Hercules: The Myth Debunked!
Hey folks! Rounding out this casual Friday with a review for Hercules, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and directed by Brett Ratner
I know what you’re thinking: Wait BRETT RATNER!!?? You me that guy that made that horrible X-Men: Last Stand movie? I don’t think I could ever like THAT guy! To which I would respond yes… I indeed… feel you. Hey he’s not all that bad though. He did make the Rush Hour movies which weren’t ground breaking I know, but they fit the bill as buddy cop films. Hercules does just that, that is “fit the bill”. It proves if your a director sometimes it’s best to just stay in your realm. Buddy action flicks are definitely in Ratner’s field of expertise.
Hercules is based on the graphic novel “Hercules: The Thracian Wars”, and takes place after the 12 labors had been completed. As broken man after his family’s death, Hercules has become nothing more than a sword for hire when we enter this film. Hercules and his rambunctious crew of ragtag warriors are hired by a old king to rid his kingdom of a warlord that has been terrorizing his people.
The film, as I assume is also in the graphic novel, challenges the legend and myth surrounding Hercules, giving realistic explanations for the more grandiose of Hercules’ tales. For all intents and purposes, Ratner does a commendable job telling the story of Hercules in a buddy adventure flick format. As most of Ratner’s films, it attempts more humor than I would like at times, but still gives us room to enjoy the adventure with some lighthearted moments.
Dwayne Johnson does a solid job as Hercules. Most of his role required a serious amount of thrashing and beating, but that’s what we want to see him doing in these films. One thing I hand to Johnson on this role is the fact that he was fully committed to portraying the likeness of Hercules on screen. Comparing the artwork to the star you can definitely see he accomplished what he set out to do. I fully believe the physical feats enacted in the film could be carried out by the man.
The thing about the buddy adventure flick is that it does a competent job in carrying out the story and it’s characters. The downside is just that: it does a competent job. Nothing stands out in the story or the characters, but it’s a fun ride all the way through that feeds the entertainment void until something else takes your attention. Trust me, we’re not going to see The Rock in movies for ground breaking performances and spellbinding story telling. We go to see him do damage to his opponents and throw junk.
Overall, I didn’t mind spending my money to see this, but I wouldn’t spend any effort in going to the 3D version that it offers. Quite frankly, it’s $5 Wednesdays worthy at best. Definitely a matinee. Set the bar low and you won’t be disappointed.