Hercules [USA, 2014]

Nine Things about the Film Hercules

1. This is a very interesting version of the Hercules legend. But you need to know, the legend has been reinvented. The trailer for the movie is kind of misleading. This is not the Hercules you are used to..

2. The birth of Hercules, his childhood, and his legendary 12 labors are all pretty much done before the opening credits.

3. In this movie, Hercules is really just a mercenary, with a team of warriors helping him out. His nephew has the sole job of making up the legends of Hercules and spreading them around to give Hercules a badass reputation.

4. It is set in a time when people are starting to doubt the existence of gods and magic, but still need something to believe in.

5. This movie has some really impressive, epic battle scenes.

6. Hercules’s companions are a diverse and entertaining group. Ian McShane is especially good as Amphiaraus, who does drugs and gets “visions from the gods”. Some of these visions come true, and some don’t.

7. The movie does a good job of illustrating that some monsters you have to battle are psychological ones.

8. There are a few moments that contradict the movie’s attempt to stay grounded in reality. That’s annoying. But there aren’t very many of them.

9. If you want a movie full of gods and monsters, you will leave the theater angry. If you like movies set in ancient Greece, with cool military battles, and a reflection on how heroes are made, you may appreciate it. This movie is certainly smarter and more layered than most movies of this type.