Revenge, hate, betrayal, unforgivness - these are the main themes of Ben - Hur. Many watch this movie and remember its predecessor. Why remake something so classic? My answer... the message is too powerful not to remake.
Judah Ben-Hur, a wealthy Jewish man. Messala, adopted into the Ben - Hur family whos ancestors have a roman origin and his family name is scorned. Although they come from different bacgrounds they are best of friends and as close as brothers. You would think that nothing would come inbetween them? Well you are wrong. Messala leaves the house of Hur to go prove himself a man and make a name for himself as a Roman soldier. It is not until years later he comes back to his adopted family and is welcomed back with open arms. Things do not bode well as there is unrest in the Jewish community and there are those who wish to rebel against the Romans. This casues a rift between the best friends and the house of Hur is brought down. Judah is sent to be a slave on a ship and works for 5 years before escaping. One thing leads to another and before you know it the two brothers are facing off in a tense chariot race at the circus. Judah is back for revenge for his family as they did nothing wrong and he was wrongly accused. Messala is proving his worth and will not back down to a challenge. Only time will tell who wins the epic and thrilling chariot race.
As one who has watched the original Ben - Hur I was excited to see what would happen to this remake. I was not dissapointed. I think that many reviewers could not look past the fact that it was a remake. Yes, the original was great for its time but I beleive this generation needs a reminder of powerful message behind the film. It is so much more than a remake. It shows what really happens when you let revenge and hate take