Not Your Grandfather's Ben-Hur and That is Not So Bad

This is not your grandfather’s 1950’s Ben-Hur.  This will upset many fans of the classic movie.  You will especially find this to be the case among the elite critics of our day.  However, if you toss aside comparisons to the original, you may find a pretty decent night at the movies.  This is especially the case if you are looking for a little Christian message in your action fantasy films.  Seriously, how often can someone say that?  Oh tonight, we are going to watch an all-out action big budget Christian movie.  Yet, that is exactly one of the major appeals of this version of Ben-Hur.

So first, the action is pretty great when it is happening.  Between the giant sea battle and the climactic chariot race at the end we have two of the all-time best (and only J) action scenes in a Christian movie!  But, even if they were not being put in the context of Christian movies, the action scenes are a delight.  For me this is the case because I have seen thousands of car chases in action movies, and only a handful of chariot chases in ancient times.  Thus, the novelty of this type of action is still quite high.  The same would go for the naval battle at the beginning of the film.

Are the plot, acting, and writing perfect in this movie?  Not even close.  However, I still was able to enjoy what was happening  on screen without much of the cringing I find myself doing in those heavy handed Christian message movies.  I am a Christian myself, but when they lay it on so thick in other Christian movies, it just feels sooooo fake!  I did not get that same feeling here and that is a very good thing!

All in all, we have a classic tale retold with modern action and set pieces.  It is quite a spectacle to behold if for no other reason than the action is novel enough to be interesting, and the morals are good enough to be called a Christian movie.  For me, that means a pretty decent night at the movies. 

Why Warcraft Was Actually a Decent Fantasy Movie

Of course the critics weren’t going to like it. A movie based off of a 20 year old videogame franchise. Plus the movie was in development for 10 years. Heck Sam Rami was even attached to direct it forever. There was no way this movie was about to be seen well in the public eye. Well, the good news is that you can still totally enjoy this movie on many fronts.

First, there is some amazing CGI in this movie. If you are hoping to see the latest in what the CGI wizards can do, look no further. There is really some amazing stuff in here. I am not claiming it is all perfect, but believe me, there is some state of the art animation happening here that will cause you to wonder if it is animated or real.

Second, the movie does not play it safe. It is trying to be a hardcore fantasy movie for hardcore gamers. Within the first 15 minutes of the movie, you will be blown away by the amount of names and locations from the game that go by. Unfortunately, this will turn off non-gamers that thought they were coming to watch Willow or the Hobbit. But for gamers, they just might be thrilled at someone taking their world seriously!

Third, there is no such thing as one dimensional characters in this fantasy movie. Really, we do not have any characters without a sensible motivation for what they are doing. No character is all good or all bad. For a cast of hundreds, that is quite unique and to be applauded.

Finally, the movie doesn’t just have a happily ever ending (no spoilers). The director could have easily made this a happily ever after fairy tale, but instead tried to go more artistic by being more realistic. Thus, we get an ending that is just not typical Hollywood blockbuster fair. And that is pretty much true for the whole movie. It is not a bad movie. There are some great action scenes and set pieces that are just incredibly animated. The problem is that it is by no means typical. This will turn off so many mainstream moviegoers as a result. But, I for one, hope we can get more filmmakers willing to explore unique ways of telling a story on a blockbuster budget and scale even if it means that it blunders here and there in the process. It still just makes for a much more interesting movie-going experience!

Tarzan Might Just Swing Into That Fun Place In Your Heart Perfect for Fantasy Movies

Can you believe the last live action Tarzan movie came out in 1984? That was Greystoke, and I loved it! Why did I love it? I was 9. I loved Gorillas, and the movie had a guy that could talk to Gorillas! I know, it was a pretty shallow reason to like a movie. That being said, there is something primal in the public’s mind to have been so fascinated by the Tarzan storyline for the last 100 years since its initial publication. I actually think this movie does a decent job of capturing this thing that we are instinctually and simultaneously terrified of and interested in: the wilds of Africa. And, it actually does it in a fun, romantic, historical, action movie kind of way.



This movie takes place long after Tarzan has left the jungle and has fallen in love with Jane while living in England. This was smart move on the filmmaker’s part as we have all probably heard the original tale of Tarzan. Instead, we get to find out what happens when Tarzan goes back to the jungle in order to save his home.

The filmmaker (director of the last 4 Harry Potter movies) does a good job of mixing in a true historical situation to give some credibility to the preposterous but fun story which is to come. This story involves Tarzan convincing all of his old animal friends that they should join his side once again to fight the bad guys. These one on one interactions with animals actual work. There is just something still interesting all of these years later about a strong but in no way strong enough man facing off with a gorilla or a lion. And then, it is just as interesting to watch those incredibly strong and unstoppable wild animals fight bad guys that are in no way strong enough to beat them. Like I said, being in that situation would be completely terrifying and is totally interesting to watch.





All in all, Tarzan is by no means a perfect or a great fantasy movie. However, there are enough interesting situations and action scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last scene. Isn’t that pretty decent for a night at the movies? In my book, a man coming face to face with wild animals is still a more interesting evening spent than another night of shootouts and car chases. You go Tarzan!