Hercules

Every year I feel like there is always a couple films that I go into with meager expectations and come out more than impressed. A couple years ago it was The Grey and Pitch Perfect, last year it was Warm Bodies and I had a particular soft spot for Olympus Has Fallen as well.  



"S**t I dropped my bow! Hold on, lion!
Let me get it!"

These are movies that, more or less, are not the crème of the crop, but they connected with me specifically in a way that elevated them in my eyes. The term "guilty pleasures" doesn't really work here, but I would more so lean towards the term "personal pleasures" as they are movies that I personally adore more than the rest of the audience. We all have them, in all forms of media. Not Instant Classics by any stretch of the imagination, but quality movies in my mind and memory.
Thus far in 2014, I'm not sure I've really had one of those yet...maybe Need for Speed but I think that was just more of a case of critics being too harsh. So it is with great pleasure that I present Hercules staring Dwayne Johnson: my first "personal pleasure" film of the year.

It was a year that we were supposed to see the return of the great Greek mythological genre with two Hercules films and the sequel to 300. I skipped the first Hercules (for good reason I understand), and 300: Rise of an Empire becomes increasingly disappointing the more I think about it. Suffice it to say I went into this Hercules expecting the worst.



WHO! STOLE! MY! PIZZA?!?!

Thanks to a quietly brilliant marketing campaign, the story you think you'll be getting with Hercules isn't the story you get at all. You know all those monsters you see in the trailer? Those are all within the first 10 minutes. Hercules, without spoiling many of the details, is much more a movie about the man rather than about the legend. I was really appreciative of this take on the famous demigod as it questions whether he was really anything more than just a really strong willed man. Certainly not the film that the trailers would have you believe.
Alas, the film isn't perfect. It's mightily clichéd both in its plot, character development, and resolution, but if I'm being honest, I kind of expected that with a character that has been portrayed this many times before. That's not to say the proceedings aren't fun though because they definitely are. The action scenes, while lacking the appropriate R-rated gore value and some "That-would-have-been-so-cool-in-slow-mo" moments are expertly choreographed and feature some cool weapons. Hercules himself swings a humongous club around and breaks people left and right. The fight scenes could have used a little more "pizzazz", but the choreography made up for it in my book (reminded me a lot of the TV show Arrow).

We gotta monster in the movie! It's a friggin Biclops!

Johnson does well in the role and, remembering how God-awful he was as the Scorpion King all those years ago, it was fascinating to see how far he has come as an actor. Certainly no Oscar winner yet, but give the guy credit; he's jacked as all hell and isn't a bad lead for a movie. The remaining cast does well, but are mostly forgettable. Although, they get plenty of time to kick ass too and they do a mightily fine time doing so.

"WHO! THE! F**K! TOOK! MY! PIZZA?!?!
Seriously!"

Technically the film stands sufficient. The special effects were impressive given my low expectations, the original score was probably the most clichéd part of the whole film, and the cinematography was nothing special.

Truth be told, Hercules is one of those films I shouldn't really like as much as I did. It's really just an above-average version of a Greek mythological hero. But as is the case with some films, it just worked for me. I don't deny it had some problems and it's certainly a cookie-cutter Hollywood film, but at barely over 90 minutes, I walked in, sat down, and was having a grand old time before I even realized it was over.

So congratulations Hercules, you are my first "personal pleasure" of 2014.

I just realized how both wrong and depressing that statement sounds...

CONS:

• Although this is a different take on the tale of Hercules, the manner in which it is told is awfully clichéd
• While we are on the subject, I'm not sure the original score could have been more clichéd than it was
• I probably say this too often but this would have been better R. It pushes its PG-13 rating somewhat, but there were so many scenes where I was thinking, "Yeah...that definitely would have cut that guy's arm off"
• The action scenes were so well choreographed that they were just begging for some slow motion camera work
• The final 20 minutes of the film were less stellar than the rest

PROS:

• Secretly one of the best marketed films of 2014. Finally some trailers that don't give everything away!
• Johnson does a solid job in the lead role and I had no glaring issues with his performance. If he could expand his emotional range just slightly the dude would make an incredible Kratos if a God of War adaptation is ever attempted
• Surprisingly very well choreographed action. That, along with some uncommon weaponry, made the war scenes a ton of fun to watch
• Impressive CGI considering where my expectations were
• Tells a different tale of Hercules than we are used to. I appreciated the film's opinions on the man vs. legend debate
• Once again, another short and sweet movie. Gets in, gets started, and gets the job done
• I liked the ending credits' background comic scenes. Really helped to bring the film full circle
• Just a fun, at times funny, and enjoyable time at the movies!

Rath's Review Score: 8/10