Hercules (1997)

User Review

• 

  TheMovieDiorama

  7 / 10

  Hercules is indeed a good Disney musical but does have some stumbling blocks that prevents it from being great. During Disney's Renaissance era, they pretty much covered a variety of different cultures past and present. With Hercules, they portrayed Greek mythology and made it accessible for younger audiences. Taking elements from multiple myths and putting it into one story, Hercules follows the titular character as he is kidnapped and placed on Earth. With his godly powers nearly diminished, Hercules must find a way to become a God again before the sinister Hades destroys him. It is essentially the animated version of Clash of the Titans, but with cutesy musical numbers and that typical feel good Disney plot that we've all learnt to adore. Highlighting the importance of love, inner strength and...love again? Children will leave the film wanting to find a partner and fall endlessly in love (good job Disney...). Plenty of memorable characters including Hades, Meg, Pegasus and a Satyr voiced by Danny DeVito who just about has the best lines. "Rule number 95 kid: concentrate.", "What are you doing!? Get your swooooord!" (gosh I love that line). Only DeVito could pull that line off and make it utterly unforgettable. The animation was decent on the whole, I've always admired the hand-drawn technique. However, I found thin weak Hercules to be badly drawn and the mixture of 3D rendered effects such as the Hydra battle with hand drawings looks extremely outdated and takes you out of the narrative. The songs are mostly sung by five women (who are everywhere, much like The Little Shop of Horrors) who appear on pottery, sculptures and pretty much anything else. From 'Zero to Hero' and my personal favourite 'Go The Distance', Hercules is filled with some damn catchy songs, just not Disney's strongest. Like with most animations, the ending was rushed and everything is neatly tied up with a glitzy ribbon. Which is fine, but there really isn't any emotional impact in the story. So whilst this may still be a decent Disney animated musical that captures Greek mythology, it's not their best.

  Like?

  0 member like this review.