Rating of
3/4
I...AM...HERCULES!!!!!!!!!!
Indyfreak - wrote on 11/14/14
Hercules exemplifies the kind of old-fashioned but fun-filled popcorn entertainment that Hollywood no longer seems interested in making anymore and that's a damn shame. Sure, it's made out of familiar parts but there's a reason that those plot elements remain in use-because they work. Before blockbusters relied on superheroes, young adult books, or aliens to remain commercially viable, they relied on charismatic leading men and gave them film roles that fit them like a glove.
For Dwayne Johnson, Hercules is that glove and it's a wonder that he wasted so much of his career doing those awful family comedies with action hero chops like this. The film moves at a fast but fun pace and there's plenty of action and humor to enjoy. It helps that the cast members are clearly enjoying themselves as either dashing heroes or hissing villains. Ian McShane, Reece Ritchie, and Rufus Sewell put funny spins on their tiresome character roles as the sage, the rookie, and the rogue. John Hurt hams it up as the villain.
For once, there's little cgi in the action scenes (when it's used, it's not good anyway). The film works as a cross between the historical trappings of Gladiator and the fantastical touches of Conan the Barbarian. And yes, it's just as entertaining as it sounds in that sense.
