Hercules: The Legendary Journeys

This series has been almost completely forgotten but made 90s history together with Xena.

Set in a universe vaguely reminiscent of classical Greece with monster and gods, there is a demigod named Hercules who faces various adventures usually to save himself from the attacks of his stepmother Hera. If you overlook the distortions suffered by classical mythology, the series is not bad.

You mean this show was produced by Sam Raimi? The same horror loving, cheese flaunting, camera angle loving, wire fu abusing, low budget utilizing, Bruce Campbell toting, Ted Raimi killing, Spiderman trilogy directing machine? Yes.

I have to admit, when I first saw this show I thought it was one of the worst shows I had ever seen. It was always on right before the show I would want to see and I would catch glimpses of the cheesy graphics, strange camera angles, insane dialogue, etc. and would laugh at how bad it was. However, the moment I discovered that Sam Raimi produced the show, it was an instant "OOOOH, so the show is SUPPOSED to be that way!" and I gave it a chance. The more I watched the show, the more I realized how amazing the show was. While the cheesy graphics were a result of the times and budget (keep in mind, though, that the same company who did the graphics in the show would go on to produce the award winning graphics for Lord of the Rings), Sam Raimi uses his trademark skills to make this show thoroughly entertaining.

The intentionally over-acted, pun-ridden dialogue, extensively choreographed action scenes, fun costumes, and crazy myth-based story lines make this show a delight, but I think it's the visible enjoyment of the main cast that makes this show really great. Everybody, from the reoccurring characters to the show's main stars are obviously having the time of their lives enjoying every single line and action sequence. It helps that the producers allowed the actors to adlib a lot of the dialogue and physical gags.

As for the show's cast, I couldn't imagine anyone better to play Hercules than 90's Television's straight lead man, Kevin Sorbo. Sure, he oftentimes just stands there with clothes that conveniently reveal his always sweaty muscular chest, but he fit the role to a T. He did a great job playing the almost sickeningly perfect half-mortal Hercules (something they joke about continuously in the series) and obviously enjoyed himself in the fight scenes. Other notable mentions include Bruce Campbell (of course) whose smarmy portrayal of the King of Thieves is priceless (he even directed a number of the best episodes of the show), Kevin Smith (no, not THAT Kevin Smith) who was priceless as Ares, God of War, reveling in over-the-top testosterone and much improvised humor, and Alexandra Tydings as Aphrodite, God of Love, who played the part of a ditsy blonde perfectly.

However, probably THE most talented actor in the Hercules/Xena troupe was Michael Hurst, who portrayed Hercules short and peppy sidekick, Iolaus. In order to be noticed or successful as an actor here IN New Zealand, theater is still the primary form of entertainment. Well before Hercules, Hurst was already a renown New Zealand Shakespearean theater actor, director, producer, dancer, and singer, in addition to a championship fencer and acrobatic stage-fight choreographer. If I could choose anyone to compare this guy to, it'd be Britain's thespian Kenneth Branagh...if he could do gymnastics and was on speed. His energetic talent was so well known in the country that he was literally the first person to be cast in Hercules (BEFORE even Kevin Sorbo got the part as the lead). He stole the show with this energetic and over-the-top acting style for Iolaus and choreographed/performed most of the Hercules/Iolaus fight scenes and stunts. While he never really got a chance to exhibit his true acting prowress due to the light nature of the show, he came close with versatility. Presumably bored with his role, Raimi and the producers found every excuse in the book to allow Hurst to exercise his acting - by the time Hercules ended, he had played about 12 different characters in addition to Iolaus ranging anywhere from a drunken writer to a reoccurring woman dance instructor. There's no question that this show wouldn't have been as successful if Michael Hurst hadn't contributed his talent. I've always been kind of upset that Hurst will never be recognized outside our country (beyond "that short hyper blonde guy from Hercules") due to his extensive involvement with New Zealand theater - this guy could have easily gone on to do Broadway in the States or the Royal Shakespeare Company in Britain. However, I'm pleased to hear he still works on Sam Raimi projects when not doing plays, directing episodes for Legend of the Seeker and, more recently, Spartacus - both of which we get down here, yay! So, in sum, Sam Raimi is insane but incredibly brilliant for producing this show. I highly recommend it for those of you that "get" Raimi's unique direction or if you have any sense of humor whatsoever. It's extremely addictive. Do NOT take it seriously, or you will be disappointed - it's supposed to be campy. If you are a fan of anything Sam Raimi, entertaining fight sequences, Kevin Sorbo or Michael Hurst (if you happen to be from New Zealand), or enjoy watching actors have WAY too much fun for their own good, then this is a show for you.

I watched this show along with Xena when I was a kid and I was always a bigger fan of Xena but watching the reruns now I have come to appreciate Hercules in whole new light. For one thing the show was a lot more cleverer than I remember, though maybe it's because I grew up and now understand the adult situations better. But I love how they took contemporary society issues and placed them in ancient Greece, and they treated the characters like as if they were a character set in modern times, makes them so easily relatable. Also I love it's sheer positivity. Today in most media our heroes are so jaded and as much as that darkness and complexity is fascinating it is a little demoralizing. Sorbo's Hercules in today's media is almost a breath of fresh air as a character who despite his own tragedies and what he has seen still believes in good and goes out of his ways to not compromise his values.

On a note about mythological accuracy. Most Greek Myths have alternate versions as it is so what would constitute an accurate portrayal? Not to mention that many Greek myths mirror Mesopotamia myths which in turn were practically rewritten by the Romans just replacing Greek names with Roman ones. If you ask me the writers of Hercules were honoring the spirit of mythology by rewriting myths to suit our own society.

When fantasy, adventure and comedy collide, they make a great entertaining show that doesn't take itself too seriously. Add to that the stunning performance of the two leads, the beautiful scenery, the highly imaginative plots and the cleverly constructed titles...and you'll have your tasty brew!

I think that this show is great. I mean, the special effects are really nothing compared to what is being seen now, but we do see some of the earlier work of WETA, who went on to kick major butt in LOTR and KK. The acting was really good, these, to me, were compacted epic movies for free on t.v. The acting was good and it was always fun to see stunt men fly through the air and Hercules beating them down.

All I really have to say is, that the movies were great and the direction the show took was wonderful. Though sadly, slighted by it's cancellation at the end of 8 episodes in the 6th and final season. The show did lack some of the deeper elements found in "Xena: Warrior Princess", but I think it made a good contrast. All in all, watch the movies first, if you like them, watch the show and decide if you like it or not. To each their own and have fun, the show and the movies can be a great laugh.