Hercules: The Legendary Journeys

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.

It may have been corny but it sure was still a fun show to watch and learn about the mythos. Sure Hercules was depowered by like 50%, which overpowered character isn't?

I loved the setting and the stories were well done.

Verdict: Don't take it seriously.

I'm glad Kevin Sorbo has moved on and has a baby, but I miss him as Hercules. I loved it almost as much as I loved Xena. I'm a great fan of Greek myth, so when I saw this show, I feel for it immediately. It was fun and had it's own spin on things with a modern humor which made it all the more lovable. Michael Hurst was a wonderful actor and was adorable as Iolaus. I loved most of the characters that popped up here and there. Should go down in tv history as groundbreaking.

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.

Xena has her moments. Sadly, the show is mired in telling similar stories over and over again. More than not, Xena gets into a big fight, worries about Gabriel, and espouses some platitudes about giving up fighting and finding her true path through life. Hercules has been very inventive about killing off loved characters and exposing a mostly lay audience to different myths. While his solutions to most dramatic situations seem trite from time to time, it is important to keep one thing in mind: the show is camp and it doesn't have any pretentions about being something it's not. Cartoony sounds are par for the course, if you ask me.