"A true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart."
— Zeus
Initial thoughts before viewing: I don't remember seeing Hercules in theaters as much as I remember the McDonald's promotional tie ins. Most people I know had a few of these gems in their kitchen cupboards. I started really liking Hercules when I was older and began to appreciate the movie's sharp humor.
If you have never seen Hercules or need a refresher, here is a link to the movie's Disney Wiki page where you can read the plot summary.
Highlights:
-The Muses steal the show. Although the Muses are technically supporting characters, they are by far my favorite part of Hercules. They function as a literal Greek Chorus telling the story and singing a majority of the songs in the film. These 5 gospel-singing divas sing 4 of the movie's 6 songs, including the infinitely peppy "Zero to Hero," my go-to Karaoke jam. I've always loved that the Muses are different enough to be unique, yet together form the perfect girl group.
And although their race or ethnicity is never addressed, it's worth noting that this is also one of the first times I can remember seeing women of color in animation. Each of the Muses—Calliope (Lillias White), Clio (Vaneese Y. Thomas), Melpomene (Cheryl Freeman), Terpsichore (LaChanze), and Thalia (Roz Ryan)—were depicted as and voiced by Black women whose collective talents turned gospel bangers into the soundtrack of this spin on Greek mythology.
-"Go the Distance" is the best protagonist "I Want" song. The brilliance of this song is its universal theme of wanting to belong. There's something wonderfully epic about the score (Alan Menken, of course) and the lyrics are bursting with hope and perseverance. Just hearing the few intro cues to this song is often enough to give me the feels. It's a beautiful, top tier Disney anthem, and probably my favorite "I Want" song of all time.
-Hades is a worthy fan favorite villain. Who can help it if they have a glowing blue flame over their head and hilarious spitfire one liners? Even with Hercules’ good-guy charm and well… the fact that his name is literally the title of the movie, when Hades comes on screen all bets are off. It’s suddenly his movie and Hunk-ules can’t do a thing about it. Voiced to perfection by James Woods, Hades is at his best when he’s blowing up at his minions Pain and Panic, especially during the scene when he bursts into flames over them donning Hercules merchandise.
As far a Hades' evil motivation, when you start to see how Zeus treats Hades when compared to the other Olympian Gods, Hades kind of has a point. Hades is saddled with the terrible job of running the Underworld, plus he doesn't get to live on the luxurious Mount Olympus like the other Gods. Unfair? Yes. Hades is an A-list Disney villain.
-Meg is a revolutionary Disney heroine. Meg has more personality and complexity in her little finger than almost all the Disney heroines before her. She is the queen of sarcasm, the sultan of snark, the sovereign of cynicism . I love that she's had her heart broken before and how that experience informs her character. Her gradual attraction and affection for Hercules is so genuine. And I mean, who doesn't love "I Won't Say I'm In Love"? This is probably Disney's most underrated (and relatable!) bop to date.
-Hercules may be Disney's funniest animated feature. The humor of Hercules is the gift that keeps on giving. There are lots of little things that go way over your head as a kid ("Somebody call I-X-I-I," for example. That's Roman numerals for 9-1-1). It's delightful to catch new things you never really understood before upon re-watch as an adult. I do remember that as a kid, the below exchange was a personal favorite momeny of mine:
Hades: So you took care of him, huh? Dead as a doornail. Weren't those your exact words?
Pain: This might be a different Hercules.
Panic: Yeah! I mean, Hercules is a very popular name nowadays!
Pain: Remember, like, a few years ago, every other boy was named Jason, and the girls were all named Brittany?!
In elementary school, there were always like 6 Brittany's in my grade level (with different spellings of course), so I thought this joke was very clever and relatable as a 9 year-old.
Disliked:
-Why is Phil such a creeper? Phil is a crotchety, old Satyr (half-human, half-goat) who seems to be obsessed with women. When we first meet Phil in Hercules, he's preying on Nymphs. Later, he tries to hit on newcomer Meg, calling her "sweet cheeks" while climbing on to her lap. Both times Phil's gross advances are rejected, he becomes angry and resentful towards the women who spurn him. I really wish that Disney had realized that this incel-like behavior is not at all charming and is in fact super problematic. These women don't owe you anything Phil -- you're disgusting.
-Some people really dislike this movie. Much to my surprise, Hercules currently holds a 76% audience score on rottentomatoes.com and a 7.3/10 score on IMDB.com. Naysayers call this movie a mess, odd, and clunky. And the haters, well, they REALLY hate it: "This film makes me cringe. It's stupid and predictable. And IDIOCTIC! Who thought of this?!" I've always been a huge fan of Hercules, so I really can't understand why anyone would would actively HATE this movie. *sigh*
Closing Thoughts:
-I can't find fault with Hercules -- it's a hero of a movie. Some people hate on Hercules because they can't get over the film's quirky stylized design, pop-culture references, or obvious deviation from traditional Greek mythology. While those are valid critiques, Hercules has always been one of my all-time favorite Disney films. It's a lighter, brighter, and more cheerful journey than other films before it (see: the dark and tortured Hunchback of Notre Dame), and it's certainly one of Disney's more successful and straightforward comedy-musicals.
The characters, songs, comedy, and animation style are all solid and memorable. I love that this movie looks and feels different - one of the greatest perks of animation is the ability to have such stylized designs!
Hercules is fast-paced, funny, and has very positive messages about finding yourself and the value of your heart. It's a movie that always makes me laugh, sing, and cry -- with a very high re-watchability score to boot.
The bottom line: With its memorable and imaginative aesthetic spin on Greek mythology, Hercules is a bona fide classic in the Disney pantheon. And that’s the gospel truth!
My Rating: 9/10
