Hercules - quirkyles

Rating: 7/10 (1 August 2007)

I shall confess that I was disappointed when I saw "Hercules" first time, maybe because of the expectations, especially when it was made from the creators of "Aladdin". Disney had shown progression with their previous films (of the 90's) and "Hercules" felt rather as a throwback, a really lame one. I didn't find the film magic and engaging enough and it had some darker visual moments, while the emotional moments were too sentimental.
So, "Hercules" was on my blacklist for a long time.
After nine months I got the movie from my aunt and seeing it again I were ashamed on my self for don't liking this movie. So, in other words, you must see "Hercules" several times before it can really be enjoyed.
"Hercules" is one of Disney's more quirky movies and there's a huge probability that kids won't understand the irony and the parody that's going on. Although the film is funny, it's like it's tries too hard to be hilarious all the time, so it feels rather importunate at times.
Which is something to make "Hercules" unstable as an whole. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy this film several years later, but it's not on my top list. It has some great moments, but the film itself wants to go many directions; being funny, emotional, exciting, etc. But comparing to previous Disney films, this mix doesn't goes well as a whole on this film.
The unstableness also transmits some of the characters: Meg is an untypical Disney heroine and quite sarcastic, but at least she goes true a struggle that is identifiable and grows as a character. The same with our hero Hercules, but I didn't really connect with him emotionally. I liked him better when he was younger, though.
You can easy tell that's the directors John Musker and Ron Clements put their hands of the script, cause it has the same structure than their previous scripts ("Little Mermaid", "Aladdin"). It's not necessarily a bad thing, but you know what to expect, right?
OK, enough nonsense. It seems like I still hate this movie, which I don't. My favorite characters are Zeus (who looks like King Triton in "The Little Mermaid"), Hades, the Muses, Hermes, Phil and Pegasus. I used to think that Pain and Panic were annoying, but not anymore.
Liked mentioned before, the film is funny. The animation is most of the time good looking (even it's look kinda quirky too because of the Greek influence and Gerald Scarfe style). I liked the songs performed by the Muses (the lyrics are funny) and "Go The Distance", which I actually hated at the beginning, but now I find it a decent song. Alan Menken's score is more quirkier and unstable than his usual score, but when he hits you with the score, he hits you really deep and wonderfully.
Despite it's quirkiness, there's a lot to enjoy with "Hercules"