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The Legend of Hercules (2014) 4.2
Ratings:
4.2/10 from 33,136 users
Metascore: 22/100
Reviews: 178 user | 138 critic | 19 from Metacritic.com 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 |
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Kellan Lutz | ... | ||
| Gaia Weiss | ... | ||
| Scott Adkins | ... | ||
| Roxanne McKee | ... | ||
| Liam Garrigan | ... | ||
| Liam McIntyre | ... | ||
| Rade Serbedzija | ... | ||
| Johnathon Schaech | ... | ||
| Luke Newberry | ... | ||
| Kenneth Cranham | ... | ||
 |
Mariah Gale | ... |
Kakia
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| Sarai Givaty | ... | ||
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Dimiter Doichinov | ... |
King Galenus /
Champion #1
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| Nikolai Sotirov | ... |
King Tallas
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| Radoslav Parvanov | ... |
Half Face /
Champion #3
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
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. Written by Millennium Entertainment
Taglines:
Every man has a destinyMotion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense combat action and violence, and for some sensuality | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
10 January 2014 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
La légende d'Hercule See more »Filming Locations:
Sofia, BulgariaBox 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
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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(uncredited)
Written by Valère Kaletka, Jacques Saly, Mathieu Lavarenne & Pat Jabbar
Performed by Oxalys XL
Barraka Publishing
Courtesy of Barraka El Farnatshi
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Kellan Lutz said that because he was shirtless through much of the movie, he could constantly do push-ups and ab-crunches on set before takes without fear of sweating into his costumes and staining them. He said it allowed him to look pumped on camera greatly enhancing his looks and he ended up doing more than a thousand push-ups and ab-crunches every day on set for the duration of the shoot. See more »Goofs
At the beginning of the cave fight Sotiris and Hercules only have swords. As soon as they form a shield wall they have spears. See more »Soundtracks
Lebkuchen(uncredited)
Written by Valère Kaletka, Jacques Saly, Mathieu Lavarenne & Pat Jabbar
Performed by Oxalys XL
Barraka Publishing
Courtesy of Barraka El Farnatshi
See more »
Step aside, Kevin Sorbo, we have a new man for the role of Hercules and his name is Kellan Lutz. If you have no idea who Mr Lutz is, check out his appearances in the Twilight instalments.
Anyway back to The Legend of Hercules. As the title suggests, this is an origin story that sets up the demigod character. Despised by his father King Amphitryon (Scott Adkins) since the day he was born, Hercules - the son of Zeus and Queen Alcmene (Roxanne McKee) - is sent to war after failing to elope with his true love, Princess Hebe (Gaia Weiss). King Amphitryon favors his elder son, Iphicles (Liam Garrigan); unfortunately he is not warrior material let alone lead a kingdom and winning the heart of Princess Hebe. As fate would have it, Hercules survived the war and returns to reclaim his love and kingdom from the wrath of King Amphitryon.
The poster reads From the director of Cliffhanger and Die Hard 2 - it's unfortunate they forgot to add in the fact that both were movies from more than twenty years ago, and Renny Harlin's directing career has long been sunk by a certain Cutthroat Island. Let's face it; The Legend of Hercules isn't going to resurrect Harlin's status in Hollywood anytime soon.
While similarly themed movies such as 300, Immortals and Clash of the Titans are known more for their visual aesthetics than storytelling, The Legend of Hercules failed miserably on both accounts. Filmed entirely in Eastern Europe because of cheaper costs and taxes, Harlin's movie mimics the feel and look of its predecessors while pretending to strip down to the grittiness of that era. However every single set piece looks like a cheap knock-off, right down to the CG extensions - case in point, one seriously fake looking puppeteer lion looks even worse than that in cable series Spartacus and Rome.
Written by at least four credited writers (one of them from the terrible Conan the Barbarian remake and Harlin himself), it is such a shame that the supposedly mythology-inspired story instead resembles Ridley Scott's Gladiator more than anything - if you recall, Maximus, was also betrayed and sold to slavery but made a comeback for revenge. We didn't realize that the legendary Greek hero Hercules actually ventures on the same path until now.
Unimaginative plotting aside, the movie suffers from incredible clunky, modernized dialogue peppered with a variety of British and American accents and awful delivery from the actors. With the exception of McKee and Adkins (surprisingly turning in a solid performance), most of the cast members - especially Lutz - needs to sign up for advanced acting classes. Minus off all the disemboweling, limb and head severing and bloodshed you normally would have expect from such a theme (an obvious attempt to lure in younger audiences), The Legend of Hercules quickly dissolves into a predictable yawn fest.
It's a tad disappointing that a movie about a demigod with incredible strength fares without emotion and plays like generally a mere paint-by- number adventure. Comparing to the 1997 animated feature by Disney, this one is hardly worth the time.