Hercules

Rating: 7/10 (4 February 2020)

During the late 1980s and 1990s, I was a big Disney fan (though I still am). Films like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and especially Beauty and the Beast were favorites of mine and I have fond memories of watching these movies on repeat. But after The Lion King (which I skipped seeing in theaters), I just wasn't interested in the films Disney was offering at the time. The greatest films of the Disney Renaissance, as it were, were essentially dwindling as the studio offered up seemingly less prominent works such as the grossly historically inaccurate Pocahontas (1995) , an under-performing adaption of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), and a quirky take on Greek mythology in Hercules (1997). Though I never saw Hercules back in the day, I became interested in it after watching reviews on it courtesy of the Nostalgia Critic (video contains spoilers) and the Nostalgia Chick. I always suspected that Hercules was an underdog movie, but is this take on Greek mythology really a colossal fail or a heroic hit?
I will give Disney credit for this - Hercules takes admirable risks in its execution, particularly in its story, visual style, and musical choices. Some of these risks pay off and bring a sense of unique charm while others don't quite pan out but aren't exactly disastrous.
Doing a movie based on Greek mythology marketed to kids is a risk. For those of us who are even vaguely versed in Greek myth, we know that most of these tales are rife with sexual exploits and bloody conflicts, making them tricky to fit into a story for younger audiences. So even though mythology aficionados will no doubt be offended by Hercules, I think the writers did what they could to make the story accessible for its target audience. While not seeing the more sordid parts of Hercules' story didn't bother me, I was disappointed that nothing more was done to try to foster an appreciation of Greek culture. It slightly saddens me when movies based on ancient cultures neglect important aspects of said culture. Disney did something similar in Pocahontas and it commits the same error here. I'm baffled why Disney didn't do more to expose kids to Greek culture as opposed to filling the movie with American pop culture references with a Greek twist (such as Air Hercs rather than Air Jordans). This was a minor point with me, so I'm not going to belabor it; but it's worth noting in case you think Hercules is rife with Greek cultural references - it's quite the opposite, I'm afraid.
That's not to say the movie fails. Hercules as a whole is a good, entertaining underdog hero story, something we've seen before but it's the type of tale that holds a broad appeal. In fact, fans of the various incarnations of Superman might find striking similarities here and it's of no coincidence. Most of our modern-day superheros stem from Greek, Roman, and other ancient myths. Hence, Hercules assumes the typical hero plot: he's separated from his real origins, raised by "normal" parents, realizes he doesn't fit in with that world, goes out to find his purpose, discovers the truth about himself, and then decides how to act on this truth. In Hercules' case, at least as far as the film is concerned (not the myth), he tries to resume his godhood by performing deeds of great service, hoping to prove that he can be, as his father Zeus asserts, a "true hero."
Plotwise, this type of story has been done before but that doesn't mean Hercules is a total bore. It does its best to balance out moments of quiet reflection, colorful action, gentle comedy, and even romance (albeit it's insta-love). Hercules, voiced by Tate Donovan, is a likable character who tries to do the right thing but isn't perfect, which makes him likable. However, I stop short of saying he's memorable as sometimes his wide-eyed wondering and bumbling antics grew a little tiresome, at least to an adult audience. Philoctetes (Phil for short) (voiced by Danny DeVito), Hercules' trainer, serves as a comic distraction but his character actually impressed me in that he's not present just for comic relief. Phil has been hardened by life to a degree, especially by the fact that none of the supposedly heroic folks who came to him for help have amounted to much. Thus, he lumps Hercules into the same category until the young man proves him wrong. Yet the two most memorable characters for me are Hercules' eventual love interest, Megara (voiced by Susan Egan), and the chief antagonist, Hades (voiced by James Woods).
At first glance, you'd assume Megara (Meg for short) is slated to become the movie's damsel in distress. While she enters the movie playing that role, it's actually more of a spoof on those types of female characters. In reality, her distress is far deeper and more complex than getting captured by a monster and yelling for help. In a deal to try to save the life of a man she loved, Meg sells her soul to Hades and, in exchange, becomes his minion. However, we learn that her attempts to try to win the heart of her man failed, so Meg has all but sworn off the foolish notion of falling in love. But as the Fates would have it, Meg falls for Hercules who treats her nobly and genuinely cares for her. I will give credit to the writers that Meg is a good balance between a wise-cracking lass and a conflicted soul as she loves Hercules but is afraid of getting her heart broken again. That's a take on a female character I don't believe had been done before in a Disney film at this point as most of the ladies, from Cinderella to Ariel, never had any qualms about wanting to be in love. But for Meg it's a risky step though she does ultimately decide whether or not to take that step, so her story isn't left in limbo.
But easily the best character, and the one totally worth watching the movie for, is Hades, voiced by James Woods. While it would have been tempting to portray the dread god of the underworld as a dark, dour character, I'm glad that approach was scrapped. Instead, Hades is a fast-talking Svengali who delivers some of the movie's best lines. Make no mistake, Hades is one seriously bad dude but he's not one dimensional. He's cunning, clever, and manipulative, but combines these traits with smartly timed humor and the wheeling-dealing sensibilities of a used car salesman. I love a villain who, aside from being morally unscrupulous, possesses a unique quirk, and Hades certainly fits that bill by being a powerful baddie yet enjoys kicking up his heels and having a good laugh at someone else's expense. Not to mention he garners a handful of sympathy points as Zeus and the other gods seem to view Hades as a bit of a failure, which fuels his determination to take his brother down a few notches. All in all, this combination of a villainous mind and a playful demeanor works brilliantly. (Though one big plot hole for me has been this: if Hades is lord of the underworld, how would he not know that Hercules was still alive? My reasoning has been that Hades was so busy planning his take over that he didn't have time to worry about who was or who wasn't entering the underworld. But I'm slightly biased in Hades' favor, so that's my theory and I'm stickin' to it.)
Visually, Hercules is a departure from Disney's usual 90s style as it utilizes the designs of Gerald Scarfe, who also worked on Pink Floyd's The Wall. The film makes a great use of sharp angles and curved motifs that coincide with common patterns found in Greek art. Likewise, the palette employs bright, vivid colors that, at times, generate some very gorgeous landscapes. However, often the colors came across as a bit too cartoony and didn't try to capture any sense of realism or tie into the film's general tone. By way of example, other Disney films released during the 1990s seemed to adhere to a color scheme that fit with the story: The Little Mermaid emphasized blues and aquamarines to fit its ocean-themed story; Pocahontas and The Lion King used muted, organic colors to complement the films' nature-focused feel; and Beauty and the Beast employed rich jewel toned blues, reds, and golds that worked nicely with its elegant settings. There really is no similar corresponding color scheme to Hercules other than brightness and fun, which I suppose works but I think it could have been more refined to give the film a more signature look.
Olympus Hercules DisneyUnderworld Disney Hercules
This isn't to say that Hercules is an ugly or even a boring movie to look at as some of the character designs are fun, creative, and fit with the character's personalities. I also loved the visual designs of Mount Olympus and the Underworld as they sharply contrast each other and work for the personalities who reside there. Olympus (pictured left) truly is gorgeous and its usage of playful, unique geometry and jewel toned colors really work to establish this stunning home of the gods. In stark contrast, the Underworld (pictured right) is dark, gloomy, and features severe, sharp lines contained within a smooth space. This works to meld with Hades' personality as he's capable of being a smooth talker but his true nature cuts like a knife. However, when the movie's action focuses on the more mundane environments, as it does for most of the time, it tends to resemble a run-of-the-mill children's cartoon and less of a stunning piece of cinematic art.
The music for Hercules is decidedly different but became a bit of a head-scratcher for me. Again, much like the bold visual designs, the music takes an unexpected direction through its use of gospel as the principal genre. While the departure from grand, sweeping musical numbers is an admirable risk, its overall execution doesn't fully pay off. For starters, most of the musical numbers (five out of nine, I believe) are sung either entirely by or accompanied by the Muses, who also serve as the narrators of the story. I sense what the film was going for was a take on the idea.