Review of Hercules (1983) by Dave H — 10 Nov 2010

Not Disney's finest hour, certainly, but still heaps of fun. Main problem is the attempt to cram too many gags into the set pieces robs some of them their inherent suspense - the film would've worked better if (a-la Aladdin/Lion King) there'd been more of a conscious effort to split lighter and darker sequences.

Also the balance of contemporary gags/references with story/mythology worked perfectly in Aladdin, but the gags (many examples are based on Herc's reimagining as a type of NFL quarterback star) are too overabundant here.

Granted, most of them hit the spot, but a touch more restraint and reverence wouldn't have gone astray. I liked the editing montages/ra-ra songs and loved Pegasus, and loved the sequence with the Hydra - it's thrilling and rich with visual imagination.

Jimmy Woods is obviously the standout in voicework, making Hades the only truly memorable character from very good, but not quite classic, film.