adventure scores: romance fails

Rating: Null/10 (20 September 1999)

In general I liked Hercules, and don't mind repeat viewings. As with all Disney fare, the animation is terrific. This film worked better for me than the pointless Pocahantas, Tarzan, or utterly forgettable Hunchback of Notre Dame. It's a shade below Mulan. One thing it doesn't have is a memorable score, but the tunes are catchy enough. There's nothing as good as 'colors of the wind' from Pocahantas, though.
The approach is fresh and interesting - recasting the story of Hercules as if he was a modern day sports hero with his own 'Air-Herc' sandals and 'Herculade' soft-drink. The Greek Chorus, a Dreamgirl-style lineup who move the plot along, was a wonderful touch. Tate Donovan is effective, earnest and yet naive as Hercules. James Wood's Hades is one of the best performances in any Disney film since Robin Williams as the genie in Aladdin and Robby Benson as the Beast in Beauty & The Beast. He adds to every scene and is a terrific villain. Kudos also to the animators of Pegasus - without being annoying he manages to be expressive, funny, and a terrific sidekick. They must have had a lot of fun doing him.
The film does have quite a few failings, however. The primary one is the romance between Megara and Herc. It never felt real - there was no chemistry there. I know it sounds strange for a cartoon, but she seemed to worldly, sarcastic and disinterested, they seemed to have nothing in common, and there was no moment when you could see their attraction unfolding. She isn't DRAWN that attractively either - a little shrewish and peckish. Without buying the romance, it felt like all of the moments involving that romance were simply plot points to move the film along. And since the romance is central to the motivations of the characters and the movement of the plot, this is a major failing. One scene emphasizes this: Hercules runs off to spend the day with Megara, and instead of seeing their romance blossom, we get the old trick of the writer-who-doesn't-know-how-to-create-chemistry: a quick flash to a scene later in the evening when they talk about what a great time they had together. Hey guys, Show Me Don't Tell Me.
A second beef is Danny DeVito's Philoctetes. It's not that the character is bad or badly done, it's just that the animators made the character LOOK like Danny DeVito. I don't need clues like those - I can already hear his unmistakeable voice. Animation lets you do anything - it's a major failing in imagination when you make the character look like the actor who voices him. Then they did it again for Paul Shaffer's Hermes.
The film doesn't follow the mythology of Hercules at all. If you're a Greek or remember the tales, you will either be confused or annoyed. Astute scholars of the myths will recognize that they have basically taken elements from almost all of the best known Greek myths and woven them around a concocted plot involving Hades freeing the Titans so he can rule on Olympus. Even Hercules' own origins are rewritten for the film. In the original, he was the child of Alcmene, a Greek woman, and Zeus, who had lain with Alcmene. Here he is the son of Zeus and Hera, stolen and turned mortal by Hades' magic potion. If Hades has this potion, and hates Zeus so much, then why doesn't he trick Zeus into drinking the damn thing, and leave the baby alone.
As expected with any Hollywood film about the Greek myths, a flying horse named Pegasus is involved. In the original, Hercules never dealt with Pegasus. Pegasus was the steed of Bellerophon. As mentioned above, I'm glad Pegasus is in this one. But if you want a more loyal version, the Kevin Sorbo series with Hera as the enemy is more on the mark (but not completely).
I give it a seven out of ten. It gets tens for Woods, Pegasus, the training montages with Phil and Herc, and the fights with monsters. It gets a 3 for the romance. Add another point for the animation and divide by two.