Newest Ben-Hur movie is half the length of Charlton Heston's Oscar-winning film

Movie Title: Ben Hur

  

Grade:   B-

Rating:  PG-13, 124 minutes

In a Nutshell:   I grew up watching the 1959 Oscar-winning original every Easter when it would play on TV.  

As a Christian, I’m always grateful to see religious-based movies hit the Big Screen.  However, as a Christian, I’m often disappointed.  

While the Charlton Heston adaptation earned 11 Academy Awards, this 6^th version will be mostly forgotten.   Watch the original instead.

Uplifting theme: 

• Redemption.
• Revenge vs. forgiveness
• Mercy vs. justice
• Fear vs. faith
• Kindness vs. brutality

Things I liked:

• This was filmed at the same site in Rome as the 1959 movie.
• Some of the sets were actually very good.
• The Roman ship battle scene was very impressive.  You’ll want to take a deep breath when it’s over.
• The chariot race towards the end was brutal, action-packed, and pretty exciting.
• Cheers to married couple Roma Downey and Mark Burnett who keep trying to bring family-friendly, inspiring movies to Christian audiences.  In fact, this adaptation shows more scenes with Jesus than any other version of Ben-Hur.
• Jack Huston sells us on his character's development.

Things I didn’t like:

• It doesn’t seem to have the same heart and soul as the Charlton Heston version. 
• The first half of the movie was a bit of a snore fest.
• Choppy editing.
• There is a lot of very obvious foreshadowing.
• This remake doesn’t really add anything new or even offer a different perspective to give audiences a reason to watch it.
• A lot of CGI, although it was done well.
• I always feel so sad for the horses in these sandal and sword movies.
• I wanted to cry and really feel something, but the few touching scenes were too rushed.
• Yeow!  Yeow!  Yeow!  Yeow!  (chariot race)
• This remake is half the length of Charlton Heston’s famous film that lasted almost four hours.  Granted, four hours is really too long for a movie (the popcorn only lasts 20 minutes).  I guess you could call this version “efficient.”  
• This movie will give you a headache if you see it in 3D.  2D is perfectly fine and enough.
• When you see Morgan Freeman playing the old sage, you know this movie isn’t going to be offering anything new.  I mean, how many times have we seen him play that role already?  Don’t get me wrong.  I do love him.  But wait, Morgan Freeman in dreadlocks?  That's new.

Interesting lines:

• “What should I do?” – Judah Ben-Hur  (Jack Huston)

“You’ve done enough.  Now pray!” – Naomi (Ayelet Zurer)

• “Love your enemies.” – Jesus (Rodrigo Santoro)

“That’s progressive.” – Judah

“It’s the truth.” – Jesus

• “We don’t kill all Romans.” – girl in tent

“Well, that’s not very comforting to the dead ones.” – Judah

• “You confuse peace with freedom.” – man in tent
• “You should have stayed away.” – Messala (Toby Kebbell)

“You should have killed me.” – Judah Ben-Hur  (Jack Huston)

“I will.” – Messala

  

Tips for parents:   

• Fighting, blood, suffering, drowning, trampling.  In other words, LOTS of violent sequences.
• Some kids just don't like older movies, so this newest version of Ben-Hur will be a nice introduction to this loosely-based Bible story for them.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes provides action and drama

Movie Title:  Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

PG-13, 2 hours 10 minutes

Grade:  B+/A-

In a Nutshell:   

When I was young I went to a Planet Of The Apes Movie Marathon with my friends.  We got a kick out of the furry franchise, featuring the talents of Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowell.  We knew the apes looked cheesy, but we still liked it.  Well, the apes sure don't look cheesy in this newest edition.  In fact, they're pretty doggone amazing.

This action-packed edition is a sequel to the successful 2011 reboot Rise Of The Planet of the Apes and showcases some truly amazing CGI.  Planet of the Apes purists will get to see some of their favorite parts: apes riding horses while toting AR15s, explosions, and plenty of human-ape conflict.

The dystopian genre has been extremely popular these past few years and, I must admit, it was interesting to imagine what my old stopping grounds, San Francisco, would look like after a deadly pandemic hits the area, wiping out most of the human race.  The setting and mood in this film are exceptional.

Uplifting theme: 

• Trust.
• Power.  The humans were trying to get power…electricity to run their colony of survivors.  The apes were also trying to get power…control over humans.
• Both sides, apes and humans, include those who see a future built on respect for the other, as well as those who are filled with hatred and prejudice. You’ll find yourself cheering for both sides.

Things I liked:

• Those eyes!  Those penetrating eyes!  Outstanding CGI showcases super detailed facial expressions on the apes.  The monkeys were extremely realistic, although some of their movements were a little too human.  There were a couple of times when some apes fought each other and it looked more like a professional wrestling match in the WWE.   
• The tears and subtle expressions on the apes' faces were so impressive.  In fact, those who shed tears in the movie (apes AND humans) do so in such a genuine way that it's not overdone.
• You get to see an adorable baby chimpanzee.  Adorable.
• I thought the “head hug” between (NO SPOILER ALERT) the ape and the man was very sweet.  It reminded me of the movie 10,000 B.C.
• I’ve always thought Keri Russell was so lovely.  I want a pair of her boots to tromp around in the woods.
• Gary Oldman and Jason Clarke do a good job and the uber-talented Andy Serkis supplies the meaningful voice behind Caesar, the leader of the apes.
• In the Mark Walberg edition of Planet Of The Apes , the apes almost had magical powers that enabled them to fly and jump to an absurd degree.  This film's apes are more realistic and believable. 

Things I didn’t like:

• I know they have to make distinctions between the apes so that we can tell them apart, but I thought the hippie, beaded headband that Caesar’s wife wore was just silly.  There was also some other ape that always hung out with the wife who wore a completely bizarre face mask with dangles covering almost the entire face.
• Why do they always put the dumb Bubbas in charge of the guns?
• There were some inconsistencies in the story.  For example, Malcolm said about the apes, “They don’t need power; that’s their strength.”  However, when we go into the apes’ headquarter camp at night, they have hanging lamps.  It made for a pretty lighting effect, but was illogical.  Why would the apes need lamps?
• The movie takes itself a little too seriously.  There were a few, mildly humorous moments, but it could have used a few more.

Did you notice?

• The symbol on the big rock in the apes’ headquarters.
• The muscle serving as the guard patrol at the apes’ headquarters were a bunch of beefy gorillas.
• I thought the sounds the orangutan made were really interesting and wondered if they were close to the real thing.  Click here to hear what a real orangutan sounds like.  It’s known as the “longcall.”
• Did you know that the talented actor who voices Caesar also created the fantastic sounds and movement for Gollum in The Complete Lord of the Rings Trilogy , as well as the duo films for The Hobbit ?
• It was a female actress who voices the ape, Maurice.

Interesting lines:

• “Fear makes others follow.”  - Caesar’s son
• “Trust.”  - Caesar
• “I see how much like them we are.” – Caesar
• “Ape not kill ape.” – Caesar
• “He saw things no kid should ever see and I’m not letting us go back to that.”  - Malcom 
• “What are you doing?”  

“Saving the human race.”  - Dreyfus

• “Home.  Family.  Future.”  - Caesar

Tips for parents:  Some profanity, 1 F-bomb, and lots of violence.  If you have kids who are learning sign language at school, they may enjoy watching the apes “talk.”  There are a lot of captions throughout the entire movie to help you understand what the apes are saying.  

If you haven’t seen earlier versions of the Planet of the Apes franchise, check out some of these: