Hercules

Story wise we've seen this a million times before, especially in all the recent Disney films. That said though, I still enjoy this film more than Aladdin, it's competitor for the funniest Disney film ever (that was until The Emperor's New Groove knocked them both out of the park). Children are sure to love the outragous humor, bright colors, music and light tone as well as the comical sidekicks (Pain and Panic) and monsters. Frankly, I'm confounded by the negative reviews here. Everything is done top notch except for the predictable Disney formula plot.

The DVD presentation is fantastic. The film is presented in widescreen, the colors are bright, blacks are deep and dark and the sound is crisp and clear. You couldn't ask for a better presentation. However, it lacks for extras. There is a 12 minute making of short that is somewhat insightful and a music video of Ricky Martin's Spanish version of "Go The Distance". Also included are a simple triva game and the storybook mode that's found on most Disney DVD's.

The crisp bright look of the DVD is enough to warrant a buy for a Disney fan, but add in the gospel music, humor, fantastical setting and daring animation style and you've got yourself a winner for anyone!


Disney lover and history graduate student   December 3, 1999
Nick Alimonos (Tarpon Springs, FL USA)
16 out of 19 found this review helpful

I am in graduate school for my masters in history and I know just about EVERYTHING there is to know about mythology and Greek culture and let me tell you, I LOVED this movie! All the people who hated it because of its inaccuracies should know that not ONE Disney movie has EVER been accurate. Cinderella's step-sisters cut their toes off to fit into the glass slipper. The Little Mermaid is supposed to DIE in the end. There is NO Gaston or dancing pots and pans in Beauty and the Beast. There is no wise-cracking genie in Aladdin. Hercules is NO different. But unlike those movies, the "true" story of Hercules is just plain awful. The story goes like this: Hercules is born after Zeus cheats on his wife. Zeus then has the baby feed on Hera's breast when she is sleeping. Then Hercules in a fit of anger kills his whole family, and spends his whole life killing monsters for his cousin as penance. In the end his second wife gives him a magic coat with which he burns himself to death because he cheated on her. Oh, what a great movie that would make! Honestly, the revamped story is VASTLY superior, and Disney did everything right as far as the geology of Greece, the architecture, the clothing, and many other little anecdotes. That's much more than I can say for any other version of Hercules including that god-awful Kevin Sorbo show. I see the movie more as a humorous look at ALL Greek myths. I think any student of Greek myths would agree. Sure the Gospel music was a bit much, but it fit the story beautifully.


Usually fantastic Disney at its worst -- and most dangerous   May 21, 2002
xaosdog (Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA USA)
14 out of 50 found this review helpful

I am a big Disney fan. I in no way demand that Disney adhere slavishly to the original source material it usually relies upon in making its fabulous animated features. I absolutely respect Disney's right to remove dark elements, to simplify, and to mark its work with its own style.

But Disney's Hercules does a hack-job on Greek mythology which passes the most generous bounds of adaptor's license. I am tempted to say that "Disney's Hercules leaves Greek mythology looking like a chimera after a bad night in a procrustean bed" or some kind of nonsense like that, but I will refrain.

Hercules represents far worse than poor screenwriting -- it constitutes a serious disservice to children and parents alike, systematically mis-educating American youth as to the fundaments of Western culture. ...In a first draft of this review, I listed some of the more egregious examples, but on reflection I don't want to reify the false memes the film has surely injected into the American mainstream knowledge base by enumerating them here.

Bottom line: if you don't fall into the "pig-ignorant and proud of it" category, I urge you to take my advice and boycott this poor showing, thus sending a message to Disney that Americans aren't as dumb as market statistics imply, and simultaneously doing your children the favor of not filling their heads with information tending to increase rather than decrease their ignorance of classical culture.

[These points made, I liked James Woods' powerful stage presence and I liked the gimmick of making the muses (although why there should only have been three muses I cannot guess) African-American. I liked essentially nothing else about the film. Disney should be ashamed of this one.]


A Legend from the Disney Point of View   December 31, 2005
Movie Mania (Southern Calfornia)
11 out of 15 found this review helpful

At this point the Disney animation juggernaut started to show signs of definite weakness. The Little Mermaid revitalized classic animation. Beauty and the Beast took animation to an all time high, the only animated film to be nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award. Aladdin set box office records and became the second animated film to win the Best Picture, Musical or Comedy Golden Globe. Then The Lion King smashed all records. But after that it's been down hill. (Box office that is not quality.)

Keeping with success, Alan Menken was hired to write the music but they were looking for a new lyricist and choose David Zippel who took Broadway by storm with City of Angels and what a great choice.

Running out of good fairy tales, Disney went to Greek mythology and the legend of Hercules. Now this follows the Greek myths as well as many of the animated fairy tales did. (Which means not very well.)

Trying to make the movie hip like Aladdin, they created a Greek Chorus (Lilas White, Roz Ryan, LaChanze, Cheryl Freeman and Vaneese Thomas), that resembled the Supremes or En Vogue, to be musical narrators of the film. The film's plot is about Hades taking over Olympus.

The film begins with Zeus (Rip Torn) and Hera (Samantha Eggar) having a son, Hercules. Down in the underworld, Hades (James Woods) is planning his revenge on Zeus but the fates tell Hades that his plot would be foiled by Hercules. The only way for Hades' plan to succeed is to eliminate Hercules but you can't kill a god. So Hades sends two minions, Pain and Panic (Bobcat Goldthwait and Matt Frewer) to poison Hercules and make him mortal. But as it happens, they get interrupted and Hercules is part human and part god. But to live on Olympus, you must be all god.

Baby Hercules is raised by a local farmer. Hercules grows up and realizes his extraordinary strength but cannot control it. This makes Hercules an outcast in town and he sets out on his own (Go the Distance). When he arrives at the Temple of Zeus, he finds out his history. He also finds out the only way to become a god again is to perform a selfless act of heroism.

So Hercules sets out to be trained by a famous Centaur, Philocetes (Danny Devito). The reluctant Phil takes Hercules on. After he is ready, Herc and Phil set out to make Herc a hero. He quickly goes from "Zero to Hero". Hades quickly notices that Hercules is not mortal and decides to distract him with another minion, the beautiful Megara.

Hercules saves Megara (Susan Egan - Belle of Beauty and the Beast) and falls for her but Meg feels "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" (This is the best song in the show and should have been nominated for an Oscar). Now that Hercules is distracted, Hades moves forward with his plan and releases the Titans to invade Mount Olympus. In the deal Meg is killed but Hercules cannot release her so he goes to the sea of souls to rescue her soul.

As this is a Disney film, you know that all ends up happy but this whole film is done for the fun of it and so a happy ending is acceptable.

This film is a cross between classic and modern. Hades is like a talent agent and when Hercules becomes a hero he is marketed.

DVD EXTRAS:
Music Video - No Importa La Distance by Ricky Martin

Making of Hercules featurette - This is a featurette that is about the making of the film from the voice cast to the music by Menken to the artists who created the characters and the film's directors and producers. What makes this different from the typical "Making of" featurette is it goes behind the animation process and gives you insights to the process.



Mandatory viewing for your son (or daughter)   June 3, 2000
Groucho M (Reading, PA USA)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Disney's grown up - to the point where each new animated release is sure to draw controversy and criticism from somebody; I personally was furious at the revisionism of Hunchback. I forgave them when this movie came out. Disney's Hercules is an experiment just like Fantasia, but many folks (it appears), disliked the tampering with Greek myth as well as the unfamiliar style and animation. But I've got lots of reasons to make it my new favorite Disney. First, Disney (in an incredibly bold move) hired Gerald Scarfe to design. His surreal yet powerful visions were always a highlight of Pink Floyd concerts; now they break ground in the same way that Little Mermaid did. While many of the characters appear weird and sketchy, their power seeps through every frame. And, as always, nobody does villains like Disney; Hades, Cerberus, the Titans, the whole Underworld - profoundly frightening in a whole new way. And Disney's forays into computer-generated animation again stop the show when Hercules battles the Hydra; even purists must agree to its power and brilliance.

Then there's the voice talent: James Woods predictably steals the show as Hades, whose wisecracks do little to hide his genuine evil. A close second is Danny DeVito as Phil, a satyr who's saddled with training the young and awkward Hercules to become a true hero; DeVito's given lots of jokes to tell, and only diehard stodges will fail to bust a gut at some of his remarks.

Which leads us to the music: I went out and bought the soundtrack because it was so good. Led by the Muses (who are transformed into the ultimate r&b/gospel choir), the songs have a delightful mix of 50's do-wop (Susan Egan's absolutely beautiful "I Won't Say I'm in Love"), comedy (DeVito's "One Last Hope"), and classic Disney uplift (Roger Bart as Hercules singing "Go the Distance"). Disney staple Alan Menken teams with lyricist David Zippel to deliver yet another brilliant soundtrack.

But what has made the movie my personal favorite is the message it has delivered to my three-year-old son; Disney's given lots to the girls lately (most of Disney's recent heroes have been heroines), but Hercules delivers the message that boys can grow up to be heroes as well. It's taught my son honor, generosity, and humor (well, I'd like to think I helped a bit). Hercules' journey from earthbound misfit to man/godhood is truly inspiring. My son thinks so, and so do I.

By the way, the special features enhance the DVD a great deal. It's always a pleasure to have the curtain pulled back to reveal the magic behind the magic.

Purists can just go to - well, the Underworld; Disney's Hercules was meant to be innovative, but it did much more than break ground - it taught my son a wonderful lesson.