Review of Hercules (1997) by Thomas S — 28 Nov 2010

It's pretty throwaway compared to most other Disney Classics but Hercules has its moments and remains a relatively fun way to spend 90 minutes.

With no princess, a tale lacking in any noticeable message, and a 2D animation style that's already beginning to look outdated on the eve of the 3D explosion, Hercules had the odds stacked against it. However if anyone knows how to turn out a colourful and entertaining animated romp it's Disney, and although it might not be as effortless as it once was, that's exactly what they've done.

Hercules is vibrant, feather-light and beautifully animated (would you really expect anything else from Walt and Co.?). The comedy is driven by countless pop culture references, many of which retain their humour whilst some have understandably succumbed to age and now feel a little redundant.Danny DeVito voices sidekick satyr Philoctetes to good effect. His natural grumpy humour lends itself well to the character and elevates the screenplay which doesn't rank amongst Disney's best by a long shot. The story borrows from Greek mythology regularly but makes full use of its artistic license, this is very much Disney's take on ancient Greek history. However the biggest issue is that the story lacks heart, which is perhaps the most important element in an animation. As such it's very difficult to become emotionally invested in either the story or any of the characters. In fact I found myself most sympathetic to the villain Hades, voiced brilliantly by James Woods. His excellent vocal performance ranks Hades next to Scar and Ursula the Sea Witch as one of Disney's best villains.

Hercules himself is likeable enough, however his curvaceous love interest proves more of a problem. Meg is, on one hand, a strong female character; she's independent, intelligent and not completely helpless. On the other hand she's just not very likeable. Resultantly it's hard to get behind her relationship with Hercules, and despite her increased IQ, she really ain't no princess!

The film's shortcomings are counteracted in part by the impressive melding of 3D effects during some of the more dramatic moments. The filmmakers have found the right mix of 3D so that it compliments the 2D animation without overpowering it. Similarly a gospel-inspired soundtrack makes a nice change from Menken's typical Broadway sound, particularly on track 'Zero To Hero' which greatly outweighs the more highly-praised 'Go The Distance' both in terms of fun and musical merit.

As such Hercules is an enjoyable Disney flick, but due to its lack of substance and the limited human element, it fails to stand out from the increasingly crowded animated genre.