Hercules

[osprey_archer]

Like many nerdy children, I went through a Greek mythology phase in my youth, which is perhaps why I find Disney’s Hercules so… well, it’s not bad, exactly, there are definitely parts I like: the gospel choir muses, the pegasus (I’m weak for pegasi), Meg. All these things are fun. The movie is not unpleasant. A reasonably agreeable way to spend an evening, even. It’s just underwhelming.

I have to admit that I’ve always found the Hercules stories maybe the least interesting part of Greek mythology, which also gave this movie an uphill battle. But even though he was never my favorite, it always seemed weird that the movie does so little with his labors from mythology in favor of a fairly standard Disney story with Hades as Big Bad. It’s not that I expect a Disney movie to be faithful to its source material, but in this case it just seems like throwing away so much potential.

Also, the idea that Hercules is the baby of Zeus and his wife Hera… well, even for Disney, “Zeus is a faithful husband” just feels like A Bridge Too Far.

I was devastated to learn from the Hercules page on Wikipedia that Disney briefly had an animated adaptation of The Odyssey in the works. That would have been LIT. Obviously you would have to change the ending so Odysseus doesn’t murder twelve girls in cold blood, but again, it’s a Disney adaptation! It has no need to be faithful to any of the awkward bits.

Comments

[genarti]

I've been vaguely wanting to rewatch Disney's Hercules sometime, just because I haven't seen it since it first came out (on VHS), and I'm better able to accept wildly divergent adaptations now. At the time, as a nerdy teenager who had also had a long Greek and Roman mythology phase as well as multiple years of Latin class to reinforce it, I was old enough to know that Disney was gonna Disney but still quietly crotchey about just how sweepingly extensive and fundamental the changes were.

Which is something I might still be crotchety about! There's a lot that's fun about it, and a lot that's just... needlessly lazy storytelling, I think? Hercules as Zeus and Hera's kid, Hades as the Big Bad, etc. But a lot that's fun, all the same, and someday I'll get around to rewatching and seeing where adult me thinks the balance of the two lies.

[osprey_archer]

I guess really Disney was never going to go with Horndog Zeus, so Hercules was really always going to be Zeus and Hera's kid in a Disney adaptation. But Disney could have come up with a much more interesting story if they had at least nodded at Greek mythology instead of just going "Big Bad Hades!"

[thawrecka]

An animated The Odyssey could potentially be amazing! Or amazingly terrible, but either way I would watch.

[osprey_archer]

One way or another, it would definitely be worth watching!

[oracne]

Poor Hades! LOL. And WTF Faithful Zeus.

I would like to see the gospel Muses, though. Hmmm. If I'm going to see it, should probably do so while I have the free Disney+ subscription.

[osprey_archer]

Yes, it's free on Disney+! So maybe now is your chance.

[silverusagi]

even for Disney, “Zeus is a faithful husband” just feels like A Bridge Too Far.

Ha!

Underwhelming is a good way to describe this movie. It's fine, but I just feel nothing about it.

Obviously you would have to change the ending so Odysseus doesn’t murder twelve girls in cold blood

Details, details, lol. :)

[osprey_archer]

Yeah, it's not a bad movie by any means, it's just also not outstanding in any way. It's competent. I guess I just want a little something more than competent!