There are some classic sword and sandal films that should not be reconsidered by Hollywood for a remake. Is 1959’s Ben-Hur among them?
But given that the blockbuster starring Charlton Heston was a remake of a silent black and white version made in 1925, maybe that’s not an issue.
Yeah there are some possible remakes that would be welcomed (with the right team behind it) – i.e. the respected 1960 Stanley Kubrick film Spartacus (not the 2004 mini-series version) or another attempt could be made to rewrite the wrongs of Oliver Stone’s failed epic Alexander.
However, the above trailer for this year’s Ben-Hur does show some promise in some parts, especially with the scenes set at sea. Problem is it hits clichéville with the chariot race and the Morgan Freeman voice over.
But will a CG chariot race deliver thrills to cinema-goers as the real action from the 1959 version?
It all looks a bit cringe worthy but if we’re wrong we’ll be glad of it.
We’ll just have to wait for the reviews to come in upon its August release.
The film is directed by Timur Bekmambetow who last outing was Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The man taking the lead role that Heston made famous is the not so well-known Brit actor Jack Huston.
See the chariot race from the 1959 classic in this clip from Movieclips.