Hercules

There's nothing worse than a film that's completely clichéd in every way. Or at least I thought so until I watched 'Hercules.' It's absolutely everything you've seen a thousand times before, therefore it's a mystery as to why I enjoyed it as much as I did.

From what I hear it's hardly based on fact (and when I say 'fact' I mean the Greek legend of Zeus and Mount Olympus etc). Instead, it's based on a comic book which, in turn, is based on the classic tale of Zeus' half human-half god son, Hercules, and his adventures. Seeing as I've completely forgotten everything I learned about Ancient Greece at school and I've never read the comic books, I can't comment on how well it ties into whatever source material it's based on. However, I can tell you that – if you're in the right frame of mind – it is quite good fun.

Dwayne 'The sometimes Rock' Johnson plays our titular character and he plays him with as much charm as you'd expect from our muscle-bound leading man. Many have criticised him as an 'actor,' but then he doesn't need to do an awful lot of soul-searching to find inspiration to smash every baddie he encounters in the face. He does the job. He's cool. He's likable. And he wipes the floor with monster he meets.

And Dwayne's not alone in his quest. Unusually, we get to see quite a lot of his mates, namely the band of warriors who follows him wherever he goes, generally picking off anyone who's still alive after Herc has beaten an entire army to a pulp. Yes, his homies are all walking clichés, but they're also fun enough to root for and it's simply nice to see that, despite being 'part immortal' on his father's side, even Herc needs a chum or two to get things done.

Do you really need to know what they do? There's a baddie doing bad things. Herc and co have to stop him. Don't bother wasting any more time on plot intricacies than that.

The film runs for an hour and a half and, if I'm honest, it actually feels a bit rushed. If they'd added an extra 20-30 minutes of character development, they really could have made something quite epic (as opposed to a fun little B-movie). Perhaps the worst thing about it is the computer-generated effects. And they're worse at the beginning. Seriously, there are some scenes near the start that looked like they were created by a media student for his homework assignment (they do get better. A bit).

If you want to know what sort of mind frame I was in when I watched this, I'll tell you. I was home from work with a cold. I didn't feel 100% and was wrapped up under a blanket as I watched Hercules and his posse kicking ass. I didn't want a deep and meaningful, heart-wrenching drama or anything I had to think about. I just wanted a fun little action movie to rest my brain to. And I got one. If you find yourself in a similar state, this is the kind of movie that should nurse you back to full health.

A lot of people went into this movie with expectations that this would follow the mythology, and I think that's what let them down. However, as an artistic representation of not only the myths, but a possible truth behind the myths, this was an entertaining watch.

I'm only vaguely familiarly with the mythology, but I know enough to know the way it was represented. This film represents that mythology in a different way - more genuinely believable, and less fantastic - but blends the original mythos in in a way I found very interesting. A lot can be forgiven for an intelligent, new look at an old story, and I don't think this film needs to be forgiven very much at all.

The story was fairly well rounded with a some light/moderate complexity to it which was nice, and it was much less far-fetched than I thought it would be. The acting was - in general - excellent, with only one or two instances where I thought it was a bit too cheesy or overdone.

Dwayne Johnson was fantastic; having seen him in several films I was expecting a less solemn, more caricatured, performance. But he was excellent, and I have gained a little more respect for him as a serious actor (though I wouldn't cast him outside head-bashing quite yet).

Overall an underrated movie in my opinion, and definitely worth a watch if you like a good story.

Someone had the incredibly stupid idea of showing Hercules' infamous tasks within the first five minutes and then tell a somewhat conventional story of antique battles and rebellion. The Rock is a charismatic hero and his team works, too. Without this cast this movie would have fallen to pieces. As it is, the action is decent, the result entertaining enough and thankfully it doesn't take itself too seriously. But still, whoever came up with this simplistic plot should be smacked over the head.

Of the two Hercules films released in 2014, this one is the far superior of the two. The other being the awful 'The Legend of Hercules', with Liam McIntyre as its sole saving grace. 'Hercules' was very flawed and was very misleadingly advertised, but it was decent.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is a charismatic and likable Hercules, and much closer to what Hercules should be like than the disaster that was Kellan Lutz in 'The Legend of Hercules'. He is not a "great" actor, but there is something appealing about him here, he does look more comfortable than some of his other performances (he has come on a lot since 'Doom' for example) and he has fun with his one-liners.

Rufus Sewell in a different role is amusing, and even funnier is a scene-stealing Ian McShane, although his material is basically a big running joke it's a very funny line and remarkably doesn't wear thin or become repetitive. John Hurt very rarely gives a bad performance, many performances of his are magnificent in fact, and while he has been better he is good here. Ingrid Bolso Berdal is a striking and strong presence as Atalanta.

Mostly, 'Hercules' looks good, looking more of a cinematic release than the straight-to-DVD-schlocky look of 'The Legend of Hercules'. It's beautifully shot and while one is reminded of '300' the editing is not as stylised or as indulgent. Costumes and sets are much more tasteful and easy on the eye. There is an appealing over-the-top-ness with the odd embracing of the cheese factor without being too ridiculous, and the darker moments do have tension and emotional weight. Love the chemistry between Johnson, Sewell and McShane, and it is definitely the film's strongest asset. What there is of the action is exciting enough, and the music is fitting and pleasant even if not mind-blowing.

Brett Ratner's direction is a bit routine however, and the story, while with good moments and at least it is clear what it's trying to be, is generic and over-familiar. The script is not as bad as that of 'The Legend of Hercules', but does feel underwritten and clunky, while of the characters the only really interestingly developed ones are Hercules and Amphiarius. The rest are stock, especially the villains, who are poorly played.

Joseph Fiennes in particular is catastrophically bad to the point of unintentional comedy. The special effects are a little weak as well, rather artificial.

All in all, nowhere near as bad as expected. Not in terms of advertising, it was actually pretty intriguing but those wanting a proper adaptation of the legend will find themselves short-changed (the only resemblance really is in name only), but more in correlation to how much 'The Legend of Hercules' stunk and there was the worry that 'Hercules' would be as bad or worse. Luckily, while still heavily flawed, it is much better. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Dwayne Johnson plays Hercules as he goes from a mercenary for John Hurt -- the English one -- to someone with a conscience.

I expected this to be about as ridiculous as The Legend of Hercules, released the same year. I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is the production and cast first rate, with some fine cinematography by Dante Spinotti, but director Brett Ratner's staging allowed me to play the "where did they lift that shot from" game; I identified bits from SAMSON AND DELILAH, SPARTACUS, and CONAN THE BARBARIAN during the denouement alone.

It's based on a graphic novel by Steve Moore. Because he got no money from it, Moore asked fr his name to be removed from the credits. He died soon after he made the request, and so wound up not only with the credit, but a dedication. All free to the producers!