Hercules- Review

"I am Hercules!"

"Heroes get remembered, but legends never die."

- Apparition of Babe Ruth from The Sandlot

Many things have managed to achieve legendary status over the course of humanity's time on on this planet. You may not be able to see it without understanding the history, but these grand legends of old are all around us. They permeate the halls of time and echo far into the future, helping to shape the world we all inhabit right this very instant.

In our current age we look back upon these myths and legends with a curious wonder. How did these legends begin? Where did they all come from? For some these questions has been answered, but for others we may never know the truth, or even why the legend came into being. Sadly some seem to forget the importance that legends have for humanity. They have taught us, guided us, and inspired us throughout the countless years, bringing us to what we are today. If not for those legends mankind could possibly be in a very different place.

I am one of the many people out there who feel storytelling is one of the most important aspects of humanity. Stories are the tool with which we use to help better understand the world around us, to cope with life's troubles, and to appreciate our gifts. Even as time marches our knowledge ever forth into the eras yet to come, our past will always be there to remind us of where we've been. Regardless of whether or not a legend was true, I appreciate what that legend may have done for us as a species moving forward. Sure some have no more place in a scientifically driven world, but I feel we should never forget them, and if anything else we should study them to further our own understanding of humanity as a whole.

Everyone (to some extent) is familiar with the legend of Hercules. The tale of his twelve labors and its influence can be seen throughout most modern day fiction. Be it in movies, literature, or even comic books, the legend of Hercules has had an undeniable effect to say the least. With this latest Hollywood adaptation of the classic Greco-Roman character, one would think that they would opt to just regurgitate the myth as most people know it. In order for me to thoroughly discuss this film, I will have to do some SPOILERS in regards to the plot.

To be quite honest and upfront, I don't really know how to feel about the twist for this movie. On one side of the coin I think that it's nice to see someone attempt to be subversive with the lore, while on the other side I feel that it deprives everyone of what they essentially signed up for. The big twist here is that Hercules and his twelve labors myth is nothing more than just that; a myth. The Lernaean Hydra was never real, it was just a group of bandits in serpent masks. The Nemean Lion was nothing more than a regular lion that Hercules and a group of cohorts killed in a cave. Hercules never worked alone on any of his "labors." In fact an immensely elaborate reputation about himself has been orchestrated in order to intimidate potential enemies, and to attract the attention of any wealthy lords who'd be willing to hire him.

The most I can say is that the ad campaigns for Hercules are very deceptive. Perhaps in a good way when one takes a moment to think about it on a meta level, but I feel that most will see it in a bad way. My hat goes off to the editors for making sure that all of the bits involving Hercules and his companions were cut so as to make people think that they were going to see Herc doing the twelve labors. Who knows, maybe if the creators did go for telling a more stylized version of the twelve labors myth (ala 300) than more viewers may have liked this picture. I'll admit that it does kind of suck to see Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (one of the few larger than life actors we've got left) portray Hercules in such a mundane way. This is the same guy who was in the totally over-the-top (but also totally awesome in a fun way) Scorpion King from fourteen years ago. Why wouldn't you want to cut this guy loose and let him be the Hercules we all want him to be?

To be fair, what we've got here isn't exactly bad. It's just not what I think anyone was expecting. Who can blame them though when you consider those commercials? In regards to the twelve labors themselves, we do get to see a few of them, but only as a grandiose recounting to a group of pirates by Herc's nephew in the film's first five minutes. I won't lie, even though it blows to know that everything you more than likely bought a ticket to see (like I did) essentially happens in those first five minutes, it does at the very least make for a pretty cool opening. The pacing is relatively solid, as we see Hercules and his trusty group of companions aid in a war for the kingdom of Thrace. The action beats feel like they're as long as they should be, and some of the characters are actually quite fun. Overall the narrative is fairly good, but it isn't anything to write home about either. More than likely most will only remember the kickass opening with the labors.

From left to right: Atalanta, Hercules, Iolaus, and Autolycus.

Casting is perhaps this movie's greatest strength. The characters here all have some pretty good interaction with one another, with some of them getting surprisingly decent bits of development throughout the plot. Notable roles include John Hurt as Cotys the King of Thrace, Rufus Sewell as Autolycus, and especially Ian McShane as Amphiaraus. Usually Ian McShane is the best thing in whatever he shows up in, and here is no exception. Some of the most quotable lines, and memorable scenes come directly from McShane, and I think this movie becomes a lot more entertaining than it ought to be just by having him present. The supporting cast is decent enough I suppose, but none of them are memorable in any meaningful way to pull strong feelings from me. While I do think the character of Atalanta (Ingrid Bolso Berdal) is cool in concept, she tragically gets next to no time to really be anything more than an amazonian version of Legolas for the group.

Of course, no one is here to see the supporting cast. What we all want is to see Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson kick some ass as a Greek demi-god. Thankfully we do get to see Dwayne do some cool fight scenes, but nothing that really shows off the physicality of his acting abilities. I've gotta say too that it's a bit of a letdown considering how big he got for this role. I'm very impressed with his physique here as Mr. Johnson has a truly imposing figure. His muscles are so big in this role that you won't doubt it for a second that he could flip a horse on its back with the greatest of ease. It is interesting to note that they do have a few hints during the story that Hercules may actually have some divine origin, but it is only implied with his somewhat almost superhuman feats from time to time. He's also given a bit of a dark and gritty back-story this go around that Dwayne Johnson I think plays up fairly well. This isn't the performance of his career mind you, but he does at least manage to make Hercules' inner turmoil feel somewhat believable and palatable.    

Visually it is obvious that Hercules is working on a small (for Hollywood these days) budget. The CGI effects are apparent every time they show up, and you can clearly tell they have a limited number of extras for the war sequences. Costuming is a mixed bag with some of the actors looking quite good in their get ups, and others not so much. Hercules' chest plate looks like it is made out of rubber, while the wig used for his hair is one of the most convincing effects in the entire film. Weapon props vary from good to laughably fake. The club they have Hercules wield in almost all of his fight scenes clearly looks like it is made of hollow plastics, and the tip of Ian McShane's spear wobbles like a wet-noodle in certain shots. The best this movie ever looks is actually in the opening with the twelve labors myth, but even then you can tell where the live action begins, and the CG ends. Camera work is pretty basic too, with most of the framing and tracking simply being competent. There is the occasional slow-mo shot, but nothing that we haven't seen before in more impressive blockbusters.

Fernando Velazquez's composition is also of little note. Once again I find myself with a movie that has no real score to mention. I can say that the music does its job decent enough, but there is not one memorable track that sticks out to me. To be frank I can't even remember off the top of my head what song they used for the end credits. For those who are wondering what mediocrity sounds like, you've got a perfect case study here in Hercules. I wish that I could say more about this aspect of the film, but there really much else to say.

Overall I'm not going to say that Hercules is a bad film. It's just a basic film. This is one of those middle of the road type deals that I'm surprised was chosen to even come out in the prime time of the summer blockbuster season. I don't regret watching it, but I don't think anyone who decides to skip out is missing anything important. You'd probably be better off waiting for this one to come on Netflix and try it then. Perhaps if the film had more style, or pushed a little harder in the direction of its subversion of the myth I may have felt differently about it, but that's not the case. Director Brett Ratner is notorious for doing mediocre films just like this and his latest work here is no exception. He only furthers to cement that reputation, and in the eras yet to come that may sadly be the legend Mr. Ratner leaves behind. 

Positive Factors

• Interesting subversion to the Hercules myth.
• Fairly solid pacing and good character interaction/development.
• Casting is strong with a very fun performance from Ian McShane.
• Dwayne Johnson delivers a pretty good take on Hercules and does kick some ass in the fight scenes.

Negative Factors

• Deceptive ads will more than likely leave most viewers disappointed in the end. 
• Clearly working on a limited budget. Costuming, props, and CGI all leave something to be desired.
• Music score is about as mediocre as it gets.
• It's a Bret Ratner flick, what did you expect? The guy is known for doing mediocre films at best people.

Final Rating: Mediocremarkable...