Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

For starters, I'm a SUPER FAN of the 1959 William Wyler, starring Charleston Heston, “BEN-HUR: A Tale of the Christ”. As I looked forward with great anticipation to the release of the new BEN-HUR, I was really disappointed by all the negative reviews the movie got, well before it was even released. Having said that, I finally made it to the theater to see the new release of BEN-HUR. To my surprise, I was literally the only person in the whole theater. What a treat!, I thought, a private showing of the new BEN-HUR movie, just for me! Well, at that point I realized the critics had killed it the movie before it was even born! I totally loved it, I guess 3 thumbs up would describe it! MY REVIEW: The adaptation of the book was more credible than in its 1959 version. I loved the storyline, it moved seamlessly, and it kept my attention, bringing pleasant surprises, all the way through the end. I loved the different nuances in the script. The score was great but I loved that it didn't interfere or compete with the movie, you didn't even notice it was there, and that's a good thing! It would be unfair to compare the score to the grandiose and opulent scores of the late 50's and 60's when scores were written as masterpieces often times outdoing the film. I was really expecting to see an effort to remake the 1959 version but was pleasantly surprised by its big differences. I left the movie so enthusiastic and surprised at the same time of how much I loved it! Of course, I would forever be a fan of Charlton Heston's acting in the 1959 MGM BEN-HUR and the Miklos Rozsa lavish score. But I'll also be one of the biggest fans of this 2016 version. Can't wait until it comes out on BluRay, hoping that it includes a good deal of supplementary material. I was blessed to see the movie again with my wife, who also loved it, and a then a third time. Lew Wallace’s great-great-granddaughter, Carol Wallace, wrote a book to accompany the movie. It’s available in Kindle, Paperback, through Amazon. There’s also a Hardcover and a Hardcover Collector’s Edition available. Interesting Facts: Before you see this movie, it is important to note that this movie is not a remake of the 1959 film. The new release of BEN-HUR is another movie adaptation of the Novel “Ben-Hur: A tale of the Christ” written by Lew Wallace and first published by Harper & Brothers in 1880. The book became so popular that it prompted a stage play adaptation that opened November 1899 on Broadway. The Stage Play had over 6000 performances and it’s estimated that over 20 million people saw it during its 21-year run. The first BEN-HUR movie was filmed in 1907 by a studio called “Kalem”. An unauthorized 15-minute cheap version of the film. Henry Wallace, Lew Wallace’s son, together with Harper & Bros & Klaw & Erlanger filed a lawsuit that made it all the way to the Supreme Court and ruled in their favor. Thanks to Henry Wallace’s foresight, laws were put in place securing the intellectual property of authors from copyright infringement by film and theatrical productions. The first official movie was filmed 1925 followed by the 11 Academy Awards winner 1959 production. This newest theatrical version of BEN-HUR was released on August 19, 2016, with a production cost over $100 million. By October 2016 it has grossed $26.4 million in the US and $62.9 Internationally adding to a disappointing total gross of $89.3 million. The top nations in sales outside the USA were South Korea ($10 million), Mexico ($6 million), Brazil ($5.5 million), and Russia ($4.3 million). I’m sure the studio will at least break even after the DVD releases worldwide. '