Hercules

"Who put the 'glad' in gladiator?  HERCULES!"  This song has been stuck in my head ever since I watched Disney's 35th animated feature: Hercules.

The film premiered in 1997 and tells the legend of Hercules, son of the Greek gods Zeus and Hera.  His childhood on Mount Olympus is cut drastically short when Hades (god of the underworld) sends his minions (Pain and Panic) to make Hercules mortal and end his life.  Pain and Panic fail to fully execute this plan, but Hercules is left mortal (with god-like strength) and as such can no longer live on Mt. Olympus. He is raised by a kind, childless couple but always feels like he doesn't fit in and longs to find the place where he belongs. Once he grows up, Zeus appears to him and tells him that if he can prove himself a real hero on Earth, he will be able to regain his immortality and return to Mt. Olympus. Hercules sets off to do just that.

 

On his quest from "zero to hero," Hercules is joined by an eccentric bunch of characters.  His faithful steed (and flying horse), cleverly named Pegasus, journeys with him and helps him in his battles against various monsters.  Before they battle monsters though, Hercules must first enlist and survive the satyr Philoctetes' (aka Phil) rugged training program. Phil is one of the film's comedic gems (voiced by the funny man himself, Danny DeVito). On his journey to hero, Hercules also runs into a D.I.D. (Damsel In Distress)- the lovely (but self-sufficient) Megara (aka Meg). Meg's jaded and sarcastic self becomes an integral character in Hercules journey. (Also Meg is voiced by Susan Egan! Susan is the original Belle from Beauty and the Beast on Broadway! My favorite Broadway show!)

 

 

No review of Hercules would be complete without mention of Hades- the film's villain. He's definitely bad. But his acerbic wit and failed plans make him more comedic than scary... In fact, he may have the funniest scenes of the entire film.  However, in the name of full disclosure, I must confess that as a child Hercules freaked me out.  As in, I saw it and had to have my parents pick me up from a sleepover with my cousins.  In third grade. I do not like the whole underworld swirling pit of dead souls thing.  Watching this film as an adult, I still found the spirituality-portrayed aspects of the film unsettling.  And it is definitely one of the films that I would suggest parents consider closely before showing it to their kiddos.

On the Disney spectrum of greatness, Hercules passes the music portion with flying colors!  The "Muses" narrate through song most of the film with gospel-choir harmonies and style.  And their lyrics are decidedly clever (and funny!). We've also got "Go the Distance" sung by Hercules, but made even more famous by Michael Bolton's credit cover of the song. And then Meg (voiced by a Broadway star) sings "Won't Say I'm in Love" with the Muses as backup singers- definitely another musical win for Disney.

Before I close, I have to also mention that I did not particularly care for the style of this film.  It was more abstract than reality-driven with disproportioned angles and ratios used throughout the animation. I'm not a very artsy person and prefer realism and symmetry. That said, it wasn't a deal breaker for the film; it was just something that I didn't particularly enjoy. There were still lots of beautiful animated shots as well...

This week I'll leave you with some wisdom from Zeus:

For a true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.

 

Coming Up Next Week: Mulan