FREEZE FRAME: “Ben-Hur,” “Hell or High Water,” “Kubo and the Two Strings,” “War Dogs,” “Don’t Think Twice.”

In terms of spectacle and emotional power, few films have equalled the 1959 epic, "Ben-Hur." Although the new version big screen version is adequate for the uninitiated, it pales by comparison. Jack Huston steps into the role that won Charton Heston an Oscar, a Jewish aristocrat who is betrayed by his Roman best friend during the days of Jesus in Jerusalem. Purists may balk at some of the changes the filmmakers have made in the story, but visually, the new version delivers. It may be too early to talk about Oscars, but we may well be mentioning the modern Western "Hell or High Water" at awards time. Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine and Ben Foster star in this terrific Texas bank robbery flick that may have the best screenplay of the year. It's a social commentary and character study disguised as a thriller. Every frame of "Kubo and the Two Strings" is work of art. The visuals for this stop-motion animated tale about magic in ancient Japan are deserving of the term "stunning." The story may be too intense and tangled for the very young, but older kids and adults should enjoy its opulent pleasures. "War Dogs" tries to do for…