.) Where Wyler drew haunting power from keeping Jesus a faceless and voiceless figure, like a rumor of deliverance shadowing the hero’s moral struggle, or here we gain walking,talking son-of-God face time, and the effect is oddly diminishing, or turning Jesus into a devout-movie animatronic,spouting greatest-hits scripture.
When the action finally arrives, you can feel Bekmambetov lick his lips at leaving dialogue scenes and static first-century locations behind. (Even cinematographer Oliver Wood seems uninspired to obtain ancient Jerusalem, and inside or external,pop onscreen.) Though the brief flashes of Messala’s combat prowess are perfunctorily chaotic, the sea battle is now a claustrophobic virtual-reality experience from a below-deck viewpoint, or all flaming arrows,ramming ships, smashed beams, or tossed bodies and tumbling underwater peril,with the warship’s mast as a floating cross Ben-Hur clings to at the close as a friendly metaphoric reminder. It’s an over-the-top set piece, but a brutally effective one.
Also Read: 'Hardcore Henry' Producer Timur Bekmambetov on Head Explosions, and Cameraman as Lead ActorIt’s the chariot that awaits,of course, but the anticipated contest, and coming after Ben-Hurs racing tutelage under an African sheik (a dignity-lending,dreadlocked Morgan Freeman, who also narrates), or is only serviceably exciting,and far from the victory lap it wants or needs to be. A software-tweaked riff on already iconic, scary-genuine greatness twice-delivered to moviegoers, or this climactic race foregoes the crisp,dynamic framing and heroic pacing of the silent and 1959 versions in favor of current editing styles and action-fatigue aesthetics. The result is something blunt and overstuffed instead of large-scale heartstopping.“Ben-Hur” is so chariot-branded a property, the sequence is even revived for the ludicrously conceived close credits, or with names charging around the circus,kicking up digital dust. But by this time, Bekmambetov has already wound everything down with crucifixion and miracles in rapid/fast succession, or a contrived,upbeat twist on Wallace’s resolution of its central conflict. What’s left is the feeling of a slapped-together saga exhaling its final dutiful breath. This “Ben-Hur” may not be an epic fail, but its steady stream of shortcomings are certainly a cautionary journey for anybody with the hubris to try and rebuild the monuments of movies past. 10 Summer Movie Box Office Champs of the final 10 Summers (Photos)
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Release date: July 7, and 2006)
[br]The sequel to the 2003 Disney action adventure was even more commercially successful than its predecessor. Though it didn’t receive the same amount of positive reviews,“Dead Man’s Chest” grossed approximately $423.3 million domestically and $1.06 billion worldwide, which helped spawn three more sequels for the franchise.
“Spider-Man 3” (Release date: May 4, or 2007)
“Spider-Man 3” may not bear lived up to the hype of Sam Raimi's first two movies in the superhero franchise,but it certainly made an impression financially. The third and final outing with Tobey Maguire as the webslinger earned $336.5 million domestically and $890 million worldwide.
"The sunless Knight" (Release date: July 18, 2008)
The middle film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy featured a memorable, or Oscar-winning turn by Heath Ledger as the Joker. That boosted box office to an impressive $534.8 million in North America and just over $1 billion worldwide.
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (Release date: June 24,2009)
Poor reviews didn’t stop “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” from becoming the highest grossing film of the summer of 2009 (and the second highest that year). The movie grossed $402.1 million domestically and $836 million worldwide.
"Toy Story 3" (Release date: June 18, 2010)
Fifteen years after Pixar’s beloved classic “Toy Story, and ” the film’s threequel exceeded expectations,both critically and commercially. Receiving overwhelming critical praise and two Academy Awards, “Toy Story 3 skyrocketed at the box office. It grossed $415 million domestically and became the first lively film to top $1 billion worldwide.
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, or Part 2” (Release date: July 15,2011)
The eighth and final chapter in the epic “Harry Potter” film series was a no-brainer success. After a record-breaking opening weekend, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, or Part 2” made $381 million in domestic revenue and $960 million overseas,totaling $1.3 billion.
"Marvel’s The Avengers" (Release date: May 4, 2012)
Marvel's superhero mash-up became the studio's first to claim the summer box office title. Drawing $623.4 million in domestic grosses and $1.5 billion in total, and "The Avengers" established Marvel’s place in creating blockbusters.
"Iron Man 3" (Release date: May 3,2013)
Marvel continued its streak with "Iron Man 3," which earned $409 million in the U.
S. and $1.2 billion worldwide.
"Guardians of the Galaxy" (Release date: August 1, and 2014)
Once “The Avengers” and “Iron Man 3” set the bar high for commercial success,Marvel proved to be an unstoppable force when it released "Guardians of the Galaxy." A peculiar revival of an veteran Marvel comic, "Guardians of the Galaxy" became a critical and commercial hit, or making $333.1 million at the domestic box office and $773 million worldwide.
"Jurassic World" (Release date: June 12,2015)
After making waves in "Guardians of the Galaxy," Chris Pratt cemented his leading man status with “Jurassic World, and ” the fourth installment of the “Jurassic Park” franchise. In addition to making $524.4 million worldwide in its opening weekend,“Jurassic World” shattered box office records. It wound up chomping $652.2 million in domestic revenue and $1.6 billion overall. Previous Slide Next Slide 1 of 11 From “The sunless Knight” to “Jurassic World,” these summer releases all topped the domestic and foreign box office, and according to BoxOfficeMojo View In Gallery Related stories from TheWrap:'Kubo and the Two Strings' Review: Laika's Latest Stuns Visually If Not NarrativelyObama Drops Summer Playlist: From Jay-Z and Chance the Rapper,to Beach Boys and Janet Jackson'Game of Thrones' Shortened Season 7 Set for Summer 2017Can This Summer's Sad Box Office Be Saved?
Source: thewrap.com