Ben Hur (2003)

When a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.

Director:

William R. Kowalchuk Jr. (as Bill Kowalchuk)

Writers:

Abi Estrin Cunningham (as Abi Estrin), Lew Wallace (novel) (as General Lew Wallace)

Stars:

Charlton Heston, Duncan Fraser, Scott McNeil

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlton Heston	...	Ben Hur (voice)
Duncan Fraser	...	Messala (voice)
Scott McNeil	...	Jesus (voice)
Gerard Plunkett	...	Pontius Pilate (voice)
Tabitha St. Germain	...	Miriam (voice)
Kathleen Barr	...	Esther (voice)
Willow Johnson	...	Tizrah (voice)
Long John Baldry	...	Balthazar (voice)
French Tickner	...	Gaspar (voice)
Dale Wilson	...	Sheik Ilderim (voice)
Mackenzie Gray	...	Rabbi (voice)
Richard Newman	...	Quintus Arrius (voice)
Ian James Corlett	...	Gesius (voice)
Michael Dobson	...	Joseph (voice) (as Michael R. Dobson)
Lee Tockar	...	Judas (voice)

Storyline

During the first century A.D., Judah Ben-Hur is a young Hebrew prince thrown into slavery by the Romans after a tragic accident, who wins his way back to his home and a family on a heroic adventure of discovery. Judah's love for a beautiful slave girl is threatened by the bitter conflict dividing two former freinds, and his triumph is set against the backdrop of the historic struggle between a captive people and a mighty empire. From an exciting sea battle and a thundering chariot race to the dramatic events surrounding the life and death of Christ, this is an epic tale of love, redemption, foregiveness and faith to captivate viewers of all ages.

---

Plot Keywords:

character name as title | jesus christ character | ben hur character | pontius pilate character | two word title | 

---

Genres:

Animation | Drama | Family

---

Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Charlton Heston's final acting role before his death on April 5, 2008.

---

Connections

Version of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)

User Reviews

Homage to a classic

This new animated adaptation of Ben Hur, has but one thing to recommend, namely the voice of Charlton Heston. It is delightful to hear his distinguished voice as he reprises his Oscar winning role. The animation is rather on the crude side by Disney standards but as long as you don't watch this expecting too much you won't be disappointed. Having a running length of 75 minutes however liberties have to be taken with the plot as it progresses quickly from scene to scene, although it is supposed to be the most faithful version of Lew Wallace's tale to date.

Highlights include the sea battle and of course the chariot race sequence which are enhanced through cgi but yet again they are only short segments.

Of the other voice actors none are distinguished, but that doesn't matter much as Heston carries the movie and makes it more accessible for a young audience. It is particularly nice to see the role of Christ expanded upon from what we see of him in previous versions.

DVD features though few are nice as we see Heston talking behind the scenes although he looks extremely unwell and frail.

Over all this new animated tale is a small treat for fans of Heston and the story of Ben Hur.

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 February 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ben Hur: La película animada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Agamemnon Films, Goodtimes Entertainment, Tundra Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1