Hercules

Already this year we have seen a number of sword and sandal films make their way into theatres, each with varying results.  Is it really time for that genre to make a grand presence, or is it mere coincidence?  Clash of the Titans (2010) may have proved to the studios that these movies could rake in some cash, but it also proved to my wife that I should not be allowed to select which movie we see on ‘date night.’  Not long after, we had the mighty warrior Conan sneak onto the screens, and now it is time for the mythical Hercules to do the same.  Oddly enough, this is the second time in 2014.

I was raised on the original Conan the Barbarian and the action packed tales of Sinbad, so I felt no stranger to this style of entertainment.  In the last few years the downside to a number of these sword and sandals is that they really attempt to take themselves too seriously, a feat that their budgets, talent, and crew seem unable to reach.  This goal does not seem to be on the radar for those involved in Hercules.

It stars Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, former professional wrestler turned actor who has been dedicated to the painstaking process of putting in his time to develop his craft and establish his name.  While the transition into movies proves to be difficult for many cross-platform entertainers, people like Johnson who have a natural presence and charisma can evolve into marquee names if they are willing to get past the growth pains in the early stages.

Hercules, who is the bastard child of mortal and immortals, is a mercenary who travels with a band of loyal followers.  Lured into a job with a big payday, they find out their love for the money may be challenged by internal morals.  Nothing new here.  We have seen this sort of story before, with the stone cold bad ass turning into a feller with a heart of gold through sentimental shifts.  There may be a lot in the plot that can remind audience members of what they had previously seen, but that does not hinder the enjoyment level of Hercules at all.

Director Brett Ratner shows to possess an understanding here that you work around the tools that you are given.  In the case of Dwayne Johnson, that tool is personality and charisma.  Instead of our hero being a too cool for school, unflinching mega-hero (as we had in Pompeii and was boring to a level of anesthetics), we are given a man who smiles, jokes, and is buff enough to do the battle stuff.  There is an emotional back story woven into Hercules’ past, but it never travels to the point of demanding too much range from Johnson.

His gaggle of loyal friends enhances the charm and fun, with each having a personality that is represented both in dialogue and in fighting styles.  My favourite was a bow slinging amazon warrior who would have given Legolas a run for his money, played by Norwegian actress Ingrid Bolso Berdal.  The entourage reminded me vaguely of A Knight’s Tale in how a protagonist’s adventure can be enhanced by surrounding them with colourful individuals.

I will admit that I had my doubts about this film, but they were soon washed away as the movie took a different approach to the story, playing with the question of if the mythology was true or just a legend that was created around a mortal warrior.  The battle sequences also assisted in laying to rest my reservations.  Ratner kept the shots tight and short, keeping the face paced and chaotic feel without devolving into making them so fragmented that it was impossible to follow what was happening.

Swinging his club and taking names, Hercules proved that there can be life in this genre of film if done appropriately.  He is surrounded by interested locations, many of them being interiors where I was unable to discern what were set pieces and what was generated in post production.  This may not be an all time classic, but for those wishing to fulfill their desires for sand swept adventuring this is time well wasted.

Rating - 3 out of 4 stars