Hercules

(USA - 1997)

by Vanes Naldi
6/4/01

Cast: (Dubbing) Tate Donovan, Joshua Keaton, Roger Bart, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Rip Torn
Genre: Animation
Director: Ron Clements & John Musker
Screenplay: John Musker, Ron Clements, Bob Shaw, Don McEnery, Irene Mecchi
Cinematography: -
Composer: Alan Menken
Runtime: 92 minutes

Disney animation movies typically follow the successful formula of the young hero trying to prove his virtues, fighting the evil to free his loved ones. This one is no exception. Obviously the age old line "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" applies here. The problem is, this is not a great movie like "The Lion King" or even as interesting as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". It's fun, well realized, but lacks something.

The soundtrack by Alan Menken (who in the past has composed some of the best soundtracks ever for Disney movies) is disappointing. It's a bit too far toward the cheesy side. The story won't appeal to historic purists because there are several nods to modern culture (consumerism applied to the Hero's image) and quite a few "licenses" taken from the legend of Hercules. Technically, Hercules is a notch down the usual great Disney work. Sure, the new way of portraying the images is edgier and more colorful, but overall it's not as impressive as recent Disney movies and it feels pretty rushed.

Disney is starting to lose their edge to the other big majors as far as animations go. While impressive looking CGI will be forgotten in 30 minutes and the thing that will eventually hold the interest of the viewers is the story and the characters, this movie falls short because eventually Hercules' character doesn't have enough "beef" to be likable. He just seems to be a frustrated teenager in a hero's body. It seems like the most developed and interesting characters of the recent Disney era are always the "supporting cast." Examples include Jafar, Timon, Pumbaa, and The Genie.

There are quite a few things to like in this movie though. James Woods is wonderful as the twisted Hades. While it's hard to come close to Robin Williams' performance as the Genie, Woods does a great job of portraying the villain. He's not cheesy, doesn't overact (or strictly reserves that for the right moments) and is even funny, showing Hades' multi-dimensional character. Also, Danny DeVito very funny as "Phil." Overall, although it's not up to the usual Disney standard, it's still a fun movie that (cue trailer voice)"all the family will like."

RATING:
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