In the Name of Ben Hur

One of the worst movies i have ever seen. Well not even sure you can call it a movie it is so bad. Everything about this film is bad. The story is unbelievable, to think a few untrained farmers could defeat trained Roman soldiers and ex-Gladiators is ridiculous. None of the characters looked like they could fight their way out of a paper bag. Could the Romans really only muster half a dozen soldiers in badly fitted Armour, that were so easily defeated by a man with a staff?

The direction is awful and the costumes a joke, (Peter Ormond looked like he was in badly fitted fancy dress.) Jonno Davies ran around like a little boy so out of his depth and really badly cast. It is hard to find any good acting in this movie, but Alan Calton stood out as better than the film itself.

I watched it to the end in the hope that it might get better but it gets worse the more it progresses to the final silly ending.

At times I thought maybe this was a spoof comedy, but on reading the DVD cover discovered it was suppose to be an action film.

There I was, expecting a remake of the original,or thereabouts.Okay so I wasn't expecting the huge Cinematic blockbuster that was the original, but come on! Was this meant to be tongue-In-cheek? No,but It certainly seems that way. My first worries began when I discovered that the filming locations were In Wales. Now, parts of Wales are spectacularly beautiful, but Ben-Hur and the Welsh valleys Just don't gel, It certainly wouldn't have been at the top of my list of "suitable locations", but these are only my opinions of course - each to his or her own, as they say. That said, the 19th century dry-stone walls built by Welsh farmers do seem a little out of place. The running time of 1.5 hours, less than half the length of the original, didn't bode well. The costumes. Too clean and bright and suitable only at a fancy dress party. Cleanliness, obvious make up, strategically-placed "dirt" on faces, trimmed facial-hair and perfectly manicured nails add to what comes across more like an episode of a kids tea-time drama than an epic-remake. Where are the advances In Cinematic skills and technology which allow film-makers to create realism like never before? Erm...absent. As for the acting, mediocre across the board Is quiet a generous statement. For those who've never seen the 1959 epic and view this entirely on Its own merit, perhaps who also have little or no Interest In historical accuracy (and there's nothing wrong In that), or who view the whole and have no concern for the parts which make up that whole, then this Movie may Just entertain you a little, or maybe even more so. Despite my negativity, I do however think that the younger element will like It (and no-doubt find the original rather overstretched and boring) as It does have Its share of action and drama. But for those over 21 I'd have to say "Your time could be much better spent"!

We might call In the name of Ben-Hur, Judah Ben-Hur the later years and since he was doing his thing back in Judea around the time of the crucifixion of Jesus, he's had an interesting life. In the years of Nero's reign time and circumstance have brought him to Lusitania which we now call Portugal. One day Ben-Hur retired and wandering saves the life of young Jonno Davies who is protecting his sister from the depravities of some legionnaires.

But that's for openers. The governor has hit upon a brilliant scheme to keep Nero happy send him some women from the province. Had it been Caligula they were trying to please it would have been young twinks. Of course the locals including Davies aren't real happy about this.

In fact Davies importunes Adrian Bouchet playing the middle aged Ben-Hur to train his posse as gladiators, the better to fight the Romans. Therein lies the tale.

Although there are references to the two classic films and Lew Wallace's novel including one big one in the end which if you haven't seen either the film or read the novel you won't understand the climax, there's one big glaring error. Judah Ben-Hur was NOT a gladiator in the original story, he made his bones as a chariot racer as we well know. He's asked to train the kids in gladiatorial combat which wasn't his thing.

Bouchet, Davies, and the rest look like folks whose paychecks have cleared knowing they're in a scavenger of a movie made to take advantage of a third remake of Ben-Hur coming out.

Lew Wallace, Charlton Heston, and Ramon Novarro would not be pleased.

Easy viewing. A good film to have on when you want to enjoy and switch off from heavier daily troubles. Although not perfect, worth supporting from an all British cast, production value perspective.

It's hardly the budget of a Gladiator or a Kingdom of Heaven. But it aims to show an interesting array of characters and in some instances the uniqueness of an all British cast and a new Ben Hur story comes through. I thought Lucia plays a good role as the sister of the hero. Cassius is also an interesting character, albeit a little expected.

The idea of a washed up, reclusive Ben-Hur is an interesting concept and is an ambitious concept to take on. As mentioned, it is a well-intentioned different take on an existing story. It's definitely worth knowing when going into this film to manage expectations.

The film is inevitably held back by lack of budget but it does aim to deliver a good show, and the final action sequence along the beach definitely delivers some a beautiful backdrop to the final climax. I thought the music was good -- probably the part most reminiscent of a larger movie

It's a film you should go into with expectations clear -- definitely a B movies, with a small budget and is good for a Sunday afternoon viewing. worth keeping an open mind, there are some nuggets in there.

I feel that this film is more "Ivanhoe" than a biblical epic. The Romans are mostly depicted as arrogant and selfish. As a film for a mature audience I think this film leaves much to be desired. It is more like an adventure film. Children, however, may therefore find it both exciting and thrilling. The characters are either good or bad, only a few shades of gray, which is important for a kiddie audience.

The film was reminiscent of a low-budget TV film.

The plot of a young warrior learning the trade from an older warrior has been borrowed from lots of earlier films. The premise that a warrior assembles an uneven bunch of amateur fighters to defeat a superior enemy has also been shown in films many times in the past.