Hercules
is
the
second
film
this
year
based
on
Hercules,
the
son
of
Zeus.
The
first
being
the
Kellan
Lutz-starrer
"The
Legend
of
Hercules",
which
released
in
mid-January.
But
unlike
the
previous
film,
director
Brett
Ratner's
"Hercules" is
a
revisionist
take
on
the
classic
myth,
based
on
Radical
Comics'
"Hercules:
The
Thracian
Wars"
by
Steve
Moore.
The
film
begins
with
questioning
the
audience,
"Do
you
know
anything
about
the
son
of
Zeus?"
and
it
further
goes
on
to
explain
the
myth
of
the
demi-god
Hercules
and
how
he
overcame
the
12
dangerous
missions
before
being
accepted
as
a
legend.
All
this
is
narrated
through
a
montage
that
forms
a
sort
of
a
prologue
to
the
tale.
Then
the
narration
shifts
to
the
Macedonian
Coast
of
Thrace,
where
we
actually
encounter
Hercules
who
isn't
the
son
of
Zeus
but
a
mercenary
orphan
albeit
a
selfless
one,
who
over
the
years
has
engineered
his
reputation
as
a
demi-god,
allowing
him
to
make
good
of
the
image
he
has
created
of
himself.
He
is
there
to
drive
away
the
pirates
who
have
infested
the
coast.
Along
with
him
are
a
loyal
band
of
warriors,
and
one
storyteller.
They
are;
the
mystic
fortune
teller
Amphiaraus
(Ian
McShane),
his
oldest
friend
and
fellow
orphan
Autolycus
(Rufus
Sewell),
warrior
Tydeus
(Aksel
Hennie)
who
suffers
from
a
post
traumatic
stress
disorder,
an
ace
archer
Atalanta
(Ingrid
Bolso
Berdal)
and
his
nephew,
the
storyteller
Iolaus
(Reece
Ritchie).
As
Iolaus
puts
it,
"Rumours
spread,
legends
grow."
Soon,
Hercules
and
his
group
are
coaxed
by
Ergenia
(Rebecca
Ferguson),
the
daughter
of
Lord
Cotys
(John
Hurt)
to
fight
in
a
civil
war
to
combat
a
rebel
army,
led
by
Rheseus
(Tobias
Santelmann)
who
has
nearly
destroyed
the
land
of
Thrace.
In
effect,
Hercules
becomes
the
general
in
charge
of
the
army
defending
Thrace.
After
training
farmers
to
become
soldiers,
he
leads
them
on
into
a
bloody
battle.
Soon
he
is
victorious
and
is
rewarded
with
a
lot
of
gold.
But
instead
of
rejoicing
the
victory,
he
realizes
that
he
may
have
been
fighting
on
the
wrong
side
in
this
fight.
Hercules
is
now
faced
with
a
moral
dilemma.
Should
they
take
the
gold
and
walk-away
or
stay
and
fight
for
justice,
forms
the
crux
of
the
climax.
Midway
through
the
film,
you
realize
that
the
premise
of
the
story
has
a
strong
resemblance
to
the
iconic
Akira
Kurosawa's
"The
Seven
Samurai".
The
performances
are
good
and
credible.
With
most
characters
having
a
back
story,
it
is
fun
to
watch
them
blurt
out
dumb
remarks
throughout
the
action
scenes.
Also
there
is
an
overload
of
messages;
about
the
need
to
believe
in
yourself
in
order
to
accomplish
great
things.
There
is
also
a
substantial
emphasis
on;
the
eternal
debate
over
destiny
versus
self-determination
and
the
belief
that
people
need
a
hero,
someone
to
look
up
to.
Dwayne
Johnson
in
the
lead
exudes
great
screen
presence
as
Hercules,
but
unfortunately
in
the
emotional
scenes
he
comes
across
as
stiff.
Isaac
Andrews
as
Arius,
Ergenia's
son
and
Rebecca
Ferguson
fare
well
in
the
emotional
melodrama,
whereas
Ian
McShane
offers
comic
relief.
What
keeps
you
hooked
is
the
rich
earthy
textures
of
the
frames,
the
impressive
production
values
and
excellent
3D
effects.
In
spite
of
its
flaws,
it
is
a
treat
to
watch
"Hercules"