A watered down Aladdin set in ancient Greece

Rating: 6/10 (15 May 2014)

No, it's not accurate to the original Greek myth of Heracles, but that isn't what keeps this film from being much good.
Hercules (1997) is a part of the second half of the oft-praised Disney Renaissance, a second golden age which ran from the release of The Little Mermaid in 1989 roughly until the release of Tarzan in 1999. Fans usually split this period into two parts: we have the Big Four from 1989 to 1994 (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King), called such because they not only innovated and revitalized Disney animation after the roughly two decade dark age following Walt Disney's death in 1966, but they were also major hits at the box office. The second half starts with the artistic misfire that was Pocahontas, a visually stunning but soulless film obviously made with the Academy Awards in mind. It was at this point that the "renaissance formula" began to become more obvious and stale. Yes, a few of the films were good (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan), but most were bland and safe wastes of time.
Hercules is as safe as these films got. I think only Fantasia 2000 (1999) was more of a disappointment in taking chances. The main character, his "I Want" song, and the supporting characters are all dull. The color scheme is wretched, just a potpourri of clashing neon colors competing for your attention. The whole movie feels like a less entertaining version of Aladdin (1992) honestly. The only redeeming elements are the hilarious villain Hades and the love interest Meg's song, "I Won't Say I'm in Love."
I'm glad others find merit in it, but for me, it's only a mildly pleasant mess.