We would be lying if we say that "Hercules" blew us completely away but we wouldn't deny too that the film had us surprised more than once throughout its run time. "Hercules", to put it bluntly, turns out to be your usual mythological action flick with steroid-driven men fighting each other to the death mayhem. But what we loved about this movie was the unusual take on the myth of Hercules - one that puts the legends aside and tries to put more sensibility and more reality into those unbelievable stories.
Hercules (Dwayne Johnson), as it turns out, is far from the man of myth and legends we know. In reality, he leads a band of mercenaries who help him forge legendary stories about his regular exploits. One day, the daughter of the King of Thrace approaches him to help end a bloody civil war in their land and return the rightful king to his throne in exchange for his weight in gold. Hercules says yes but what seems to be another regular mission might be the one that ultimately tests Hercules' humanity and mythology alike.
"Hercules", against what most people are expecting from it, actually has its own merits. First is probably the overall story. While it had its own setbacks, the way they presented Hercules in a more human manner really peaked our interest. Second, much to our surprise, the action was really done well and had us on the edge of our seats most of the time. More or less, these are the things that drive the film into good territory. What we didn't like though was the safe route the film takes. At its core, this is too typical and too reminiscent of other films in this genre. Cliché upon cliché especially for the supporting cast and while the film presents a different take on Hercules, it never delves deeper into Hercules' previous exploits. Overall, this turned out to be much better than what we expected it to be. This is probably the same reaction most would get. It's definitely not horrendous and it's definitely good enough for a watch at best.
Rating: 3 and a half reels
Why you should watch it:
- great and tense action
- the different take on Hercules' mythological tale is a breath of fresh air
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- plays too safe in many of its elements
We would be lying if we say that "Hercules" blew us completely away but we wouldn't deny too that the film had us surprised more than once throughout its run time. "Hercules", to put it bluntly, turns out to be your usual mythological action flick with steroid-driven men fighting each other to the death mayhem. But what we loved about this movie was the unusual take on the myth of Hercules - one that puts the legends aside and tries to put more sensibility and more reality into those unbelievable stories.
Hercules (Dwayne Johnson), as it turns out, is far from the man of myth and legends we know. In reality, he leads a band of mercenaries who help him forge legendary stories about his regular exploits. One day, the daughter of the King of Thrace approaches him to help end a bloody civil war in their land and return the rightful king to his throne in exchange for his weight in gold. Hercules says yes but what seems to be another regular mission might be the one that ultimately tests Hercules' humanity and mythology alike.
"Hercules", against what most people are expecting from it, actually has its own merits. First is probably the overall story. While it had its own setbacks, the way they presented Hercules in a more human manner really peaked our interest. Second, much to our surprise, the action was really done well and had us on the edge of our seats most of the time. More or less, these are the things that drive the film into good territory. What we didn't like though was the safe route the film takes. At its core, this is too typical and too reminiscent of other films in this genre. Cliché upon cliché especially for the supporting cast and while the film presents a different take on Hercules, it never delves deeper into Hercules' previous exploits. Overall, this turned out to be much better than what we expected it to be. This is probably the same reaction most would get. It's definitely not horrendous and it's definitely good enough for a watch at best.
Rating: 3 and a half reels
Why you should watch it:
- great and tense action
- the different take on Hercules' mythological tale is a breath of fresh air
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- plays too safe in many of its elements
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