Review of Hercules (1983) by Jordan K — 09 Apr 2015

Hercules manages to hold up well today, in the line of the Disney Renaissance, it has memorable and likable characters, a nicely done yet old as time story, and a gospel touch in its musical numbers - Hercules promises a good time and fulfills it.

The tale of the Greek god Hercules is told in an animated musical spin, where the abnormally strong Hercules is trained by a grouchy minotaur and must fight monsters sent by the evil underworld leader Hades, in order to meet his father Zeus and make it to Mt. Olympus. The story has been retold time after time but this is by far an exciting and creative way to put it.

Although not as strong as other Disney gems from the '90s, Hercules is fresh and fun, with creative characters and a fascinating villain. Hercules himself is bland and reminds me a lot of an Aladdin reworking - the real fun comes from Phil and Hades. The gospel stylings in its soundtrack are unique for Disney and animated movies in the late '90s and adds a fresh touch to it. The humor isn't always on tact, but Hercules is a fun ride for all with its use of fun characters and a nicely done story and animation style all around.