Ben Hur
It’s hard to know where to begin, but I can tell you I spent half the time playing solitaire on my smart phone while I suffered through this debacle. Since there was no one within 50 feet of me, it didn’t annoy anybody.
Ben Hur
Entertainment Rating: Zero Stars
Rating: PG-13, extreme violence and death, no profanity
Possible Oscar Nominations: Worst movie of the year.
Hollywood has buried us this year with sequels, only one worth- while (Star Trek Beyond.) Now were getting re-makes, Ghostbusters being a total failure, and Ben Hur even worse. The script was awful, the staging weak, and the acting mediocre at best. Our “star” Jack Huston, who played Judah Ben Hur, chose to whisper half of his lines, rendering them unintelligible. Several women members of his family spoke with British accents, which were not in vogue in Jerusalem in 33 AD. At least Morgan Freeman, appearing in his ten thousandth film, spoke clearly.
The climactic chariot race had some spectacular moments, none of them unexpected, and of course the ending was never in doubt. If the film had any redeeming moments, it was the impact Jesus Christ had on some of the citizens as the story took place during his ministry and crucifixion. Those scenes, however, were few and far between. The original film (1959), starring Charlton Heston, is worth your time. This one is not.
Pete’s Dragon
Director David Lowery hit the nail on the head when he said, “this movie was made for seven year olds.” It most certainly was, although in all fairness, I saw it with three grandchildren, two who are sixteen and one who is fourteen. They gave it thumbs up. I found it mildly entertaining, but having the kids along made it worthwhile.
Pete’s Dragon
Entertainment Rating: ★★★★
(for 7-year-olds)
Rating: G
This movie is a combination of E.T. and Jungle Book, using many of the winning formulas from those films, but alas falling short on the execution. After all, how many dragons do you know that have fur? Regardless, the theatre was filled with youngsters who found it very entertaining and who cheered and clapped when it was over. And, as a parent, how many times can you find an actual “G” rated movie at the neighborhood cinema? With that in mind, I recommend you take some of the appropriate age group with you and relax watching this fantasy film, which is not animated, except of course for you know who.
Filmed in its entirety in New Zealand there are some great scenic backdrops.
