From Zero to Hero in 90 minutes.Missing the big names of previous Disney efforts (Tate Donovan? The former Mr. Jennifer Aniston?) Hercules has some things going against it. It's the one of the first Disney flicks aimed almost exclusively at boys. Herc trains with Phil the satyr, fights hydras and battles Hades (James Woods), and occasionally finds time to fall for Meg (Susan Egan), all in order to become a true hero and return to Mount Olympus as a god.
Action oriented with gospel tinged songs (that's an odd combination, to say the least - a greek chorus that seems more like a church choir), Hercules also boasts one of the best Disney villains in a while: Hades. Woods is funny as the lord of the Underworld, playing him like an agent with blue flames for hair. Donovan is adequate as the title character, while Danny DeVito gets a few good lines in as Phil. Nice turns in smaller roles from Matt Frewer and Bobcat Goldthwait as pain and Panic, Hades' two bumbling henchmen.
Hercules is at least as good as Hunchback, and better than Pocahontas.Don't forget your happy meal.
eFilmCritic.com: Australia's Largest Movie Review Database. Privacy Policy | HBS Inc. | | All data and site design copyright 1997-2010, HBS Entertainment, Inc.