Not the most exciting story but well cast and visually appealing.

The abbreviated version of the original story was engaging and the visual effects were impressive, but the storyline dragged up until the race scene at the end. The parallel Christ plot was disjointed and seemed pieced in hastily to wrap things up at the conclusion.

It's visually stunning the DP did a real good job of that. The story didn't need the Jesus overtone to push the story, I think keeping it far more sub-toned would have been a better choice. They just didn't need a second story line. NOW this happy ending BS was a real pander to the audience. Real life would not be that way. The Romans would have killed them all and moved on, never looking back.

CGI and special effects did little to make up for the lack of narrative and story to the film. The 3D effects were more of a distraction than an addition to the experience of the film.