hercules 1997 movie review

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The wonder is that it took Disney so long to get to the gods of Greek mythology. "Hercules" jumps into the ancient legends feet-first, cheerfully tossing out what won't fit and combining what's left into a new look and a lighthearted style.

Starting with a Day-Glo Olympian city in the clouds, and using characters based on the drawing style of the British illustrator Gerald Scarfe, this new animated feature has something old (mythology), something new (a Pegasus equipped with helicopter blades), something borrowed (a gospel singing group) and something blue (the flaming hair of Hades, which turns red when he gets mad--it works like a mood ring).

Hercules, known as Herc, is a rather different character here than in the pages of "Bullfinch's Mythology." There, you may recall, he murdered his wife and children. Here he's a big cute hunk who's so clumsy he knocks over temples by accident, but you gotta love the guy. In fact, as film critic Jack Mathews has pointed out, the Disney storytellers have merged the Hercules of myth with the modern-day superhero, Superman: In both "Hercules" and the Superman story, the hero has otherworldly origins, is separated from his parents, is adopted by humble earthlings, and feels like a weirdo as a kid before finally finding his true strength and calling.

It's getting to be an in-joke, how Disney shapes the story in every new animated feature to match its time-tested underlying formula. The hero is essentially an orphan. There is a colorful villain who schemes against him. There are two twirpy little characters who do a double act (in " The Lion King ," they were the friendly Timon and Pumbaa; here they're the scheming Pain and Panic). There are trusted sidekicks and advisers (not only the faithful Pegasus, but also a little satyr named Phil who signs up as a personal trainer). And there's a sexy dame who winds up in the hero's arms, although not without difficulties.

Is Disney repeating a formula? No more than mythology always repeats itself; as Joseph Campbell taught George Lucas , many of the eternal human myths have the same buried structures, and Disney's annual animated features are the myths of our time.

Although I thought last summer's " The Hunchback of Notre Dame " was a more original and challenging film, "Hercules" is lighter, brighter and more cheerful, with more for kids to identify with. Certainly they can care about Herc (voice by Tate Donovan ), child of a god and a human, who must leave his father, Zeus ( Rip Torn ), in heaven and toil among the mortals to earn his ticket back to paradise. Herc stumbles through adolescence as the clumsy "Jerkules" before a statue of his father comes to life and reads him the rules. His tutor will be the satyr Philoctetes ( Danny DeVito ), who like all the best movie trainers advises his student to do as he says and not as he does.

Playing on the other team is Hades, Lord of the Underworld, voiced by James Woods with diabolical glee and something of the same verbal inventiveness that Robin Williams brought to " Aladdin " (Hades to Fate: "You look like a fate worse than death"). Hades is assisted by the two little form-shifting sidekicks Pain and Panic ( Bobcat Goldthwait and Matt Frewer ), who are able to disguise themselves in many different shapes while meddling with Herc's well-being. Another one of Hades' weapons is the curvaceous Megara ( Susan Egan ), known as Meg, who is assigned to seduce Herc but ends up falling in love with the lug.

The movie has been directed by John Musker and Ron Clements , who inaugurated the modern era of Disney animation with the inspired "Little Mermaid" (1989) and also made "Aladdin" (1992). The look of their animation has a new freshness because of the style of Scarfe, famous in England for his sharp-penned caricatures of politicians and celebrities; the characters here are edgier and less rounded than your usual Disney heroes (although the cuddly Pegasus is in the traditional mode). The color palette too, makes less use of basic colors and stirs in more luminous shades, giving the picture a subtly different look that suggests it is different in geography and history from most Disney pictures.

What " The Little Mermaid " began and all of the subsequent Disney animation features have continued is a sly combination of broad strokes for children and in-jokes and satire for adults. It's hard to explain, for example, why a black female gospel quintet would be singing the legend of Hercules in the opening sequence (returning later to add more details), but the songs (by Alan Menken and David Zippel) are fun, and probably more entertaining than the expected Greek chorus. Other throwaways: Lines like "get ready to rumble"; images like Pegasus outfitted by Phil like a Los Angeles police helicopter; Herc's promotion of his own prehistoric exercise video; an arch saying "Over 500,000,000 Served"; Hades offering two burning thumbs "way up for our leading lady"; Hermes (Paul Shaffer) observing the preening gods and quipping "I haven't seen so much love in one room since Narcissus looked at himself,'' and quick little sight gags like a spider hanging from the nose of Fate, who disposes of it in a spectacularly unappetizing way.

Will children like this subject matter, or will they find Greek myth unfamiliar? I think they'll love it. And in an age when kids get their heroes from TV instead of books, is Hercules any more unfamiliar than Pocahontas (or Aladdin or the Hunchback, for that matter)? A riffle through "Bullfinch's Mythology'' suggests dozens more Disney plots, all safely out of copyright. Next: "Ulysses"?

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Hercules (1997)

Tate Donovan as Hercules

James Woods as Hades

Rip Torn as Zeus

Susan Egan as Megara Meg

Directed by

• John Musker
• Ron Clements
• Don McEnery
• Irene Mecchi

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June 13, 1997 Hercules By JANET MASLIN elcome to Disney Olympus, where Zeus (forget the Bulfinch) is now a proud papa and devoted family man. And when the supreme Greek deity wants a gift for his tiny Hercules, he just stirs up a cloud puff and comes up with white-and-turquoise Pegasus, as adorable a plaything as any celestial baby could imagine. Ancient gods and Disney animators happen to share a taste for such miracles, as the latest Disney effort demonstrates with such delight. On any level, earthly or otherwise, the ingenious new animated "Hercules" is pretty divine. After a run of relative disappointments, Disney animation is back in top form with this happily bastardized mythology lesson, one that could well have the post-"Beavis and Butt-head" generation collecting many-headed Hydras and contemplating Grecian urns. With inspired intuition, "Hercules" brings together ancient lore, gospel singing, girl-group choreography and lots of free-floating mischief into a jubilant pastiche of classical references. Will it charm children and vastly amuse their parents, teachers and friends? "In a Peloponnesian minute," in the words of one of the film's typically wisecracking, not-so-ancient Greeks. Infused with wild new visual ideas thanks to production design by Gerald Scarfe, and directed with immense glee by the "Aladdin" and "Little Mermaid" team of John Musker and Ron Clements, "Hercules" has cleverness to spare. It also has hoopla: festive overkill on a par with the Central Park debut of "Pocahontas" will bring it to Manhattan on Saturday night with a parade and premiere, a limited run (including Disney stage show) at the refurbished New Amsterdam Theater starting Sunday and a wide commercial opening June 27. But this time the film is worth the fuss. The one Achilles' heel to "Hercules" (and, of course, there are some prime Achilles gags here) comes with the familiar sound of its hero, one more questing teen-ager who delivers a power ballad about his hopes and dreams. (Is there any doubt where Michael Bolton, who belts out the song over the closing credits, will be on Oscar night next year?) Alan Menken once again supplies a varied and catchy score, this time with lyrics by David Zippel, who has occasion to find out what rhymes with sinew. ("Continue" and "what's in you.") A fabulous five-woman Greek chorus wittily materializes on crockery and under pediments to sing of Hercules' accomplishments in soulful "Dreamgirls" style. Just as Charlton Heston begins intoning the film's opening narration, these Muses make their first appearance by jumping off the frieze on an urn. "You go, girl," says he. Though the legend of Hercules has been trivialized and shoehorned into a familiar Disney mold, this film easily finds other ways to show off its no-holds-barred imagination. With settings that range from a gorgeous pastel Olympus to an underworld whirlpool of lost souls, and with mythic characters so well drawn and read that they seem real, "Hercules" covers enormously varied terrain. It begins with Hercules' birth among the gods, who have glowing auras and are presented as the celebrities of the ancient world. ("I haven't seen so much love in one room since Narcissus discovered himself," namedrops Paul Shaffer as Hermes.) Then Hercules is sent down to earth, where he grows into an awkward lad nicknamed Jerkules by other boys. No wonder: when Hercules throws a Frisbee at a specimen of colonnaded Greek architecture, it might as well be made of dominoes. Just as Hercules' sensitive self-doubts threaten to knock down the movie, too, along comes a satyr nicknamed Phil to train the young hero and groom him for stardom. "Nymphs! They can't keep their hands off me!" insists Phil, who could be none other than lovably irascible Danny DeVito. DeVito sings like Jimmy Durante and hollers, "Hey, I'm walkin' here!" a la Ratso Rizzo when the action moves to "the Big Olive," or Thebes. Once again (as with Robin Williams in "Aladdin") sensationally matching animation to familiar actors, the filmmakers also make superb use of James Woods. Cast as a Hades, who is now a fast-talking show-biz megalomanic ("Name is Hades, Lord of the Dead, howyadoin?"), Woods shows off the full verve of an edgy Scarfe villain. Literally flaming, with a corona of blue fire as a coiffure, this Hades presides over a colossal battle sequence (as Hercules fights a spectacular, computer-generated Hydra) and schemes for Zeus' empire in what he calls "my hostile takeover bid." Rip Torn plays Zeus with the grandiose lordliness of John Huston. Even the Disney ingenue, Megara (Susan Egan), is hipper this time, a sardonic burgundy-haired vamp who sounds like the Veronica Lake of "Sullivan's Travels" when she calls Hercules a big lug. When these two come home from a date, the filmmakers have Hercules declare: "And that play, that Oedipus thing? I thought I had problems!" Then he skims a stone at a statue, leaving behind an armless Venus. "It looks better that way," says Megara. "No, really it does." The kidding of "Hercules" even hits close to home: "It's a small underworld after all," announces Disney's latest villain, as he leads Hercules to the realm of the dead. And the film's snappiest musical number, "Zero to Hero," zips through Hercules' labors as it teases about his hot new celebrity status. Success brings him mosaic billboards, sandal endorsements, a "Buns of Bronze" workout scroll and a column-shaped soda cup bearing his portrait. This time Disney has good reason to joke about hucksterism. After all, a hot new classical franchise is born. HERCULES Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements; written by Clements, Musker, Donald McEnery, Bob Shaw and Irene Mecchi; edited by Tom Finan; music and score by Alan Menken with lyrics by David Zippel; production designer, Gerald Scarfe; produced by Alice Dewey, Musker and Clements; released by Walt Disney Pictures. Running time: 87 minutes. Rating: This film is rated G. WITH THE VOICES OF: Tate Donovan (Adult Hercules), Joshua Keaton (Baby Hercules), Roger Bart (Young Hercules' singing voice), Danny DeVito (Phil), James Woods (Hades), Susan Egan (Meg), Rip Torn (Zeus), Paul Shaffer (Hermes) and Charlton Heston (the Narrator).

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Common sense media reviewers.

Lighthearted, but scary stuff is too much for littlest kids.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Kids who are unfamiliar with the Greek gods and go

The movie's overarching message is about learn

Hercules is initially motivated to be a hero by ra

Hades is a slimy, terrifying guy whose sharp teeth

Meg is forced to handle Hercules "like a man&

Taunts/insults -- "freak," "sweetch

When Hercules gains popularity, he gets a credit c

Hades smokes a cigar and drinks a martini when he

Parents need to know that Hercules about what it really means to be a hero is a shade darker than many other Disney blockbusters. There's a lot of gore and intense, scary stuff for a G-rated movie, including gruesome monsters and end-of-the-world images (floods, fires, ice storms, mass destruction) that…

Educational Value

Kids who are unfamiliar with the Greek gods and goddesses will get an introduction to Zeus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Hades. Hercules is also an actual mythological figure, though few of the heroic tales in the movie are in line with those in his mythical tale.

Positive Messages

The movie's overarching message is about learning what it means to be a real hero -- as opposed to a celebrity.

Positive Role Models

Hercules is initially motivated to be a hero by rather selfish, if understandable, motives: He wants to become a god so that he can be with his real parents. But overall, he's a nice guy who suffers a betrayal. On the other hand, the portrayal of Hades as a slick power broker with a hooked nose who makes deals and uses Yiddish words plays on unnecessary stereotypes.

Violence & Scariness

Hades is a slimy, terrifying guy whose sharp teeth and hot temper are likely to frighten the youngest viewers. Hercules fights monsters, decapitating a hydra from inside of its long neck, only to watch it grow a bunch of more heads and attack him. Dead bodies are shown in the underworld and dying people are shown floating in a sea of death. Apocalyptic scenes, characters in peril.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Meg is forced to handle Hercules "like a man" if she wants her freedom. Hercules and Meg share a couple of long kisses. Phil spies on nymphs swimming and chases them.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Taunts/insults -- "freak," "sweetcheeks," "yutz," "Jerkules" (instead of Hercules), etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

When Hercules gains popularity, he gets a credit card with his name on it; there's also a Hercules store with lots of Hercules dolls on the shelves, and kids wear Air Herc shoes and drink Herculade. In other words, success means having your name on lots of products.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Hades smokes a cigar and drinks a martini when he celebrates success.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Hercules about what it really means to be a hero is a shade darker than many other Disney blockbusters. There's a lot of gore and intense, scary stuff for a G-rated movie, including gruesome monsters and end-of-the-world images (floods, fires, ice storms, mass destruction) that might overshadow the more lighthearted musical components. Some kids may also be confused or even upset about the underworld and what happens when people die. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (17)
• Kids say (51)

Based on 17 parent reviews

Back in Disney's Glory Days

Great movie….overly sexualized girls but still good, what's the story.

According to Disney, HERCULES was the adored son of gods Zeus and Hera, stolen by Hades, ruler of the underworld, and made mortal. He must become a true hero to become a god again so he can live with his parents on Mount Olympus. To do this, Hercules (voiced by Tate Donovan ) seeks out a grouchy satyr ( Danny DeVito ), who trains him in fighting techniques and strategy. When he saves some children (so he thinks) and defeats the hydra (its many heads masterfully provided by computer animation), he becomes an instant celebrity, with action figures and "Air Hercules" sandals. He goes on to his other labors but finds that it's not enough to be a real hero -- that comes from the heart, not the muscles. Meanwhile, Meg (Susan Egan), who sold her soul to Hades to save the life of her boyfriend, must now try to find Hercules' weakness so that Hades can take over Olympus.

Is It Any Good?

Kids will need some preparation for this movie; scant exposition is provided by the movie's Spice Girl-style "muses" (a sort of gospel Greek chorus that's fun to watch, but hard to follow). The role of the three fates, who share one eye between them and cut a thread when a human's life is ended, is particularly confusing. Meg is tougher and braver than the traditional damsel in distress, but still very much on the sidelines. The movie's other weakness is its lackluster score.

Hercules ' teenage protagonist may not be Disney's most memorable hero, but the movie's bad guy turns in a performance of astonishing verve -- as Hades, James Woods will join Cruella DeVille in the pantheon of unforgettable Disney villains. Sidekicks Pain and Panic (Bobcat Goldthwait and Matt "Max Headroom" Frewer ) are wickedly funny as well.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about real-life heroes. What makes someone a hero? How does society treat its heroes? Why do we buy products endorsed by athletes (or movie tie-ins)? How do real-life heroes compare to the heroes in Hercules ?

Is wanting to be a god a good reason to want to be a hero? Do we see any evidence that Hercules (or anyone else in the movie) has much concern for the well-being of the community?

Does this movie seem scarier than other animated kids' movies? Why or why not?

Movie Details

• In theaters : June 27, 1997
• On DVD or streaming : August 1, 2000
• Cast : Danny DeVito , James Woods , Tate Donovan
• Directors : John Musker , Ron Clements
• Studio : Walt Disney Pictures
• Genre : Family and Kids
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Music and Sing-Along
• Run time : 92 minutes
• MPAA rating : G
• MPAA explanation : some scary scenes
• Last updated : November 25, 2023

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He's the strongest man in the world and a darn nice young fellow to boot. "Hercules," Disney's latest summer animation, certainly displays the muscle and charm to dominate family and kid biz for the season. It's a winning tall tale, cleverly told and wonderfully voiced that should bolster the company franchise following the box office erosions of "Pocahontas" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

By Leonard Klady

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He’s the strongest man in the world and a darn nice young fellow to boot. “Hercules,” Disney’s latest summer animation, certainly displays the muscle and charm to dominate family and kid biz for the season. It’s a winning tall tale, cleverly told and wonderfully voiced that should bolster the company franchise following the box office erosions of “Pocahontas” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

Drawing liberally from Greek mythology, the film relates how Olympian gods Zeus (Rip Torn) and Hera (Samantha Eggar) begat the ever-so-cute Hercules. Meanwhile, lord of the underworld Hades (James Woods) has been told by the Fates that the only thing that could undo his plans to vanquish the folks on Mt. Olympus is Zeus’ spawn.

So, he dispatches his reptilian henchmen Pain (Bobcat Goldthwait) and Panic (Matt Frewer) to kidnap the tyke and put poison in his milk bottle. Of course, they botch the job, but the child drinks enough of the venom to render him mortal. As flesh and blood, he cannot live among the gods, and grows up unaware of his true lineage.

The legend has been tidied up for general audiences, retaining the era, setting, characters and Herculean strength. And there’s considerably more humor and music than one would find in the vintage Steve Reeves or contempo Kevin Sorbo incarnations of the character.

The narrative thrust of the Disneyized version is that Hercules learns as a young man that he’s adopted and goes to the temple to pray for a clue to his past. Zeus gives him the lowdown and tells him he must become a hero to be reinstated with the gods. To that end, he sends him to the satyr Philoctetes (Danny DeVito), aka Phil, for grueling Rocky-style training to prepare him to combat all manner of evil.

Here, the source of peril is not human frailty but all manner of mythical monsters — and bad girl Megara (Susan Egan), aka Meg, who’s really a good gal forced to do Hades’ bidding to secure her freedom.

Triumph in the field of battle accords Hercules the hero status of a modern athlete, and soon everything from Grecian urns to sandals bear his likeness. This humorous barb about product placement seems rather misplaced, considering the studio’s mastery and thoroughness in marketing cross-fertilization of its family movies.

The bigger-than-life nature of the ancient myths make them both ripe for parody and ideal for the kind of freewheeling musical adaptation that’s been Disney’s stock in trade for six decades. As in “Aladdin,” the melding of character animation with the screen personae of the actors voicing the roles provides forceful and amusing entertainment, particularly in DeVito’s turn as a physical trainer and the acid wit Woods brings to his villainous role.

The song score favors tunes that propel the story rather than focusing on character enhancement. That provides the yarn with a zing missing from the more recent, sober-sided ani features.

The music itself, while serviceable, is not at all distinctive. Turning a Greek chorus into a Motown quintet is a clever idea but needs something more soulful than the recurring ditty “The Gospel Truth.” There’s simply not a song in the piece that has you humming as you exit the theater, and ballads such as “Go the Distance” will require aggressive repetition to register as playlist material.

Composer Alan Menken — who enlivened the form when he was enlisted for “The Little Mermaid” in 1989 — is hitting too many tired notes in his sixth animated score. It may be time to muster a new musical sensibility to bring a little “Heigh-Ho” to the genre.

Directors John Musker and Ron Clements, who’ve collaborated on “Mermaid” and “Aladdin,” here combine smooth, state-of-the-art animation with a funky razzledazzle. They bring “Hercules” the vitality and insouciance that make Disney an undisputed champ in the arena.

• Production: A Buena Vista release of a Walt Disney picture. Produced by Alice Dewey, John Musker, Ron Clements. Directed by John Musker, Ron Clements. Screenplay, Clements, Musker, Bob Shaw, Donald McEnery, Irene Mecchi.
• Crew: Music and score, Alan Menken; lyrics, David Zippel; associate editors, Jeff Jones, John K. Carr; production design, Gerald Scarfe; art direction, Andy Gaskill; story animation supervisor, Barry Johnson, production stylist, Sue C. Nichols; layout, Rasoul Azadani; background, Thomas Cardone; supervising visual effects animators, Dorse A. Lanpher, James DeValera Mansfield; associate producer, Kendra Halland; casting, Ruth Lambert. prints by Technicolor. Reviewed at Disney Studios, Burbank, June 13, 1997. MPAA Rating: G. Running time: 92 min.
• With: Voices: Hercules - Tate Donovan Young Hercules - Josh Keaton Young Hercules (singing) - Roger Bart Phil - Danny DeVito Hades - James Woods Meg - Susan Egan Pain - Bobcat Goldthwait Panic - Matt Frewer Zeus - Rip Torn Hera - Samantha Eggar Alcmene - Barbara Barrie Amphitryon - Hal Holbrook Hermes - Paul Shaffer The Fates - Amanda Plummer, Carole Shelley, Paddi Edwards Narrator - Charlton Heston

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1997 Directed by Ron Clements , John Musker

Zero to Hero!

Bestowed with superhuman strength, a young mortal named Hercules sets out to prove himself a hero in the eyes of his father, the great god Zeus. Along with his friends Pegasus, a flying horse, and Phil, a personal trainer, Hercules is tricked by the hilarious, hotheaded villain Hades, who's plotting to take over Mount Olympus!

Tate Donovan Josh Keaton Roger Bart Danny DeVito James Woods Susan Egan Bobcat Goldthwait Matt Frewer Rip Torn Samantha Eggar Barbara Barrie Hal Holbrook Paul Shaffer Amanda Plummer Carole Shelley Paddi Edwards Charlton Heston Lillias White Cheryl Freeman LaChanze Roz Ryan Jim Cummings Keith David Wayne Knight Sherry Lynn Mickie McGowan Jack Angel Debi Derryberry Patrick Pinney Show All… Corey Burton Mary Kay Bergman Kathleen Freeman

Directors Directors

Ron Clements John Musker

Producers Producers

Noreen Tobin Ron Clements John Musker Alice Dewey

Writers Writers

Don McEnery Irene Mecchi Ron Clements John Musker Bob Shaw

Casting Casting

Ruth Lambert

Editors Editors

Tom Finan Robert W. Hedland

Production Design Production Design

Gerald Scarfe

Art Direction Art Direction

Andrew Gaskill

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Andreas Deja Anthony DeRosa Mauro Maressa

Composer Composer

Alan Menken

Songs Songs

Michael Bolton Alan Menken David Zippel

Sound Sound

Gary Rydstrom Pat Jackson Tim Holland Lora Hirschberg Tom Johnson Shawn Murphy

Costume Design Costume Design

Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Feature Animation

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

English Spanish Greek (modern)

Releases by Date

20 jun 1997, 21 jun 1997, 26 jun 1997, 27 jun 1997, 05 jul 1997, 07 aug 1997, 18 sep 1997, 26 sep 1997, 10 oct 1997, 17 oct 1997, 14 nov 1997, 19 nov 1997, 20 nov 1997, 26 nov 1997, 28 nov 1997, 04 dec 1997, 05 dec 1997, 02 jun 2001, 19 aug 1998, 29 mar 2000, 05 oct 2009, 28 jan 2014, 15 oct 2014, releases by country.

• Theatrical G
• Theatrical L
• Theatrical U
• Theatrical 7
• Theatrical TP
• Theatrical 0
• Theatrical הותר לכול

Netherlands

• Theatrical AL
• Theatrical M/6

Russian Federation

• Theatrical 0+
• Physical 0+ DVD
• Physical 0+ Blu-ray

South Korea

• Theatrical All
• Theatrical 7i
• Physical 7 VHS release
• Physical 7 DVD release
• Physical 7 Blu-ray release

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Popular reviews

Review by James (Schaffrillas) ★★★★½ 2

The only possible justification for making a live-action remake of this is to cast Bob Odenkirk as Hades

Review by feat. dante from the dmc series ★★★★★ 9

meg: *exists*

me as a young child, about to develop my first crush on a woman and subsequently repress it for 10+ years: okay. noted.

Review by Emma Stefansky 13

is there any joke funnier than "someone call IXII"

Review by David Sims ★★★★ 20

Review by indi ★★★ 5

before the yeezys there were the air-hercs

Review by dani leblanc ★★★★½

the worlds greatest girl band

Review by hoover ★★★★ 6

gave up being a god to get some pussy! that’s crazy

Review by carina ★★★★★ 1

hades is the best disney villain and that’s the gospel truth!

Review by Emma ★★★★★ 2

anyone who deeply despises this film is a real jerkules

Review by Sam ★★★½ 4

Probably a wise choice by Disney to leave out the part of the story where Hercules murders his wife and kids at the end

Review by ellie ✨ ★★★★ 2

i relate to hades bc i, too, am angry and gay

Review by James (Schaffrillas) ★★★★½ 11

I...like this more than Hunchback. I can't believe it either. It's just such a witty, energetic screwball comedy with an amazingly expressive animation style and a story structure that takes full advantage of the fact that it's a musical. Every song is a banger as well. I guess it's tonally inconsistent at times, but really, who cares when the characters are incredible and the story, while basic, is really heartfelt and compelling? I could go on but I'll save it for the video. Bottom line is, this movie slaps.

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Hercules Reviews

The film struggles to find a strong voice and identity as it drags itself through a rehashed story with weak characters that lack the iconic performances needed to elevate them.

Full Review | Jan 16, 2023

I guess it's something different from Disney which felt refreshing and it made me laugh.

Full Review | Original Score: B | May 8, 2019

Kids will love Hercules. It's fast-paced, it's funny, and it has a very positive message. Adults will enjoy it as well, thanks to its animated artistry and sly wit.

Full Review | Jan 5, 2018

One of [Disney's] more unique and outside the box animated adaptations.

Full Review | Feb 26, 2017

'Hercules' may be second-tier Disney, but it's TOP second tier, not far behind the studio's best animated work.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Aug 14, 2014

[Blu-ray Review] Isn't one of the Mouse House's absolute best, but it is an astutely written entertainment with a keen aesthetic sense and a fun ensemble of characters. For Disney collectors, picking "Hercules" up is a no-brainer. Highly recommended.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 13, 2014

...compiles pop-culture references and genre tropes that are not only crudely envisioned, but often downright contradictory to the story at hand.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Jun 21, 2014

The most flat-out childish film of the Disney Renaissance: this is both its great triumph and ultimately the reason that it's so hard to care about it all that much.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Dec 2, 2009

[An] insipid, lifeless, animated feature.

Full Review | Nov 16, 2009

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Oct 18, 2008

Amusing, yes. Fluffy, definitely. But with no more staying power than those Hercules action figures that were already resigned to Odd-Lot by last Christmas.

Full Review | Oct 18, 2008

Chock-full of celeb cameos, puns and contemporary camp, the movie is annoyingly hip.

This is a bright movie, in both senses of the word.

Full Review | Sep 1, 2008

Prepare to spend the summer stepping on plastic satyrs and winged horses.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Sep 1, 2008

It's a winning tall tale, cleverly told and wonderfully voiced...

Scarfe's pointed faces are smoothed out to a drab degree, yet not so they become characters as warm as Disney is capable of.

Another benchmark achievement for the Aladdin team of Musker and Clements.

Full Review | Feb 9, 2006

One of the best of the modern Disney animation efforts to date.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Apr 9, 2005

Remind one of My Little Pony...mental pictures of all the plastic "Hercules" toys that soon will be littering floors and crippling barefoot adults.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 25, 2004

while all the customary ingredients are at hand -- the dreamy hero, the curvaceous heroine, the comic sidekick, the smarmy villain -- the magic is missing this time out. ...a minor addition to the Disney pantheon.

Full Review | Jul 15, 2003

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• DVD & Streaming
• Action/Adventure , Animation , Kids , Musical

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• Voices of Tate Donovan, Joshua Keaton, Roger Bart, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Susan Egan, Bob Goldthwait, Matt Frewer, Rip Torn

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Movie Review

Trivia question: Name the last animated Disney film in which the main character had both a mother and father who lived to see the end credits.

You may have to go back a few years. Keeping families intact hasn’t exactly been a Disney strong point. In Hercules, however, the tale’s hunky hero belongs to not one, but two loving, enduring two-parent families. Disney’s 35th animated feature also makes terrific statements about perseverance, friendship, self-control, chivalry and the heroism of virtuous character. That’s the good news. The bad news is that such positive messages are combined with dark imagery and a muddled spirituality totally inappropriate for the younger end of the “children of all ages” continuum.

Born on Mount Olympus to Zeus and Hera, baby Hercules is welcomed into the family of gods. The one party-pooper is Hades, disgruntled god of the dead. When he learns that the child will grow up to thwart his evil plans, Hades orders him killed. The deed is done. Almost. Two bungling demons snatch Herc and sap his divine nature, but before they can finish the job, a mortal couple finds the infant, adopting him as their own.

Herc grapples with the awkwardness of adolescence, learns about his true identity and tries to earn his way back to Olympus by becoming a hero. Aided by his winged steed and a surly satyr named Phil (the lusty half man/half goat mentor of would-be heroes), he battles hideous beasts including, in an intense scene, the multi-headed Hydra. His exploits lead to instant celebrity. But when Herc mistakenly equates popularity with heroism, Zeus sets him straight (“Being famous isn’t the same as being a true hero”). That’s a great lesson for young viewers, especially in this age of rock stars, athletes and actors long on talent, but short on character.

Cupid’s arrow hits the mark when Herc meets Meg, a cynical beauty with a complicated past. She’s bitter. She’s anti-male. She’s also trapped in Hades’ debt. Meg tries to resist her feelings for Herc, but falls hopelessly in love with him. The pair proceed to make extreme sacrifices for one another. In fact, Herc ultimately declines immortality in order to remain on earth with his woman—a noble act, but a disquieting example for young Christians tempted to choose between holiness and hormones. Furthermore, wiggling hips and allusions to Meg’s other Aphroditic charms seem a bit immodest.

When Disney first announced it would revisit the legend of Hercules, parents braced themselves for a film awash in polytheism. After all, the ancient Greeks had a god or goddess for just about everything. Hermes. Aries. The Muses. But what makes things even worse is that this film teaches mythological “history” in a rousing three-part musical number called “The Gospel Truth.” Young viewers may be further confused by references to “praying to the gods” and Herc’s longing to “please the gods.” Whether intentional or not, Disney reduces Christianity to the level of folklore by blending spiritual counterfeits with biblical orthodoxy.

Hercules’ other Achilles’ heel involves Hades’ dreary Underworld. It’s populated by disembodied, tormented souls that float in the River of Death, deteriorating over time. Three witches (grim reapers called The Fates) share a single, mucous-covered eyeball, passing it back and forth as they gleefully snip the final threads of human lives. When Meg dies trying to save Herc, her soul enters the River of Death before it is rescued and returned to her body for a climactic “resurrection.” More than dark and ominous, it’s spiritually unhinged.

On June 18, 1997, the Southern Baptist Convention called for a boycott of Disney and its subsidiaries. A courageous move. The denomination responded to numerous Disney policies and products inconsistent with the Magic Kingdom’s reputation as a pro-family enterprise. Parents deciding to join the campaign may want to begin by giving Hercules the cold shoulder. Though artfully done, this occasionally inspiring motion picture includes significant weaknesses that keep it from going the distance.

Bob Smithouser

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• The son of Zeus and Hera is stripped of his immortality as an infant and must become a true hero in order to reclaim it.
• Hercules, son of the Greek God, Zeus, is turned into a half-god, half-mortal by evil Hades, God of the Underworld, who plans to overthrow Zeus. Hercules is raised on Earth and retains his god-like strength, but when he discovers his immortal heritage Zeus tells him that to return to Mount Olympus he must become a true hero. Hercules becomes a famous hero with the help of his friend Pegasus and his personal trainer, Phil the satyr. Hercules battles monsters, Hades and the Titans, but it is his self-sacrifice to rescue his love Meg which makes him a true hero. — Kristi Connolly <[email protected]>
• After the monstrous Titans were imprisoned by the powerful Zeus, a baby was born to Zeus whom he names Hercules. But when Hercules is suddenly stolen from Mt Olympus by Pain and Panic, the henchmen of the villainous Lord of the Underworld Hades, he is stripped of his godly appearance but keeps his godly strength. Raised among the mortal world as a human, Hercules is confused about where he belongs. Hercules is told that if he proves to be a true hero on Earth, his true form as a god will be restored. So he learns from a satyr named Philoctetes all the ways of being a hero. But his journey towards his return home as a god is suddenly put to a halt when he crosses paths with a beautiful Dame named Meg, who works in secret for Hades. Falling in love while defending a town, Hercules soon realizes that it is his destiny to save both the Mortal world and Mt. Olympus from Hades, who plans to overthrow Zeus to rule Olympus forever. — Blazer346
• Zeus, ruler of the Greek gods on Olympus, has great plans for his newborn son Hercules, but Zeus's brother Hades, whom the Fates warned the kid is destined to frustrated his plans for revenge for his banishment to rule the underworld after the Titans' defeat, sends demons Panic and Pain to magically render him mortal and eliminate the threat. Luckily the klutzes fail to do it properly, and fearing grim Hades's wrath leave the infant, whose strength was preserved, on earth. Unaware of his divine origin, Hercules is raised by Amphitryon and Alcmene, then learning his true heritage trained expertly by the satyr Philoctetes and receives from Zeus a mount for an Olympian: the flying horse Pegasus. eager to earn a place on Olympus, he champions humanity, fighting off monsters and falls in love with beautiful Meg, unaware she was sent by Hades but also falls for him. After Hercules helps defeat Hades's usurpation of Zeus's throne it's truth time for all. — KGF Vissers
• After Zeus fights and sends the Titans to the underworld, he becomes the ruler of Mount Olympus, home of all greek gods. Hades is sent to rule the underworld, but he makes plans to throw Zeus out of Mount Olympus with the Titans' help. The three Fates warn him that his plans would be endangered if Hercules, Zeus newborn child, is still around by the time he tries to take over Mount Olympus. Hades sends Pain and Panic to turn Hercules into a mortal and kill him, but they fail in their attempt and leave him on earth with his divine strength to be raised as a human. Hercules grows up but later learns he is the son of gods, and in order to return to Mt. Olympus he must turn into a "true hero". He is trained by Phil the satyr and becomes the most famous hero in ancient Greece after battling monsters of all kinds. He even saves Mt. Olympus from Hade's take-over, but he only becomes a god again after he offers to exchange his life in order to save Meg, his love, from Hades' underworld and shows that a true hero must have a strong heart and not only physical strength. — Marcos Eduardo Acosta Aldrete
• Based on both the legend of Hercules and Heracles. On Mt Olympus, Zeus and his wife are celebrating the birth of their son, Hercules. The Lord of the Underworld, Hades, is also invited, though is not at all pleased with the birth of Hercules. Returning to the Underworld, Hades meets up with the 3 Fates, who tell Hades that in 18 years, when the planets align, if he unleashes the Titans (who were imprisoned by Zeus), he will defeat Zeus and rule over all. However, there is a possibility that Hercules could stop him. Hades assigns his minions, Pain and Panic, to turn Hercules mortal, and kill him. Armed with a potion, the two kidnap Hercules, and take him to Earth. Hercules drinks almost every drop except one, when a childless couple disturbs the two minions' plan. The two decide to tell Hades that they killed Hercules, but figure leaving him on Earth as a mortal will keep him from interfering in Hades' eventual plot. As Hercules is almost completely mortal, he cannot return to Mt Olympus. However, the childless couple have taken him in, and raise him as their own. However, not being completely mortal, Hercules is ostracized from the rest of society by his immense strength. As he approaches his teenage years, his father tells of how they found him, with a medallion bearing the symbol of the gods. Hercules sets off for the Temple of Zeus to find answers. Once inside the temple, the enormous statue of Zeus comes to life, first scaring Hercules, but then explaining how he is the young boy's father. Zeus then explains that if Hercules can become a True Hero, he'll be able to return to Mt Olympus and rejoin them. Zeus then provides Hercules with a winged horse named Pegasus, and sends them off to find Philoctetes. Hercules and Pegasus find Philoctetes (who is nicknamed 'Phil') on a deserted island. Having become a grouchy, old satyr, Phil is at first reluctant, but finally relents. After an intense period of training, Hercules grows from a scrawny teenager to a buff young man. At Hercules' insistence to try what he has learned, Phil, Hercules and Pegasus head for the city of Thebes, which is plagued by a number of disasters and problems. On the way there, they are sidetracked by Meg, who appears to be menaced by a centaur. Hercules grows somewhat enchanted with her, before Phil gets them back on track to Thebes. After they leave, Meg meets with Hades, and his assistants, Pain and Panic. Meg was actually trying to get the centaur to side with Hades, but claims Hercules spoiled her plans. Upon hearing this, Hades angrily grabs his assistants, realizing they have lied to him. Pain and Panic manage to convince Hades that since Hercules is mortal, they can still kill him. In Thebes, Hercules tries to convince the citizens that he is a hero, but no one is willing to believe him. Suddenly, Meg appears, and tells of two small boys trapped under a rock in a nearby canyon. Hercules saves the little boys (actually Pain and Panic in disguise), but then has to contend with the 3-headed beast called the Hydra. After finding out that cutting off one head produces 3 more, Hercules ends up crushing the beast with a rock slide. The defeat of the Hydra causes the citizens of Thebes to acknowledge Hercules as a hero, and further anger Hades. Hades continues to send beasts and creature against Hercules, but each and everyone is defeated, further making Hercules a hero in the eyes of the citizens. Statues and merchandise are soon rampant with Hercules' face, and Hercules thinks that his fame will allow him to return to Mt Olympus. However, upon visiting the Temple of Zeus again, Zeus explains to Hercules that fame does not equal heroism. When Hercules asks to know what he can do, Zeus refuses to explain further. Back in Thebes, the conversation has upset Hercules, who wonders if he even has what it takes to be a hero. While in his home, Meg appears, and gets Hercules to come with her for an evening rendezvous. However, Meg's intentions are to secretly find Hercules' weakness, but as the night goes on, she begins to find him charming. The mood is broken when Phil and Pegasus show up to take Hercules home. During the flight away, Phil ends up getting hit by a tree, and falls off Pegasus. When he comes to, he sees Meg talking to Hades, with their conversation sounding as if Meg has been two-timing Hercules. In truth, Meg refuses to go along with Hades plan, claiming that Hercules has no weakness...which leads Hades to believe that she IS that weakness. Back at Thebes Stadium, Phil tries to convince Hercules of what he saw, but Hercules angrily hits Phil. Phil, hurt by his protege's backlash, gets up and leaves. Once Phil is gone, Hades appears, and offers Hercules an ultimatum: if Hercules gives up his powers for 24 hours, Hades will allow Meg to go free, with the provision that the deal will be voided if any harm comes to her. Hercules goes through with the deal, only to have Hades then tell Hercules how Meg was working for him. Now drained of his strength, Hercules can only watch as Hades lets loose the Titans that Zeus had imprisoned years earlier. Hades sends a giant cyclops to Thebes to destroy the City. Even though Hercules is drained of his strength, he still tries to stop the creature. Fearing that he'll be killed, Meg and Pegasus find Phil, who they convince to return and help his student. With Phil's help and some ingenuity, Hercules ends up blinding and finishing off the cyclops, but in the process, Meg is gravely injured. Her injury causes Hades' deal to expire, and Hercules receives his strength back. With Phil watching over Meg, Hercules and Pegasus fly to Mt Olympus, where the Titans have all but over-powered Zeus and the other gods. Hercules helps turn the tide of battle, and ends up taking care of the Titans, and Hades angrily retreats to the Underworld. When Hercules returns to Thebes, Phil reveals that Meg has died. Upset by this, Hercues descends into the Underworld to get her back. Hercules makes a deal with Hades, that he will take Meg's place if he rescues her from the River of Death. Hades accepts the deal, sure that Hercules will die before he can save her. It seems Hercules will die, but upon reaching Meg, he suddenly begins to glow yellow, having achieved god status by risking his life to save her. Hercules manages to get Meg out of the River of Death, much to Hades ranting and protestations, several of which cause Hercules to send him flying into the river, where the dead attempt to drown him. Hercules, Pegasus, Phil and Meg then fly to Mt Olympus where the gods are waiting to welcome Hercules back, now that he has become a 'True Hero.' However, Hercules chooses to stay on Earth, but still be able to visit his family. The film ends as one of the gods creates a constellation in the sky of Hercules, making Phil swell with pride that he was able to train a legend and a god.

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Hercules (1997)

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Reviewed by: Beverly Nault CONTRIBUTOR

T his is one of the most colorful, pretty, witty animation spectacles that Disney has produced. It is fun to watch—its characters are likable and appealing. (We saw it in Disney’s New Amsterdam theatre in New York, which was worth a trip just to see the beautiful restoration the theatre has undergone.)

Hercules first appears as a babe-in-arms, cute and cuddly, the center of all attention on Olympus. But soon, the evil “Hades” gets wind of his birth and plots to have the infant killed. However, unbeknownst to Hades, the plan to have Hercules killed only serves to render him mortal, while leaving him with superhuman strength. Hercules grows up with his Earthling foster parents, an outcast who can’t quite control his own might or fit in with the “Earthlings.” With the help of a “hero-trainer,” (voice talent of Danny DeVito ), Hercules works on his control, bravery, and plans to become a hero on Earth. Soon he is faced with danger, trickery and Hades’ endeavors to thwart Hercules’ efforts to earn his way back into immortality to live on Olympus as a god.

One part that I found slightly offensive from a Christian perspective was the Muses’ song, “The Gospel Truth,” which was of course, far from it. Patterned after a gospel singing group, the Muses’ role was to nararate the story’s events. Another weakness is that Hercules' powers come from within, not his faith in God. On the positive side, virtues worth remembering are that hard work and determination are necessary to overcome evil and help those who are in trouble. Also, there is no profanity.

Though ugly, Hades was not too threatening. However, there are several scenes with a monster/dragon that could be quite frightening to pre-schoolers and young grade-schoolers. The most frightening scenes will be the ones of hell, which show helpless faces swirling in an eternal pool of despair. According to the plot, after death you are in Hades' control, unless you happen to be lucky enough to have Hercules save you in his own effort to gain entry into Olympus/Heaven.

The message of the movie is mixed, but should provide earnest Christian parents with a few great “teachable moments.” Point out what a great Redeemer we have in Christ. Point out that He selflessly paid the price for our entry into Heaven (shed his pure, sinless blood to cover our sin), and remind them of the hopeless eternity of those who die without His salvation. (Hercules is sadly limited in the salvation department.)

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REVIEW: Hercules (1997)

“People always do crazy things…when they’re in love.”

The 1990’s were a turbulent time at Walt Disney Animation Studio. 1989’s The Little Mermaid had laid the groundwork for what animation historians now call the Disney Renaissance. Beauty and the Beast , Aladdin and The Lion King were all huge wins for the studio, each a bigger success than its predecessor. But nothing lasts forever, and Pocahontas ended the amazing run of hits that had revitalized the studio. Pocahontas was a modest financial success and was not nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards like the studio wanted, and they had a similarly dark and serious movie – The Hunchback of Notre Dame – coming out the following year. Suffice it to say, as studios always do, they took the wrong message from this string of events and decided to go full silly. After all, Hercules is more comedic and light in tone than anything from the  Disney Renaissance, even Aladdin , which had the same directors and a lot of similar story elements.

Hercules opens with a dramatic narration by Charleton Heston that is almost immediately interrupted by five sassy, gospel-belting muses. They scold him for making it sound like “some Greek tragedy” and acquaint the audience with the Disney version of Greek Mythology, where the Titans were enormous elemental monsters terrorizing the humans until Zeus locked them in a cage beneath the ocean. We are then introduced to Mount Olympus and the Gods currently residing there, including Zeus and Hera, who are welcoming their new son Hercules. Hades, Zeus’ jealous brother and God of the Dead, sends his own minions to kidnap the baby after the Fates reveal that that Hercules can stop Hades from taking over the world. Through a series of mishaps they turn Hercules into a mortal, leaving him with only his god-like strength. As a teenager Hercules struggles with fitting in, clumsiness and being himself. Everything changes when Hercules learns he’s the son of Zeus and seeks training from Philoctetes. With his help Hercules becomes a hero, defeats Hades and wins the love of the icy Megara.

This movie is enjoyable, but it’s really weird, especially by Disney standards. There are certainly hallmarks of the Disney style present, such as the silly sidekicks and grand musical numbers. But the film’s art and character designs were done by Gerald Scarfe, best known for designing Pink Floyd’s The Wall . The soundtrack is also a mixture of pop, gospel and motown. The supporting cast are voiced by Rip Torn, James Woods, Danny DeVito and Wayne Knight. Story and thematic influences include Richard Donner’s Superman and its sequels and the Rocky films.  In a way it’s really admirable how off-the-wall this movie can be. Some of the choices here just don’t make any sense, and it doesn’t all quite come together in the end. But not all of the unconventional aspects are bad.

The MVPs of Hercules are James Woods as Hades and Susan Egan as Megara. Rather than playing Hades as the traditional Disney villain, Woods plays him like a used car salesman or a defense lawyer. His end goal is to take over the world, but to do so he’s always bargaining with people. And what’s interesting is, strictly speaking, he plays fair. He does deceive people a couple of times, but Hercules is technically the one who breaks their deal in the end. At times in the movie, one almost feels sorry for Hades; the amount of BS he has to put up with is just monumental. From Pain and Panic being morons, to the Titans having no sense of direction to Meg going soft for Hercules, this guy just can’t get anything done.

Megara is a really unique character for Disney. She’s sarcastic, sexy and starts out as a henchwoman for Hades. She sold her soul to him to save the man she loved, only to watch that man run off with another girl. While characters like Jasmine, Pocahontas and Esmeralda were sexualized by the men around them, Megara sexualizes herself and uses her appearance as a weapon. Not necessarily a new or groundbreaking idea, but certainly not one you often see depicted in sympathetic characters in Disney movies. What she does is called out and she has to apologize, but you can sympathize with her. When you realize what her situation is, her actions make sense. And once she really starts falling for Hercules she tries to betray Hades. The problem is, by that point it’s out of her hands.

As much as I like Hades, I think Megara is the standout character. She’s easily the most complex of everyone, she has a killer design and sings the best song in the film, but she’s also the character who changes the most. In the beginning (or rather early middle, when she’s introduced) Meg is a jaded cynic who’s had it with men and pretty much everybody else too. In playing Delilah to Hercules’ Sampson, she finds something unique in him and tries to make things right. She sacrifices her life to save Hercules and restore his strength and even after being revived, is willing to walk away and let him lead his life as a god just to see him happy.

Maybe the movie should have been about her. The film’s eponymous hero is much more conventional in a lot of ways, but that’s not always a good thing. Hercules is handsome and has good intentions, and that’s really all he has going for him. The film repeatedly goes out of its way to show us how dumb he is. It’s supposed to be endearing or make us feel sympathy for him, but it ends up being somewhat annoying. When Herc is a teenager the townspeople don’t accept him and scold his father for bringing him around “normal people,” but in context it’s actually kind of reasonable for them to feel this way. Hercules is obsessed with helping people, but it always has disastrous results.

His character arc, like Simba’s in The Lion King , sounds good on the surface but makes less sense the more you think about it. Hercules wants to become a true hero so he can join the Gods on Mount Olympus and be where he belongs; he even sings a song about it. One problem with this goal is that it’s kind of selfish, and he’s basically saying he wants to help people to benefit his own agenda. That’s kind of messed up. When he commits acts of heroism, he doesn’t get to become a god because he hasn’t become a true hero yet. This could have made for an interesting turn in the story, but it doesn’t because of how they frame it. We’re meant to cheer for Hercules and be happy when he becomes a true hero. (Also, why do they word it like this?)

To make a more satisfying hero’s journey, Hercules should have started out as a selfish punk who learns a lesson about what really makes you a hero. When he doesn’t get to be a god for the acts of heroism, they could have made a comment about him doing good things to get rewards of fame and fortune,  and that’s why he’s not a true hero. This would be where he learns something and has a change of heart and motivation. But Hercules didn’t do those things for fame and fortune, and having these things doesn’t change who he is. Even in the end when he is offered godhood for risking his life for Megara, the happy ending has a bitter aftertaste. Sure, he risked his life for the woman he loves, but wouldn’t it mean more to do that for a complete stranger? And even still, he made a deal with Hades that he immediately broke when he left the Underworld with Meg. I don’t necessarily hate Hercules, but I don’t understand how we’re supposed to like him either. He’s basically Ariel with a lower IQ.

Characters like Zeus, Hera and Hercules’ adopted parents Alcmene and Amphitryon don’t have much of an impact. This could have been an interesting plot point concerning how Hercules feels about his biological and adoptive parents, but it isn’t addressed at all. Being raised by someone other than your biological mother and father is a common theme among many Disney movies, and it’s usually handled a lot better than this.

Hades’ sidekicks Pain and Panic are actually funny sometimes, and I like their designs. However, Phil, Hercules sidekick/trainer who is basically Mick from the Rocky movies, is just plain annoying. He sings what has to be not only the worst song in this movie, but one of the worst Disney songs ever. He’s a jerk, he creeps on all the female characters, which is intended to be funny/charming, and his relationship with Hercules isn’t developed in any interesting way. You could just cut him out of the film and not only would you not miss anything, but the movie would be better for it. Pegasus is similarly grating, but not quite as bad because he can’t talk (or sing), thank God. He’s also involved in some of the film’s comedy relief and it always falls flat. His disdain for Megara is pointless and leads nowhere, as in the end he inexplicably likes her all of the sudden.

Overall, Hercules is a mess of influences and ideas that don’t always add up in the end. There’s brilliance in a couple of the songs, the art design and the character of Megara, but some of the creative choices just don’t make sense. Ultimately, you’ll either find this movie to be the fun kind of crazy or trash that just doesn’t work for you. Personally, I think there’s enough good here to justify a watch.

Direction/Editing - 4

Animation - 9.

Overall, Hercules is a mess of influences and ideas that don’t always add up in the end, but personally, I there there's enough good here to justify a watch.

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Friday, January 11, 2013

Hercules (1997) - disney movie about this really strong guy...., hercules: in this disney movie, he's just a big ol' loveable hunk, no comments:, post a comment.