Hercules (1997)

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.

Directors:

Ron Clements, John Musker

Writers:

Ron Clements (animation screenplay), John Musker (animation screenplay),

Stars:

Tate Donovan, Josh Keaton, James Woods

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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	...	Clotho (voice)
Carole Shelley	...	Lachesis (voice)

Storyline

Hercules, son of the Greek God, Zeus, is turned into a half-god, half-mortal by evil Hades, God of the Underworld, who plans to overthrow Zeus. Hercules is raised on Earth and retains his god-like strength, but when he discovers his immortal heritage Zeus tells him that to return to Mount Olympus he must become a true hero. Hercules becomes a famous hero with the help of his friend Pegasus and his personal trainer, Phil the satyr. Hercules battles monsters, Hades and the Titans, but it is his self-sacrifice to rescue his love Meg which makes him a true hero.

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Plot Keywords:

zeus | hercules | hero | olympus | hades | 

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Taglines:

Happy IV of July!

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

27 June 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Herkules

Box Office

Budget:

$85,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£81,479 (UK) (2 January 1998)

Gross:

DEM 26,847,449 (Germany) (16 January 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Feature Animation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

WILHELM SCREAM: When the cyclops titan first starts crushing buildings looking for Hercules, a Wilhelm scream can be heard.

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Goofs

Near the end of the movie, Hercules is at the top of the stairs talking to his parents, then suddenly appears at the bottom with Meg.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

Hades (James Woods) says: "What d'ya say? It's happy ending time! Everybody's got a little taste of somethin' but me. I got nothin'. I'm-- I'm here with nothin'. Anybody listenin'? It's like I'm-- What am I, an echo or something? Hello? Hello? Am I talking to, what, hyperspace? Hello, it's me. Nobody listens.

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Connections

Spoofs Buns of Steel (1987)

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Soundtracks

"Go the Distance (End Titles)"
Performed by Michael Bolton

User Reviews

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