Synopsis:
Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures' film HERCULES, starring Dwayne Johnson, bows on July 25th. Based on Radical Comics' Hercules by Steve Moore, this ensemble-action film is a revisionist take on the classic myth, HERCULES. The epic action film also stars Golden Globe Winner Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan and Academy Award (R)-nominee John Hurt. (C) Paramount
Hercules stars Dwayne Johnson as the titular character, so the film follows our lead character through the Thracian Wars and how he and his band of misfits went along with it. Sure the story is pretty simple, in fact there was very little sub-plots and it was pretty straight forward. I'm fine with a film that has a straight-on story but when it comes to a film this simple, I wanted a bit more of sub-plots because it could have helped you be a but more invested with the characters and could have made the characters more fleshed out.
One part of the story that I really did like about it though is how they showed the 12 labors of Hercules and how they portrayed it whether it'd be fantastical or grounded in reality. Through those short scenes, the movie was able to show different sides of the lead character and was able to make you feel sympathy for Hercules.
As I have said earlier, Dwayne Johnson stars as Hercules, from the physicality and presence of the character, Johnson is a perfect choice to play the greek hero. When it comes to the performance, he still did pretty spot-on job, he was able to be sympathetic even without dialogues, he can electrify the screen with his speeches but most of all, he completely owns the screen whenever there is action involved. He's just so entertaining and fun to watch, he really did own this role. Co-starring him are John Hurt, Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Aksel Ennie, Ingrid Berdal, and Reece Ritchie. Let's start with Hercules' "teammates", alongside Hercules are Ennie, Berdal and Ritchie's character, and while they given a pretty weak material, I still have to say that I enjoyed seeing them because they are one of the reasons why this film was so damn entertaining. They were memorable and their characteristics fits very well with Hercules' characteristics because it mirrors the personality of the titular character. In addition to his team are also Ian McShane and Rufus Sewell, what more can I say from these two great actors? Like the rest, they were very entertaining and served as one of the best parts of the film.
As I have mentioned above, John Hurt and Joseph Fiennes also stars in this film, in my opinion it was a delight to see both of these actors on screen again because it's rare that we get to see them on the big screen (John Hurt appeared on Snowpiercer though). Fiennes was only in the movie in a short amount of time but he makes the most of what he was given, as for Hurt, what more can I say? John Hurt was awesome in the film even though I find his performance a bit campy but it just fits well with the tone of the film.
Now, let's talk about the technical aspects of the movie, the VFX of the film was okay, nothing special although I would like to say that at some shots the green screen were pretty obvious which at times kinda took me out of the experience. The score was composed by Fernando Velázquez, I thought his work was good enough because it fits the film well and actually added more fun to the overall experience in the film. Lastly, the set production and the cinematography, I loved both of these aspects because it was really authentic and it showed how big the scale of the film is and it showed the great and massiv action without the use of shaky-cam.
The director responsible for the film is Brett Ratner, like I mention earlier, I think his work is okay and I think that it's not as bad as people make it out to be (I actually prefer him over Michael Bay). I thought his direction in this film was decent, the way he showed the action was great, the tone was good too because he was able to showcase humor without it being over the top or being forced, it added more fun to the campiness of the film. I was not a fan of his pacing though because it was too fast and I never felt invested with the characters aside from Hercules.
Overall:
"Hercules" is a campy film but that just adds to the overall entertainment of the film. Sure it might be stupid but what's great about it is it embraces that aspect and actually used that as a positive thing of the movie. This may not be one of the best greek mythology films but it surely is a million times better than the atrocity known as "The Legend of Hercules". Oh, and one thing's for sure though, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is indeed Hercules.
Grade:
Favorite dialogue:
Amphiaraus: No matter how far you go, man cannot escape his fate. Who are you? Are you a murderer? Are you a mercenary who turns his back on the innocent? We believe in you! We have faith in you! Remember the deeds you have performed, the labors you have overcome! Are you only the legend, or are you truth behind the legend? Now, tell me, WHO ARE YOU?
Hercules: I AM HERCULES!
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