Plot: What’s it about?
With all the gods abuzz, Zeus and Aphrodite finally have their bouncing baby boy, Hercules. As would be expected, Zeus throws a huge party, and all the gods attend. Hercules, even though he is a tiny baby, has his legendary strength, and lifts his father off the ground by one finger, and tosses his dad’s thunder bolts around like toys. That little devil! Even Hades, ruler of the underworld, shows up, with his snide remarks and fiery temper. He quickly exits to return to his underworld, and after he does, Zeus gives Hercules a gift…one hell of a gift! Zeus gives his little boy a Pegasus, and it rules! While hesitant at first, Herc and Pegasus soon bond. But away from Zeus’ happiness, Hades is plotting along with the Fates on when to make his bid to take over the heavens. The Fates tell Hades if he can turn Hercules mortal, he can be killed, and therefore, things are easier on Hades. Natch! But…instead of doing it himself, Hades sends his bumbling underlings, Pain and Panic, to kidnap Herc, take him to Earth, and give him a potion to turn him mortal.
They succeed in getting Herc to Earth, but miss one drop of the potion, and therefore, Herc is mortal, but he retains his god like strength. Herc puts a beat down on Pain and Panic, and they decide it’s better to leave well enough alone, and not tell Hades of their slight failure with the potion. Fast forward a bit, Herc is grown, but still awkward, knocking everything over and making more enemies than friends, due to his clumsiness. But after an encounter with his true father, Herc learns that he must become a hero in order to return to his home in the clouds. He elicits the help of a hero trainer, Phil, who sees Herc as his last chance to train a true hero! Will Phil be able to turn Herc into a true hero, so he can stop Hades and return to his rightful home? I don’t know…
Hercules is another Disney classic, focusing on the gods and surroundings of ancient Greece. I for one find the topic of Greek mythology highly interesting, and it makes the transition to cartoon very well. The idea of seeing all the different gods, with their unique looks and personalities makes this movie work. It’s so cool to see how the artists at Disney pictured each of the Olympus dwellers. The whole landscape looks great too, with all the pillars and Greek architecture galore. The costumes (I know they are cartoons but still) are designed beautifully, and the whole feel of ancient Greece is present throughout this feature. I know it’s animated, but the attention to detail is amazing, and the extra effort in this film really paid off.
Of course, the reason this picture is so powerful is because of the skillful animation and great voice work. The animation is tremendous, with life like fluidity, and a great mix of hand drawn and computer generated work. The main thing that strikes me about the way this was drawn, as with most Disney classics, is the fact that each character, even if only a passerby, is unique. Each and every person in this movie have individual and distinct looks, and that adds depth where some animated films use the same cels over and over. All the staples of Greek myth are here, the Hydra, the River Styx, all the gods, and so much more. Like I said earlier, it’s really nifty to see all the characters from Greek mythology brought to life here, with even more spunk than the written tales about them. Aside from Toy Story and Tarzan, I think this is the most skillfully drawn Disney classic, with so much beautiful imagery and great subject matter.
The voice work on Hercules is off the charts. As usual, Disney brings together an all star cast to breathe life into their drawings, and do just that. The most memorable performance is from James Woods, who supplies the chords for Hades. Woods has just the right voice for Hades, just enough smart ass hot head, just enough shrewd planner and businessman. He also grabs most of the best lines, or maybe he just delivered them perfectly. In any case, Woods is a natural for this role, and he does a superb job. Herc’s trainer, Phil, is also a wild guy who gets some big laughs. The man behind Phil, Danny DeVito, not only matches the voice for Phil, but also resembles him in the looks department. It almost seems as though Phil is just DeVito in a past life, it’s that good of a performance. Hades’ morphing baddies, Pain and Panic, are voiced by Bobcat Goldthwaite and Matt Frewer, and bring in a great comic relief. Wait a second…this whole movie is comic relief…oh well.
The rest of the voice talent is good as well, being led by Tate Donovan, Charlton Heston (Yeah!), Amanda Plummer, Paul Shaffer, Rip Torn (Yeah!), Roger Bart, and Hal Holbrook. I know Donavon is the headlining voice, but he is outshined by the talents in the above paragraph. I give attention to quality of performance, not order in the billing. As per usual, Hercules is filled with musical ditties, and some decent singing and dancing numbers. The music was done by Alan Menken, and is as good if not better than most Disney sing along scores. Not exactly my favorite part, but hey, you take the good with the bad, right?
Well, this is my second Disney animation DVD (check out my review for Pinocchio), and I am not regretting spending the big bucks on either of them. As with Pinocchio, Hercules is given the royal treatment, and is the only version of the film to own. Hercules is filled with foot loose and fancy free good times and rocking tunes, so if you want to fill your home with good vibes, pop this disc in anytime. It’s Disney, so it’s safe for the kids, too. I know the price tag is steep, but on-line retailers offer specials and coupons, so check there first. But even at forty clams, it’s worth it. And act fast, because Disney is only opening the purchase window for sixty days, then it closes for ten years! Eep! Eep is right! Don’t delay, if you love Disney animation, pick this, and the entire set up ASAP!
Video: How does it look?
Wow…this is one great disc. Hercules is presented in 1.66:1 widescreen, the really little bars. So, you’re not gaining much over full frame, but you get the original ratio, so shut up. No artifacts or grain are hiding anywhere, and the black levels are right on par. Hercules is very colorful, and this disc makes sure those colors are better than ever. Rich and deep, they almost bound off the screen, it’s by far the best ever rendition of Hercules! Disney does something good! That was not a typo!
Audio: How does it sound?
Not too shabby here either. Lots of booming effects will shower your living room with sound, making you feel like that thunder bolt is coming right at you! The music sounds great too, and does not interfere with the dialogue, which is good, I say.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc has some! Yes! It has the original theatrical trailer, which is very cool. I really like the inclusion of trailers on DVDs, even though some think they are worthless. Also included is a Ricky Martin video from the film’s soundtrack. Ok…but hey, it’s an extra! I would have rather had “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” but I’m a damn weirdo. Check this out…full color art work on the disc! Wow! Disney also let us have a digital version of “The Making Of Hercules,” which is wicked cool, if you ask me. It is about ten minutes long, and gives a decent behind the scenes look. All in all, not a bad package, but it could have been bigger. Yeah!
