Hercules
Although generally well thought of today, Hercules met with mixed reactions when it hit theaters in 1997 underperforming at the box office. The film felt some criticism for its animation, its Disney-fication of the Greek myth simplifying and removing the darker elements of Hercules' story, and irreverent humor in what was partially inspired by classic Hollywood screwball comedies.
Simplifying his origins, we get Hercules (Tate Donovan) as the son of both Zeus (Rip Torn) and Hera (Samantha Eggar) whose immortality is removed by the evil machinations of Hades (James Woods) leading to a mortal life on Earth (although Hercules still retains his god-like strength). After learning the truth about his lineage, Hercules sets out to prove himself a true hero and earn a place in Olympus with his family.
Along the way he'll train with the satyr Philoctetes (Danny DeVito) and fall for Megara (Susan Egan), a troubled young woman with bad luck with love and a debt to Hades. The other notable characters are Hercules' faithful steed Pegasus, Hades' minions (Bobcat Goldthwait and Matt Frewer), and the elemental Titans who are released as part of Hades' master plan to take power from his brother.
Although we do get some singing from our core characters, including Meg's rendition of "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)," most of the movie's musical plot is told by the five Muses (Lillias White, Vanéese Thomas, Cheryl Freeman, LaChanze, and Roz Ryan) who both open and close the film. While it may not have the classic feel of Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King, Hercules' mix of action, romance, and off-beat humor works at least as well today as when it was released (and helps it stand out from other Disney films of the same era).
The film has been released on home video several times over the years on VHS, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-ray, although it never received a big anniversary release that many Disney films earned over the years and has yet to be released on 4K. The movie is also currently available on streaming on Disney+.
- Title: Hercules (1997)
- IMDb: link
