HERCULES (PG-13)
Released by Paramount Pictures
Review by Adam Mast
Brett Ratner’s take on HERCULES is hardly a masterwork, but it wasn’t the disaster I was expecting, either. It’s silly, it’s over-the-top, and it’s a far cry from the strongest big screen incarnation of the mythical character (I’m referring, of course, to 1981’s HERCULES starring Lou Ferrigno… Just kidding. Steve Reeves owns this role.) However, it’s also fun, briskly paced, and headlined by a charismatic Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
In HERCULES, the bigger-than-life legend and a ragtag team of misfit warriors aid a king and his daughter in a crusade to take down a tyrannical warlord. As the film progresses, we learn of the horrific tragedy that continues to haunt Hercules. Along the way, this particular adaptation also playfully messes with our perception of who this iconic figure actually is. Is he a mortal man? Is he the fiercely strong son of the great god Zeus? Is he the byproduct of exaggerated folklore? Is he all the above?
Ratner keeps things fast and loose, and very seldom does he take anything seriously here. The film has a surprising amount of carnage for a PG-13-rated movie, but it’s mostly of the aftermath variety (beware of severed heads). There are plenty of battles, but there’s very little actual blood. Essentially, the majority of HERCULES plays like an extremely watered-down version of BRAVEHEART and GLADIATOR, minus the extreme violence and serious tone. In short, this is more CONAN THE DESTROYER than CONAN THE BARBARIAN, and guess what? Despite its silliness, I liked CONAN THE DESTROYER.
Again, Ratner takes a fairly light-hearted approach, but he proves himself quite adept with the action scenes. This isn’t BEN HUR but at the very least, Ratner incorporates what looks to be countless extras, and what’s more, they look like real extras, as opposed to digitally inserted ones. Ratner doesn’t miss an opportunity to wink at the likes of legendary movies like STAR WARS either. There’s even a nifty little homage to ARMY OF DARKNESS during a soldier training montage.
As expected, Johnson is extremely likable, and not surprisingly, he’s sensational when he’s giving the bad guys (and creatures) a beatdown. Rufus Sewell is fun as Autolycus, a selfish but loyal soldier who generally prefers monetary compensation to moral compensation. Veteran John Hurt is terrific as a scared king who welcomes Hercules and his men with open arms. Of the entire cast, though, it’s Ian McShane who has the most fun as Amphiaraus, a worn-down warrior whose date with death is continuously interrupted by way of divine intervention.
As a movie about teamwork and family among misfits, HERCULES doesn’t have anything on GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, but still, there’s enough fun here to offer up a mild recommendation.
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