The Legend of Hercules (2014)

The origin story of the the mythical Greek hero. Betrayed by his stepfather, the King, and exiled and sold into slavery because of a forbidden love, Hercules must use his formidable powers to fight his way back to his rightful kingdom.

Director:

Renny Harlin

Writers:

Sean Hood, Daniel Giat

Stars:

Kellan Lutz, Gaia Weiss, Scott Adkins

1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kellan Lutz	...	Hercules
Gaia Weiss	...	Hebe
Scott Adkins	...	King Amphitryon
Roxanne McKee	...	Queen Alcmene
Liam Garrigan	...	Iphicles
Liam McIntyre	...	Sotiris
Rade Serbedzija	...	Chiron
Johnathon Schaech	...	Tarak
Luke Newberry	...	Agamemnon
Kenneth Cranham	...	Lucius
Mariah Gale	...	Kakia
Sarai Givaty	...	Saphirra
Dimiter Doichinov	...	King Galenus / Champion #1 (as Dimitar Doychinov)
Nikolai Sotirov	...	King Tallas (as Nikolay Sotirov)
Radoslav Parvanov	...	Half Face / Champion #3

Storyline

In Ancient Greece 1200 B.C., a queen succumbs to the lust of Zeus to bear a son promised to overthrow the tyrannical rule of the king and restore peace to a land in hardship. But this prince, Hercules, knows nothing of his real identity or his destiny. He desires only one thing: the love of Hebe, Princess of Crete, who has been promised to his own brother. When Hercules learns of his greater purpose, he must choose: to flee with his true love or to fulfill his destiny and become the true hero of his time. The story behind one of the greatest myths is revealed in this action-packed epic - a tale of love, sacrifice and the strength of the human spirit.

---

Plot Keywords:

ancient greece | hercules | king | forbidden love | slavery | 

---

Taglines:

Every man has a destiny

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense combat action and violence, and for some sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 January 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hercules: The Legend Begins

Filming Locations:

Sofia, Bulgaria

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$8,868,318 (USA) (10 January 2014)

Gross:

$18,821,279 (USA) (7 March 2014)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Millennium Films

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kellan Lutz was praised and quizzed about his physical transformation for the role of Hercules and the length of time it took to transform himself when in fact Lutz was cast just 2 weeks before principal photography began. So the physique that you see in the film is more or less his regular physique. He credited his active life-style for allowing him to portray the role of Hercules at such a short notice because other actors would have required months to acquire the proper physique required for the character.

---

Goofs

During the fly-over the wall in the beginning, the arrows appear out of nowhere in the soldier's hands, as they pulled back on the bows.

---

Quotes

King Amphitryon: Have you come to bring the wrath of Zeus upon me boy?

---

Connections

Version of Hercules (2005)

---

Soundtracks

Circle In Seven
Written by Zarbang
Performed by Zarbang

User Reviews

Not much worse than expected

Hercules is not entirely a disaster, as one might expect. A low-budget PG-13 adaptation of 300-style movies made in Bulgaria, this movie is in line with the expectations on what Renny Harlin is capable of.

While not being a disaster on a whole, it's a disaster in parts. The special effects, while being descent 3D images at times, are badly connected with live shots. There are many moments when perspective of such sequences is distorted in really obvious (and unintentionally funny) ways. There are numerous anachronisms. Characters use costumes and jewelry that could not be available in ancient Greece. Screenplay, while not being completely absurd, has some rather awkward dialog lines and unexplainable plot moments.

Unfortunately, the movie is not a Hercules legend but rather a shallow love story and family drama. There's even a bathing scene in a romantic- looking pond with flowers under a waterfall (the water in the pond is so dirty though that one can only feel pity for the actors). There are no heroic deeds of Hercules depicted in this movie.

One last blow for Hercules is PG-13 rating. There's no blood at all. When swords pierce bodies, they re-appear absolutely clean. When one of the characters was struck in the neck, the next shot showed his neck without a sign of a would or even a drop of blood. One of the few things the movie managed to deliver were some dynamic battle sequences; but PG- 13 made them look fake. In the age of 300 and Spartacus TV show, this is not something you want to waste your time on.

Unless you wish to add to a surprising $8 mln box office success after its first weekend, which will probably make this movie more profitable than most other current releases.