Hercules [21]

This was a light-hearted Disney cartoon of greek mythology. It was an enjoyable adventure, and perhaps a needed introduction to Greek Mythology (using the Roman name Hercules) for young children. As with all Disneyfications of literature and mythology, the studios again stretched their artistic license. Carlos Parada, author of Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology, has put together a nice comparison between the mythological Hercules/Heracles and the Disney version. Another example of Disneyfication at its best.

There is a death scene of a loved one in the movie which no Disney animated feature seems to be without.

I really enjoyed the cartoon renditions of the Titans. However, they did not strike me as the actual Titans that I imagined from mythology stories. Instead, they were four gigantic elemental creatures: Earth, Fire, Ice, and Wind (tornado).

James Woods' voice-over for Hades, god of the underworld, was very enjoyable. He was the character with the most personality. (Why is it always the evil ones?) Of course, he made the mistake that evil overlords always seem to make: Do not let your evil minions have the task of removing your greatest foe. Always take care of the job yourself. How do evil guys make it so far in immortality with such stupid henchmen?

See What to do if you are an Evil Overlord in the FAQ.

Buy the cassette (DVD) for yourself and your kids. And then, when they are older educate them by purchasing a copy of the Grimm's Fairy tales and collections of mythology. {BB}

See Expectation Review

Added: April 7th 2004
Reviewer: BB
29 Point Scale Score:    [21]

Related Link (IMDB): IMDB
Hits: 2145
Language: english