Retro Review: Ben-Hur (1959)

In honor on the recent remake, I have decided to take a look back at the classic Ben-Hur. Is Ben-Hur a relic of films past that should be remade, or should it be held on its own still today? Even with slowdown and being long, Ben-Hur is an engrossing and important piece of film that should be remembered, not remade.

            Ben-Hur begins with Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish merchant, reconnecting with his friend Messala, a Roman tribune, in 1 A.D. After a disagreement, and accidently injuring a general, Judah, his mother, and his sister, are thrown in prison. What follows is a quest for revenge and forgiveness, including slave rowing in the galleys (warships), participating in a life or death chariot race, and even meting Jesus Christ. The films plot is very engaging, especially at the chariot scene and the scenes of him as a slave in the galley. The film does experience some slowdown, such as before the chariot race. At 3 hours and 44 minutes, the film is long, but that is also including the intermission, the credits and a few other scenes.  

            All the actors play their respective parts well. Charlton Heston shines as Judah Ben-Hur, acting with the passion of a man who is out for revenge, yet is capable of showing emotions. Stephen Boyd portrays Messala well, as does Hugh Griffith as Sheik Ilderim. A special mention to Claude Heater for his portrayal of Jesus Christ, adding an effectiveness to the role by never speaking and showing his face, yet being crucial to the story.   

            For the late 1950’s, the effects are great. There were over 300 sets made to show all different locations of the time period. Even the use of miniatures during a naval battle (although noticeable), work for the film. The chariot sequence is the shining star of the film, with an amazing 12 minute sequence, pitting Judah against Messala and several others. The only complaint is choppy editing is some scenes throughout the film.

            Even though it has a long run time, Ben-Hur is worthy of a view and for taking a place in cinema history. Its story and characters shine on the screen. It engages the audience with its set pieces, even with certain editing faults.

Rating: 8.75/10

Ghostbusters (2016) Review

After months of buildup and gathering a mixture of hate and love, Ghostbusters (2016) has finally arrived in theaters. Is it a great return to a beloved comedy series, or is it just a way for Sony to wring a few pennies out of moviegoers? In this reviewer’s opinion, Ghostbusters (2016) is a great, funny reboot for a new generation.

The story follows Erin Gilbert, Abby Yate, Jillian Holtzmann, and Patty Tolan as they form the Ghostbusters. There is an increase in paranormal activity in the city, and they must figure out who is behind it and why. There is also a side plot about Erin and Abby building their friendship back after they had went their separate ways in their field of science. The film is able to be more than just a reboot by introducing a new plot. The story and character’s personalities differentiate the characters from their 1984 counterpart and not just be a direct copy of the originals.

All the actors in the film play their roles well with Kristen Wiig excelling as Erin Gilbert, and especially Kate McKinnon playing the quirky Jillian Holtzmann. Chris Hemsworth shines as Kevin, the Ghostbusters secretary, in a great male version of the dumb blond cliché.  The characters effectively bounce jokes off of each other, and sometimes even reference classic movies such as Jaws and Ghost. There are also jokes referencing the original film with an appearance of the ghost Slimer, and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. The original Ghostbusters actors even have cameo appearances, with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, and Ernie Hudson all appearing. There is even a bust of deceased actor, Harold Ramis, which appears in a scene.

Even though it didn’t have a great first trailer, Ghostbusters is worth your time. It is able to create its own identity with its story and cast, yet still be a Ghostbusters film. If you want a clean comedy with some action, you can’t go wrong with Ghostbusters (2016).

Rating: 9/10

Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Review

            If there is ever another movie that has a cowboy-hat wearing army pilot riding a nuclear bomb as it is being dropped, please let me know. And speaking of a cowboy-hat wearing army pilot riding a nuclear bomb as it is being dropped, let us talk about Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Dr. Strangelove is a Cold War political satire, directed by Stanly Kubrick and released in 1964.

            The film follows the aftermath of a decision to bomb the Soviet Union, given by insane conspiracy driven Army Air Force general. The film follows three different stories, the army general defending his base from the US Army, the president and leaders in the War Room trying to stop the plane, and the soldiers aboard the plane heading to bomb Russia.

Throughout the film many characters are introduced and all of them are great. All of the characters are portrayed well by their respective actors, and a special mention to Peter Sellers who portrayed the title character, the President and the Group Captain Lionel. Sterling Hayden does an excellent job playing the insane general. The humor is top notch with several quotable lines “There’s no fighting in the War Room”, and some scenes being a long joke such as the soldiers in an airplane listing off the content of a survival pack.

In the end the review this film is a great classic. If you love the Cold War, love satire, or just want a funny movie I recommend Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. 

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Review

            As I was watching Watchmojo on YouTube I stumbled across a video titled Top Ten Most Underappreciated Anime Films and on the list was a film called The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. As a fan of time travel movies I decided to watch it.  After watching it, I have to agree it is an underappreciated gem.

            The story begins with the main character Makoto having the worst day of her life and everything is going wrong. At the end of the day she wanders into her schools science lab, when she notices a little chestnut fall of a table. She walks up to it and when she falls due to and shadow, her elbow hits the chestnut and the story begins. The story starts out about as clichéd as most time travel movies, but in the later third many interesting twists, turns and revelations are revealed, along with a great message.

            When it comes to dubbing of Japanese media it is usually a hit or a miss. Thankfully, the voice acting is very good. The voices fit the characters ages and the emotion of the characters is felt in the voices and that is all that is truly needed in voice work.

            The film is animated very well, with the scenes flowing evenly with no stuttering. There are also some 3-D sections that are animated well

            With beautiful visuals, decent voice acting, and an interesting plot, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is an interesting time travel story worthy of watching, even though it starts out very clichéd. I give the film an 8.5/10.