A step down from previous Disney animated films

Rating: 8/10 (28 October 2008)

The worst thing you can do when watching Disney's "Hercules" is to compare it to its predecessors. Not because it's impossible (it's not), but because it makes "Hercules" look a lot worse than it probably deserves.
When it comes to adapting material for children's movies (especially the animated ones), Disney has always been known to change some of the darker aspects of the original story to make it more kid-friendly. Never has it been more apparent than in this film, though considering the source material, it's understandable...to a point. But Disney reworked the whole story, making only passing mentions at the original myth (similar to the fairy tale references to fairy tales in the "Shrek" movies).
Hades (James Woods) is pretty peeved at Zeus (Rip Torn) that he was assigned to govern the underworld. But according to a prophecy, he will have a chance to take over Mount Olympus and rule the world. However, the prophecy also says that there is one person who stands in his way, Zeus' newborn son, Hercules (Josh Keaton/Roger Bart as Young Hercules). So Hades sends his two monster henchmen, Pain (Bobcat Goldthwait) and Panic (Matt Frewer) to off the kid. The plan almost works, and Hercules ends up living as a mortal, though his god-like strength makes him an outcast. Then Zeus tells him that the only way to become a god again is to become a true hero. So with the help of Phil (Danny DeVito), a hero-trainer, Hercules (played by Tate Donovan as an adult), sets out to become one. Meanwhile, Hades has his own agenda in motion.
The problem with Hercules isn't the story, but that it's lazy film-making. It seems as though the filmmakers just wanted to make the quickest movie they could. The drama doesn't work very well, the characters are half-developed, and the energy level is low. There are only a few songs in the film (none of which is especially memorable), unlike in previous Disney features. The animation seems to be inspired by Greek art, but it's not as crisp or beautiful as in other films (and sometimes the merging of hand-drawn and computer animation is inadequately done).
Most surprising is the lack of effective humor. Much of the jokes fall flat, and what works is merely amusing. The scenery-chewing sarcasm of Woods' Hades and DeVito's Phil are worth a few grins, but they're not laugh-out-loud hilarious.
The other voice talents are uninspired. Tate Donovan is flat as Hercules, and he fails to provide the emotional anchor that the film desperately needs. Susan Egan is a good voice-over actress, and her later work in Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" proves it. But her talents are not adequately used here, and it makes her less effective (though she still manages to inject some sass into Meg). Rip Torn does what he can with Zeus, but his dialogue is so weak that there isn't much he can do.
"Hercules" is better than "Pocahontas," but it's still a far cry from the other Disney features.