Ben-Hur: Book, Charlton Heston, or Morgan Freeman?

Hi guys.
So I read the book version of Ben-Hur when I was about twelve. I had not yet read Les Miserables, and was way overwhelmed by the descriptions. After chapter ten or so, I was really only in it for the chariot race.
Looking back, I realize it’s an amazing story, and I would probably appreciate the descriptions much more now that I’m familiar with Dickens, Hugo, Cooper, etc.
But I just watched the newest version of Ben-Hur– the one with Morgan Freeman and a bunch of other actors whose names I don’t know, which is why I’m just calling it the Morgan Freeman version. I really enjoyed it, and I’m curious about what you other reader/moviewatchers think about it. Better than the book? Worse than the book? What did you like? What didn’t you like?
My thoughts:
1) It ended the way I wished the book could have ended– with Judah and Messala friends again. That said, I’m not sure it should have ended that way, because the book does show what revenge can do to a person.
2) There was way more Jesus in the movie, which was awesome.
3) Esther was definitely much more fabulous in the new movie than in the Charlton Heston one. She was an incredibly strong female protagonist, who was strong without being unfeminine, and I appreciated the fact that she said more than, “Oh, Judah, Judah!” Because who, in real life, seriously says a person’s name twice when you’re talking to them? Just saying.
4) The chariot race. I was trying to fold laundry while I watched the movie, and I had to stop during the chariot race.
5) I missed the Wise Men, who were in the book.
6) I missed the way they did Tirzah and Mrs. Hur’s (that’s not her name) healing in the book, where they actually came to Jesus.
7) I am very thankful that Judah was portrayed as younger than forty-five in this new version of the movie.
8) Wow, Rome was not so nice.
9) Did anyone else think Judah looked like Thorin during his long-haired galley slave phase?
10) I think the changes made to the story were good ones. The whole thing with Messala asking Judah to help protect Pilate, and the Zealot boy, and all that seemed much more realistic than a roof tile, and I loved the characterization.
And since ten is a nice, even number, I think I’ll stop there and listen to some other people talk.