Running Time: 99 minutes ; Cast: Kellan Lutz, Liam McIntyre, Scott Adkins, Roxanne McKee; Direction: Renny Harlin; Story/ Screenplay: Sean Hood, Daniel Giat; Producer Boaz Davidson, Renny Harlin et al; Cinematogrpahy: Sam McCurdy; Music: Tuomas Kantelinen; Editing: Vincent Tabaillon; Genre: Action-Adventure Distributor: Summit Entertainment; Location: Greece
Technical Assessment: 2
Moral Assessment: 3
CINEMA Rating: V 14
The Legend of Hercules begins with King Amphitryon (Adkins) challenging
the King of Athens to a winner take a battle. Easily defeating his opponent, Amphitryon takes over the
army and kingdom to the disgust of his wife Queen Alcmene (McKee). Realizing
her husband’s growing insatiable desire for power and aggression, she prays to
the gods for guidance. Her answers her call and promises her the son of Zeus
whom she will bear and eventually will defeat the king. Years past, Alcmene’s
son with Zeus takes on the name Alcides (Lutz) and grows into a burly yet
gentle prince in love with Hebe (Weiss), the princess of Crete. He willingly
stays in the shadows as his half-brother Iphicles takes credit for Alcides’
success. However, when the king announces the betrothal of Iphicles to Hebe and
betrays Alcides to the Egyptians, Alcides must accept and embrace his fate as
Hercules – the half-mortal, half-god son of Zeus – who will deliver Greece from
the tyrant king and bring peace and harmony back to the nation.
The movie may have
the viewer scouring through the original storyline of the half-mortal Hercules
as it introduced characters and sub plots so different from the more popular
animated versions. While it did retain more of the original flavour of the
classical myth plot, the treatment was so terrible complicated yet diluted that
one would definitely prefer the adolescent versions. If we get pass the thinly conceived
storyline and character development and just take the computer-generated
effects that uselessly peppered the scenes, then we would be even more confused
as it merely demonstrated the technical ability of the post production team and
senselessness of their efforts. Lutz who should have retained his non-speaking
character in the previous vampire film series made matters worse with his
non-existent acting prowess that gave neither life nor depth to what could have
been a dramatic character. In fact, none of the actors could act and evoke
sympathy or support from the audience. The
Legend of Hercules was too dull as an action film, too lifeless as a
romantic drama and too uninspired as an epic film.
The movie tried
hard to compare Hercules to Jesus Christ. In so many instances, the parallelism
were obvious – a prophesy of the promised savior, the divine conception – it
could have worked and delivered a powerful message if there was more effort and
intelligence placed in the direction. Instead, what was left were the
indiscriminate fighting and killings, betrayals and the desire for revenge.
While Hercules did embrace his destiny and fulfill his mission, we doubt if it
was a result of a realization that peace, justice and brotherhood were far more
important than his self-serving desire to take back his lover and kill his step
father. Neither was he a hero whom people can rally behind as he had no
redeeming nor outstanding human or divine qualities viewers can relate to.