Customer Reviews

Hercules

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Be forewarned, I'm a big fan of 'Hercules, The Legendary Journeys' and 'Xena, Warrior Queen' so anything new on this mythical hero automatically starts off with the expectation of being a - 5 Stars - production.

This Hallmark Entertainment made-for-television production presents a much darker and somber tale of the "Son of Zeus" than what the fans of Kevin Sorbo have grown familiar with. Hated by his Mother Alcmene (Elizabeth Perkins), High Priestess to Hera and twin brother Iphicles they both unsuccessfully plot to kill Hercules (Paul Telfer). They even enlist the aide of his new wife Megara and his three young sons. When their plan fails and results in the deaths of the three children Hercules is blamed and is banished from the Kingdom. In an attempt to redeem himself he agrees to be tested by his betrayers and undertakes a series of all but impossible tasks, or "Labors." That is, almost impossible for anyone but Hercules!

Hallmark has certainly not given us the definitive version of the God/man but it is a good one. It has better than average special effects, a competent storyline and a strong cast of character: Timothy Dalton, Elizabeth Perkins, Sean Astin, the lovely LeeLee Sobeiski and Paul Telfer as Hercules.

*Special message from my seventeen year old daughter for all the young girls out there:

"Check out Paul Telfer, HOTTTTTT......!"

This passable movie would have gotten three stars, but it lost a star due to the release version being offered.

Before I get to the time issue, let me just say that this was an entertaining movie. I've read other reviews complaining about its inaccuracies, which frankly I don't care much about as it's a myth that happened thousands of years ago. If you want a night of action, adventure, and cheap CGI, pick up this DVD. BUT...

NBC was originally supposed to air this as a two-night four-hour miniseries (roughly 180 minutes minus commercials), but decided instead to butcher the movie and fit it into a three-hour timeslot (roughly 135 minutes minus commercials), which is what you're given in this DVD. Sci-Fi recently aired the four-hour miniseries in its entirety, with all the cut scenes intact. If you haven't seen the miniseries and don't care mcuh for what was cut, then you might as well get this DVD. But if you were like me and actually saw the original cut, wait for LionsGate and Hallmark to release the original 177-minute version.

In Australia and Europe, the film is released in its original 177-minute version, so if you have a multi-region player, I'd suggest importing from there.

I'm shocked at some of the reviews here; I just finished watching this on Sci-Fi, and rushed online to see if I could order the DVD. This is also the first review I have ever felt motivated to make, after years and years of purchasing at Amazon.

IMO this is one of the best done Hercules movie I've ever seen, primarily because the message. The point of the movie was not the heroics, nor the political intrigue, nor the subplots, nor the eye candy (though, I have to admit Paul Telfer was certainly that! then again, I've always been partial to dark hair and blue eyes... *purr*) or about the special effects. It was about an ordinary man (the movie hints that he is not actually a demi-god) who, through his actions and determination, fought back against the prevailing beliefs of his day, to come to the ultimate self-realization: I, AND NO ONE ELSE, DETERMINE MY DESTINY.

I watched this journey with my 10 year-old son, and in addition to the above, found example after example of courage and morals demonstrated. (Wish it was a little less gory in spots though.) The second biggest lesson my son took away from the movie was how Hercules, though it wasn't completely "his fault", took full, unremitting responsibility for his actions, and made every effort to make full restitution and make the wrong right. In contrast, we have the dumb-butts who took no responsibility at all for their actions. Wow!

Granted, the CGI effects were, in my opinion, poor, but this was a B-grade movie. Also, it is not exactly true to the Hercules mythos, but then again, they had to take artistic license to keep this from being hours and hours long. If you can ignore those two facts and any preconceived notions, and look at it as a STORY, then you will like it I think.

I really enjoyed this but I have the Region 4 release which was released in a widescreen presentation on a 2 disc set with a running time of 170mins. A full 3 hours with no ads. The Region 1 version clocks in at 127 mins on a full screen edit which does the production no favours. I think the American release has shortchanged its customers and can't understand these vast discrepancies unless its a censorship issue?

Minotaur1001, Melbourne Australia

Great movie. Excellent special effects and great actors. Gives a great story to the Hercules legend.

This movie seems to be one you either love or hate, and I must say I truly enjoyed it. As one critic said it was a "B" movie, but it was very good nevertheless.
I really enjoyed the acting- it was very good. I loved the wife Megara, who was very good (even though she was "evil"), and Herc's mother. Herc was pretty good himself, and Leelee (his nymph) was very good, she truly stole the film.
Though there was quite a few inaccuractes, (such as only 6 labors were preformed as opposed the 12), it was still a pretty good movie, albert a T.V. one.
The only serious critic I would have to say is the obvious animation. It was really surprising to find that this movie was made in 2005-the animation looked like something out of one of the older Star Wars Movies.
This was a really good T.V. movie. It's definatly renting material, but I wouldn't buy it(unless it was on sale or less than $10)

It must be a Herculean labour to put together a miniseries dealing with this subject, and like so many of the recent attempts to make major classical figures into larger-than-life Hollywood icons, this one also falls short of the mark. Films such as 'Alexander' and 'Troy' for cinematic release, or the recent made-for-television series such as 'Caesar', 'Spartacus', and 'Helen of Troy' all set out with lofty, almost Olympian ambitions, but fail to deliver divine visions. The same is true here - relative newcomer Paul Telfer (also appearing in the above-mentioned 'Spartacus') certainly has the physique of a Herculean figure, and is a reasonable actor, but the dialogue is a bit stilted - I can't be sure if they wanted 'Greek Epic' or colloquial familiarity, and I'm not sure the writers and director ever quite decided, either.

The crew of actors is not bad here, so the acting is usually reasonably well done for a b-film (and so long as one keeps in mind that one is watching a b-film, expectations are held in check). Sean Astin plays much the same kind of role in this film that he plays in 'Lord of the Rings' - the ever-faithful sidekick, but without Tolkien's great character. Leeanna Walsman plays Megara, Hercules' first wife, reasonably well, without too much melodrama, despite the tragedy of her situation. Kristian Schmid as King Eurystheus is a bit flat, but again that may be the dialogue as much as the acting. Leelee Sobieski also does a good job with the role of Deianeira, the mystical figure who falls in love with Hercules and helps him in subtle ways on his labours.

The one great disappointment of this film is that the the CGI special effects seem to be rather ill-constructed and stand out as obvious insertions; it reminded me of the kinds of obviously phony inserted special effects from similar Greek epic and science fiction films of the 1980s. Surely the technology has been upgraded since then in the studios where this film was finished.

The labours are a bit shortened and modified somewhat from the legends, but for those unfamiliar with them, this is an introduction that will hopefully lead them to want to learn more. This is certainly far closer to the real Hercules legends than the Kevin Sorbo series of years past.

There is violence, but it is fairly muted, and some sexual content, but very mild even by soap-opera standards. Telfer never misses an opportunity to take his shirt off, Sobieski hints at being unclothed in a scene or two, but rarely does it get more erotic than that.

I'd give this three-and-a-half stars, given the option, but I'll grade on a Herculean curve, and give it four here. The DVD contains more footage than the original teleplay, which was cut dramatically. The science fiction channel is replaying a fuller version.

Lots of special effects and action. Superlative actors such as Timothy Dalton in supporting roles and Paul Tefler certainly looks the part. The main problem that I had with the series was that although it is a sympathetic potrayal of the demi god and in many instances followed the mythological tales, the hero is not - heroic. While many people decry the sword and sandal Italian epics the first two Reeves films were excellent and, in my opinion the first had some superb heroic moments. There is nothing in this series to equal the shot of Hercules standing on a hill flanked by Castor and Polux or in the temple renouncing his immortality while the rain falls. Reeves was a hero, Tefler is a well built everyman. An enjoyable film but not inspiring, worth watching but could have been better.

I actually saw part of this movie on the Sci-Fi Channel and thought it was a very unique re-interpretation of the Greek myth. The casting and acting, while not first class, were overall very well done and I was surprised that I actually enjoyed it tremendously and wanted to own the DVD. However, I do not understand they decide to issue an abridged version on the DVD, cutting out numerous scenes that are integral part of the story. Otherwise, I would give this a 5 stars. Try to catch the un-abridged series if you can on cable. The DVD does not do the movie/script/interpretation justice.

i am writting this review because i am compelled to first the item came in the correct way and was what i paid for i blame the items problems on the people that released this movie i know that this dvd is edited to a redicilous manner because i saw this before and he did not have 5 labors but instead 6 labors and the one they edited out was the one about the women that turn into wild mares and it removed a conversation between linus and i forgot the forest nymph about hercules son and it edits too much i hope they release a new one with all the stuff removed put back right but as for the seller and everything else i have not fault with it elsewise so if you wish to trust this seller please do so knowing my thumbs up