Film Review - Hercules (2014)

At the Theater - "Hercules" (2014) - This second film of 2014 to concern the muscle-bound demigod is missing a substantial portion of a second act, is limited to 98 minutes long (a full 20 minutes short of Epic territory) and is Directed by Brett Ratner (X-Men: The Last Stand, Tower Heist, the Rush Hour trilogy)- how it survives as a guilty pleasure is somewhat of a minor miracle.  Dwayne Johnson  is immensely believable in the titular role, the PG-13 rating is somewhat misleading (it pushes the rating's boundaries to the limit) and there's a few genuine laughs involved. The film is better than it has any right to be and thoroughly trounces January's abysmal "The Legend Of Hercules" (starring a woefully miscast Kellan Lutz).

This particular narrative approaches the fabled hero sans the mythological angles, which will more than likely be perceived as a bummer for many- myself, I was greatly disappointed to find that those exciting, effects-laden snippets of Hercules battling the Lernaean Hydra, Erymanthian Boar and Nemaen Lion that were featured in the trailers are mere fleeting advertisements relayed by Herc's publicist nephew and told in flashbacks.  Everything you see in the film's trailer regarding those creature confrontations makes up the entirety of their appearances in the film.  We might as well get that out of the way before continuing...

Haunted by the loss of his family, believing their deaths to have come at his own hand, Hercules and his motley band of mercenaries roam the countryside loaning out their collective talents to the highest bidder.  Conflict arises when the crew discover that their latest endeavor, training a King's army to defeat an impending threat, isn't quite as straight-forward as it seems.  Yes, there are twists and turns and revelations strewn about, though it's all relatively thin stuff, covering just enough of the sword and sandal genre basics to keep the film treading water.

The Rock is in fine, massive form as Hercules- his delivery is a bit subdued here, though he's definitely imposing and provides an undeniable presence.  I grew up watching those two Italian-produced Hercules films starring Steve Reeves in the titular role- I'd say Johnson at least ties Reeves as the best film Herc to date.

Hercules's fab five consists of Ian McShane (Sexy Beast) as "Amphiaraus"- a judicious prophet whose flirtations with death will surely elicit a few snickers, Rufus Sewell (Dark City) as "Autolycus"- the English actor's sly thief almost steals the picture with a handful of witty musings, Ingrid Bolso Berdal (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters) as "Atalanta"- an Amazonian archer and young Nicole Kidman lookalike, Aksel Hennie (Headhunters) as the heavily-scarred, feral warrior, "Tydeus", and Reece Ritchie (The Lovely Bones) as our Hero's young nephew, publicist and chronicler, "Iolaus".

John Hurt (Alien) lends further veteran legitimacy to the cast as "Cotys", the King of Thrace, while Peter Mullan (Session 9) provides support as "General Sitacles",  leader of the Thracian army.  The Scottish actor is terribly undersized for the role, though he does brandish a pretty nifty spine whip...

Rebecca Ferguson portrays King Cotys's daughter, "Ergenia" - Herc isn't given a love interest here, so the Swedish actress is relegated to damsel in distress duties.

Rounding out the notable cast, Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) pops up in a couple of scenes as the conniving "King Eurystheus".

The fact that a couple of supporting characters go AWOL from the narrative (namely Joe Anderson's "Phineas") seals the deal on a heavily cut narrative.  Although the film has been trimmed to fit just inside the PG-13 parameters, allowing for younger audiences (more ticket sales), I couldn't help but wonder if the filmmakers had possibly removed entire story arcs... either that or they had remarkably little ambition while producing the film.

Furthermore, the film is hampered by weak main villains- it isn't a question of talent, it's more of a problem with failing to give Johnson a worthy physical adversary to grapple with.  A substantial scene involving Herc and an equally imposing figure duking it out to the death may have worked wonders for this film.  The same could be said for added care and attention to detail given to the film's script...

Potential viewers will remember a scene where our Hero tosses a horse aside, while I definitely appreciated Russian Model-turned-actress Irina Shayk's (Herc's wife in flashbacks) bare butt.  A brief shot of Hennie's mad dog Tydeus tasting the blood oozing from a severed head had a few theatrical patrons audibly grossed out.

I appreciated a few moderately-sized and adequately staged battle sequences, while the film boasts the sharpest CGI wolves I've ever seen on the silver screen.  The onscreen proceedings are filmed well, with set pieces and costume designs impressive enough- the film never really looks particularly cheap.  The Rock and a game cast keeps matters interesting throughout, though I found myself wishing the experience had either motored full-tilt-boogie into gory slice and dice territory, or spent a substantial amount of added time showcasing Herc's 12 Labors- more specifically, with elongated sequences featuring those nifty creatures promised in the trailers. 

For those interested, this film is very loosely based upon the graphic novel, "Hercules: The Thracian Wars" from Radical Comics- it's bloody as all hell, features outstanding artwork and is vastly superior to it's cinematic adaptation in every facet.  It's understood that R-Rated fantasy films are currently dead in theaters (audiences simply aren't watching them), though I would have rather watched this film as a DTV or cable release that respected the subject matter and material which it's derived from.

My call is to check this out in theaters only if you have to, otherwise wait for an eventual Unrated/Extended Cut on Blu Ray...

Hercules (2014) (the film) - 7.0 out of 10

Hercules: The Thracian Wars (the graphic novel) - 9.0

Director: Bret Rattner
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, John Hurt, Ian McShane, Irina Shayk, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Joe Anderson, Peter Mullan, Rebecca Ferguson, Reece Ritchie and Aksel Hennie
Run-Time: 98 minutes
MPAA: PG-13: Epic Battle Sequences, Violence, Suggestive Comments, Brief Strong Language & Partial Nudity.