There is one fundamental problem with a 2016 reboot of Ben Hur – that absolutely no one needed it.

Watch it for the gripping narrative and some brilliant acting by the two leads – Huston and Kebbell. To its core, this is a movie about love, family, struggle, and revenge, which will keep you engaged for the entire length of the movie. Ben-Hur surely qualifies as an entertaining weekend pick.

This Ben-Hur isn’t a total washout, but it doesn’t hit that much-needed high note that could distinguish it from its far superior predecessor.

Bemkambetov’s Ben-Hur is an adequate spectacle for viewers unaware of the existence of Wyler’s version, and the director’s impersonal approach to the charged material works fine until the moment of Ben-Hur’s encounter with Jesus Christ. The hurried ending seems tacked on to the real climax in the dust-laden arena, where men and horses shed blood for their beliefs.