Review — "Hercules" just short of divine
As you're probably aware, The Rock/Dwayne Johnson's "Hercules" was released to theatres Friday. I say it's The Rock's movie because, well, it's The Rock. Brett Ratner directed it, though, if you care (you don't).
Rather surprisingly, Ratner did a fine job and this movie is a lot of fun. The cast are all legitimately good actors, the unexpectedly large cast of characters is distinct and memorable, the humor is organic and the film balances funny stuff with some truly horrific shit without ever letting the tone slip too far in either direction.
There is an early battle sequence that comes off as very odd at the time (why lay a trap with a large host of unarmored assailants?), but will ultimately make sense in light of later information about the foe Hercules and his friends face. That army needed to appear as arcane or unnatural as possible, even if it made no practical sense.
The film never tries to be too clever even though it doesn't slide into not taking itself seriously enough either. A difficult balance to strike.
Another unexpected bit of equity comes in the film's use of its two female cast members. Though obviously neither get the exploration of the lead, nor would one expect them to in a movie called "Hercules," they are presented vividly and leave the viewer with a strong sense of who they are.
Both are individuals and people before anything else. Neither are played for gratuitous sex appeal or just around for decoration. There are also no romantic subplots, forced or otherwise, in which one or both are awarded to deserving males. Furthermore, though only one is a capable warrior, neither comes off as luggage. Even the princess has a strong will backed up with useful non-combative skills, and even when in danger, neither character fulfills the damsel-in-distress trope so much as just being characters on the screen in dangerous situations.
While on the subject of the characters, perhaps my favorite element of the filmmaking here is how it convinces you of the bonds between Hercules and his companions without resorting to melodrama. More than just caring for one another, there's such apparent respect and familiarity in their interactions -- both the things they do and don't say, behaviors both subtle and pronounced -- that you believe it when you see it.
One potential mark against this movie for a lot of viewers may end up being that it doesn't quite deliver what you think it's going to. Hercules is, of course, from Greek mythology, and you tend to expect certain elements to come along with that, which don't this time.
Honestly, that works in the movie's favor more than not. It doesn't entirely abandon those supernatural elements, but it does not want to be defined by them, so it doesn't allow itself to be. More attention is, thus, given to parts of the filmmaking that aren't CG, and that too works in its favor.
My only personal gripe with "Hercules" is that it could have stood to be longer at only 1 hour, 38 minutes. It packs a lot of content into that time span, though, and never wastes a minute of it.
Brett Ratner may have temporarily ruined the X-Men film franchise eight years ago, but he's proven here that he had a good one in him. Certainly this movie is a collaborative work, as movies tend to be, but if I have been giving Ratner the blame for "X-Men: The Last Stand" since 2006, I can also be humble enough to give him the lion's share of the credit for what we got here.
Don't go into this expecting "Clash of the Titans" (it's better for one thing) and you should like it. Stick with playing "God of War" or watching Kevin Sorbo and "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" if you do need heavy does of cinematic mythology, but I would argue that this iteration of the demigod shares a lot in common with the fun factor of both of those.
Brett Ratner and The Rock don't reinvent any wheels with "Hercules," but it's worth your time. Go see it.