Ben-Hur

first impressive thing is the ambition to create a new adaptation to a classic book. than to look the best way to be more than a great movie remake.and not the last, to have success. result - an adaptation for new generations. not original but good. interesting, giving new nuances - Stephen Campbell Moore does a real seductive Messala, more credible than in 1959 version, Ben Cross is a realistic Tiberius and Joseph Morgan is far to be another Charlton Heston. but the last fact could be a virtue because it is Ben Hur of a new time, part of a chain of blockbusters who use the Greek- Roman mythology and histories.so, a good film. for script, cast but, more important, for science to present a story in right nuances. and that fact is important.

This Television monumental version of 180 min and 2 parts about the renowned story during the time of Christ which was filmed several times, concerning on a wealthy Jewish named Ben-Hur results to be an acceptable movie with huge production design and wonderful scenarios . Ben Hur tells the story of two childhood friends whose lives go in drastically different directions leading to an unforgivable betrayal and lifelong quest for vengeance . The story is well known , a rich Jewish nobleman Ben Hur (Joseph Morgan -The Vampire Diaries- in the title role) and his confrontation to military Messala (Stephen Campbell Moore, Season of the witch , Hunted), though they were childhood friends . When happen a distress , a tile falls during a Roman parade, Judah and his family are wrongfully accused and Ben Hur incurs the hostility his previous friend and is condemned to galley slavery , reduced to manning an oar ; then his family is sent to prison during several years and subsequently his mother and sister are banished as lepers . Judah Ben-Hur is wrongly accused of inciting a riot that endangered the life of Pontius Pilate (Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey). As a result, Judah's former best friend , and now up-and-coming Roman soldier Messala (Stephen Campbell , earlier performed by Stephen Boyd) condemns . When he's in a galleon as slave rower saves to Quinto Arrio (Ray Winstone , previously played by Jack Hawkins) who subsequently appointed him as a heir . Years later he goes back to seek revenge upon his Roman tormentor .As he returns Palestina where his mother Miriam and sister Tizrah (roles performed by Alex Kingston and Kristen Krouk , and formerly by Martha Scott and Cathy O'Donnell respectively) are prisoned at Antonia fortress . This culminates in a groundbreaking chariot race . The classic tale is added religious issues about Jesus life , as are described the pilgrimage , Mountain sermon , Passion , crucifixion and resurrection .

Lavishly produced by various countries , this miniseries does attempt to achieve television levels of epicness and by channeling HBO's Rome, this miniseries succeeds . Adequate main cast such as Joseph Morgan as the noble wrongfully punished and sent away to be a slave and Stephen Campbell as his friend and nemesis . Being a Britain/Spain co-production the film has an enjoyable cast formed by English actors as Joseph Morgan, Stephen Campbell Moore, Ray Winstone, Alex Kingston, Hugh Bonneville and Spanish players as Simon Andreu , Miguel Angel Muñoz and Lucia Jimenez .

This 3 hr 12 minutes recounting of this religion-infused revenge saga turns out to be a not-terrible way to spend time . However , it has some inappropriate sexual scenes and nudism which does not fit with clean and pure earlier versions . The Series achieved success , it is probably related to the fact that nearly the entire cast has been featured in popular TV shows this season . Though its aspirations are far more modest, I went in expecting Ben Hur to be similar to the recent History Channel miniseries, The Bible. I slogged through it because I still find a lot of the stories exciting . Most sets designed by Benjamin Fernandez -who made Gladiator- , a real research, and several months of labor were required for the film . Well staged battle ships made by computer generator and a breathtaking chariot races , being filmed in Valencia , Spain . The dialogue , colorful images , majestic set design , glamorous photography by Ousama Rawi , evocative musical score combine to cast an entertaining movie . Rousing soundtrack by Rob Lane who composes thrilling as well as sensitive melodies . The motion picture was compellingly realized by director Steven Shill who has directed many episodes of famous series such as ¨Shameless¨ , ¨Missing¨, ¨V¨, ¨Law and order¨, ¨Rome¨ , ¨The good wife¨, ¨Los Tudor¨ , ¨Criminal Minds¨ , ¨Soprano¨ , among others .

There are numerous renditions based on Lee Wallace's Ben Hur , as stage version , classic MGM's mammoth silent version ¨Ben Hur¨ (1926) by Fred Niblo with Ramon Novarro; and the remake Ben-Hur (1959) in which Stuntman Cliff Lyons worked as a stuntman/chariot driver in both Ben Hur (1925) and this 1959 retelling . Ben Hur is a big budget version by William Wyler that won a record of 11 Oscars and was the most expensive picture of its time , being one of the greatest movies of all history. Cartoon version (2003) by Bill Kowalchuk in which a prologue and epilogue narrated by Charlton Heston ; and this ¨Ben Hur TV series¨ (2010) by Steven Shill with Joseph Morgan as Judah Ben-Hur , Stephen Campbell Moore as Messala , Emily VanCamp as Esther as Kristin Kreuk as Tirzah , Ben Cross , Simón Andreu , Alex Kingston , James Faulkner , among others .

Judah Ben-Hur (Joseph Morgan) is a rich Jewish merchant in Jerusalem. He, his sister Tirzah (Kristin Kreuk) and Roman commander Messala (Stephen Campbell Moore) were childhood friends. Ambitious Messala returns from Rome pushing Judah to inform on the Jewish revolt. He tries to stop the demonstration. He gets betrothed to Esther (Emily VanCamp). While the Governor of Judaea Pontius Pilate (Hugh Bonneville) marches in, a tile falls onto him and starts a riot. Messala is demoted. Judah is sent into slavery and encounters Jesus Christ on his way to the crucification. He is pressed into rowing a gallery where he rescues Roman admiral Quintus Arrius (Ray Winstone) after a battle. Arrius adopts him naming him after his dead son Sextus Arrius. He returns to avenge Tirzah and his mother Ruth (Alex Kingston).

This is a solid TV mini-series. There are some great actors. The younger leads are mostly TV stars. Joseph Morgan has more youth but not quite the presence of Charlton Heston. The big action is compensated by the modern CGI. The gallery scene works well. The chariot scene is less epic. I like some of the early exposition laying out the political situation. This series may not be necessarily but it is an interesting addition to the '59 classic.

Say BEN HUR and people immediately think of the Charlton Heston Hollywood epic: a film full of elaborate sets, huge crowds and epic chariot races. The powers that be decided time was ripe for a new version of the story, albeit in miniseries form, and no doubt to take advantage of the new-found popularity of the historical miniseries after the success of HBO'S ROME.

I for one am a huge fan of such stuff, so I was immediately predisposed to enjoy this outing. I was engaged from the outset: to my shame, I haven't yet seen the Heston film, so watching the story play out was a fresh and involving experience. The total running time is around three hours, and I didn't find that a single moment dragged.

As with many of these productions, the cast is packed with familiar faces. Ben Cross, Alex Kingston, Marc Warren, Art Malik and in particular Ray Winstone all seem to be having a ball with the roles they're provided. Stephen Campbell Moore, as the youthful hero, is sufficiently just, upstanding and likable enough, and watch out for a trio of highly attractive female cast members who ease the viewing experience: Emily Van Camp, Kristin Kreuk and, particularly, Lucia Jimenez.

The budget is high enough for them to film in authentic, sun-drenched locales, with copious use of sets and extras to build a realistic portrait of the times. The use of CGI (such as in the naval battle sequence) is certainly adequate and the final chariot race doesn't disappoint. It's no ROME, but then, what is?

The 1959 version of "Ben-Hur" is without a doubt one of the truly great motion picture epics, so it was with surprise, and dismay, that I saw this 2010 re-make mini series appear on my local TV channel, and against my better judgment started to watch, what could only be, this travesty. To my surprise I found within 30 minutes I was totally hooked and engrossed by a deeply touching and superior Television experience. What it lacks in sheer magnificence of the 1959 version, it more than makes up in the human story of a family torn apart by terrible misfortune and fate. Wisely the makers chose a superb young cast in the leads, with Joseph Morgan (as Ben-Hur) and Stephen Campbell Moore (as Messala) not only doing justice to these epic characters but imbuing them with true human emotions. The story is very much the same as the original, and even though it was said the makers played down the religious aspect, I personally found that by doing this they actually heightened it in some respects to truly wonderful effect, especially during the last hour of the story which left this viewer with more than a few tears in his eyes. Naturally the sexual aspect is more explicit, but if one watches the original 1925 silent version you realize that is is something which has always been there but left and only implied in the 1959 version. The famous chariot race of the 1959 version can never be duplicated and the film makers obviously did not have the budget or tried to do so, but apart from that, if you have the opportunity to see this version, do yourself a favor and do so. I think, like me, you will be pleasantly surprised.