Believe it or not, “Hercules” has
something in common with another movie that opened the same weekend,
“Lucy.” Anyone would be forgiven for thinking they had nothing
in common, but both address the theme of divinity versus humanity
from very different, still wholly entertaining angles.
“Hercules,” has seen many
adaptations of its mythic title
character. Some of who have played him, like Ryan Gosling in the
series “Young Hercules,” would rather forget. Not so for Dwayne
“The Rock” Johnson, who plays him this time around.
In an action movie, you can expect a
few things. Wisecracking sidekicks? Check. Kinda boring implied
love interest? Check. Token action girl to satisfy today's
demographic? Check. Pretty much perfect hero who nevertheless has a
dark past that haunts him? Check and check.
But as long as you can accept this,
you'll have a great time. With a movie like this, we all know our
destination, so whether or not we enjoy the ride depends on our star.
Luckily, we have our aforementioned lead, who is so charismatic that
audiences still cheered for him when he played a bad guy in his
wrestling days. This version has Hercules working as a mercenary
with a band of merry companions. He's not only well aware of the
myths that have sprung up about his background as the son of Zeus and
his deeds, he's decided to encourage them, seeing as how they're
great for business. Here, Hercules is the sum of the people around
him, and the fact that he needs them to accomplish his legendary
deeds makes him stronger, not weaker.
When John Hurt (yes, that John Hurt is
in this movie) hires him to defend his kingdom from a vicious warlord
for more money than usual,
he and his gang sign up (after the obligatory I
just want to ride off into a peaceful life speech). And it
seems this mission will enable them to retire like kings. Oh yeah,
John Hurt just happens to have a hot daughter, and she also just
happens to have an adorable son. And it turns out this mission may
be more complicated than it seems, which could just make the hero's
complicated backstory rear its ugly head.
But Hercules has a more tragic one than
most: he used to have a wife and kids, but they were murdered, and
his memories of that night are fuzzy at best. Did he actually kill
his family? Or is something else afoot that may somehow be tied in
to their seemingly simple mission?
Yeah, we all know how this ends. But
the fact that we still manage to enjoy ourselves along the way is is
due to a few factors. One of which is the talent. Dwayne
Johnson is the movie's center, and he brings everything he
has, mentally and physically, to the role, which means the moments
that could rightfully be considered
over-the-top are genuinely awe-inspiring. He is determined to drag
you from your own apathy, kicking and screaming if need be. It may
not be high art, but it is what's brought him a lasting career from
the ring to the movies, and made him a bonafide star in both.
Such commitment tends to bring out the
best in the people around you. John Hurt has already been mentioned,
but there's also names like Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, and Joseph
Fiennes, who all get at least a few moments to show off (and in the
case of all of Johnson's companions, say what brought them there).
The writing, which can save or sink any
movie, here adds to the charm. In this genre, the characters can
easily exist only to move from one fight scene to the next. (Looking
at you, “Pirates Of The Caribbean” sequels!) But even when the
action is at its height, the focus never leaves the characters.
Little is taken too seriously, and there are plenty of zingers to go
around. And amidst the stylized combat and ancient battle scenes, we
actually get a glimpse at the brutality of warfare, but luckily
“Hercules” knows it limits and it doesn't look too closely.
“Hercules” may not say anything
new, but there's something so charming about a film that proudly
embraces what it is. Accepting that won't result in a hug but rather
a very satisfying form
of action movie whiplash.
Grade: B+
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