Hercules (1997)

Directors:

Ron Clements
John Musker

Writers:

Ron Clements (animation screenplay) &
John Musker (animation screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 June 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

A Comedy of Epic Proportions

Plot:

The son of the Greek Gods Zeus and Hera is stripped of his immortality as an infant and must become a true hero in order to reclaim it.

Plot Keywords:

Hercules | Hero | Zeus | Hades | Olympus

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Tate Donovan	...	Hercules (voice)
Josh Keaton	...	Young Hercules (voice)
Roger Bart	...	Young Hercules (singing voice)
Danny DeVito	...	Philoctetes (voice)
James Woods	...	Hades; Lord of the Underworld (voice)
Susan Egan	...	Meg (voice)
Bobcat Goldthwait	...	Pain (voice)
Matt Frewer	...	Panic (voice)
Rip Torn	...	Zeus (voice)
Samantha Eggar	...	Hera, Hercules' Mother (voice)
Barbara Barrie	...	Alcmene; Hercules' Foster Mother (voice)
Hal Holbrook	...	Amphitryon; Hercules Foster Father (voice)
Paul Shaffer	...	Hermes; the Messenger God (voice)
Amanda Plummer	...	The Fates (voice)
Carole Shelley	...	The Fates (voice)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-8/5 (re-rating) | Finland:K-8/6 (original rating) | Denmark:7 | Iceland:L | USA:G (certificate #35360) | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Germany:o.Al. (bw) | Mexico:A | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/6 | Sweden:7 | UK:U | Singapore:G | Norway:7 | Brazil:Livre

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

Hades was scripted as a slow, menacing character until James Woods auditioned for the role and impressed the casting directors with his rapid-fire style. The script was rewritten, but Woods ad-libbed many lines.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Meg finds Hercules behind the curtain, he is missing a wrist band on his left wrist. It reappears the next time we see him.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: Long ago, in the faraway land of ancient Greece, there was a golden age of powerful gods and extraordinary heroes. And the greatest and strongest of all these heroes was the mighty Hercules. But what is the measure of a true hero? Ah, that is what our story is...
Thalia: Will you listen to him? He's makin' the story sound like some Greek tragedy.
Terpsichore: Lighten up, dude.
Calliope: We'll take it from here, darling.
Narrator: You go, girl.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2004) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Go the Distance (End Titles)

Hey mythology lovers, get a grip!

I have seen many Disney movies, animated and not, and this one has more action than most, has no cute animals and is more humorous (ala Aladdin) than a typical Disney movie--Pixar films not included. This one also has a male lead (no princesses). If you are looking for typical Disney fare, then you may not appreciate this one. We enjoyed it thoroughly--from 4 to 40 years of age, male and female.

As for all the criticism regarding the liberties Disney took with Greek mythology, get a grip. I love Greek mythology too but hey, IT'S FICTION! It's not historical fact. Even the ancient tales themselves are not consistent, containing contradictions. There were many authors. But the characters are interesting, and Disney used some of them to create a good story for kids about an outcast looking for his place in life. It also explores what makes a hero a true hero (perhaps the more useful lesson of the movie). Yes, it's a shame they took so many liberties with this picture but it still encourages interest in Greek myth. Don't believe me? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were not historically accurate either but they got kids interested in the Old Masters!

8 / 10