Don’t race to see these wonky chariots

Ben-Hur (12A) Verdict: Misconceived remake

THIS unnecessary and unwanted remake of William Wyler’s Oscar-festooned 1959 epic, which starred the mighty Charlton Heston, arrives in UK cinemas with an unenviable reputation; it cost a fortune and made a pittance, crashing like a wonky chariot at the U.S. box office.

Actually, it’s not quite as bad as its commercial performance suggests, but that’s not to say it’s much good, either.

The narrative plods along, with Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) made a Roman galley slave after being accused of treason by his turncoat adopted brother, Messala (Toby Kebbell).

After washing up ashore following a thunderous sea battle, Ben-Hur falls under the protection of a wandering Arab, Sheik Ilderim (Morgan Freeman with spectacular, grey dreadlocks).

Old Ilderim sponsors him to beat the Romans at their own game, chariot racing. Which of course pitches our hero back into a direct confrontation with the treacherous Messala, and in truth, their race — presented as a kind of Jerusalem Grand Prix, with Pontius Pilate as Bernie Ecclestone — is genuinely exciting.

But dramatically, the wheels have started wobbling long before this, without quite coming off altogether.

Huston is only a vowel away from Heston, but a world apart in terms of on-screen heft and charisma. And director Timur Bekmambetov is certainly no Willie Wyler.

The 1959 film was an overlong affair, too, but it endures as one of the greatest of all sword-and-sandals epics. This version will endure for only as long as it takes the accountants to work out the losses.