 ***PLEASE NOTE: A Blu-ray 3D disc is only compatible with 3D Blu-ray players.*** Tagline: Before he was a legend, he was a man. Long ago a tormented soul named Hercules walked the earth. Being the son of Zeus was a curse. He received nothing but suffering his entire life because of it. After twelve arduous tasks and the loss of his family, he turned his back on the gods finding his only solace in the heat of battle. Over the years he forged an alliance with six other like minded rogues. Their only bond was their love of battle and the presence of death. This motley crew never questions where, why or for whom they fight, just the amount paid for their bloody labor. Now the King of Thrace has hired these mercenaries to train his men to become the greatest army of all time. The realization of how far they have fallen hits them hard. They must train the army to be as ruthless and blood thirsty as they have become! Storyline: Fourteen hundred years BCE, a tormented soul walked the earth that was neither man nor god. Hercules was the powerful son of the god king Zeus, for this he received nothing but suffering his entire life. After twelve arduous labours and the loss of his family, this dark, world-weary soul turned his back on the gods finding his only solace in bloody battle. Over the years he warmed to the company of six similar souls, their only bond being their love of fighting and presence of death. These men and women never question where they go to fight or why or whom, just how much they will be paid. Now the King of Thrace has hired these mercenaries to train his men to become the greatest army of all time. It is time for this bunch of lost souls to finally have their eyes opened to how far they have fallen when they must train an army to become as ruthless and blood thirsty as their reputation has become. Written by Radical Comics Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, October 30, 2014 -- How can a movie sourced from material so richly deep and so historically significant and featuring a character so legendary and instantly recognizable fall this flat? The latest film to feature the famous half-man, half-god Hercules, and the second of 2014, fails to capture the imagination or excite the senses in any way. It's a handsome movie on the surface but disturbingly empty below, a picture that perfectly defines the "paint by number" formula that so often leads to just this sort of typically vapid Hollywood experience. Hercules, helmed by Director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand) who is unquestionably one of Hollywood's most polarizing filmmakers, does nothing to improve his shaky standing amongst a divided fan base with this film. Ratner excels at following formula and Hercules, then, is his crown jewel, a movie so devoid of character that it feels like "Hercules" in name only and plays more like any forgettably generic Hollywood period piece that emphasizes marketing over meat, sales over story, and droves of fans over drama on screen. It's not an abysmal failure -- it's well made, generally -- but it absolutely epitomizes the modern spectacle film that's more a product of a carefully calculated bottom line than it is the result of the filmmakers' burning passion to make the best movie possible. Hercules (Dwayne Johnson), son of the powerful god Zeus and a human mother named Alcmene, was cursed by Zeus' queen, Hera, who disapproved of her husband's infidelity. In punishment, Hercules was challenged to face twelve labors -- twelve dangerous missions -- that would test his strength and resolve and either kill him or set him free. Hercules passed the challenges but was betrayed by Hera and doomed to a meandering life of grief and conflict. One day, Hercules is approached with an offer to train the armies of Thrace in hopes of boosting their chances to withstand the powerful forces led by Rheseus (Tobias Santelmann). Now armed with a purpose, Hercules and several companions -- including the amazon Atalanta (Ingrid Bolsų Berdal), Autolycus (Rufus Sewell), and his own nephew Iolaus (Reece Ritchie) -- prepare the army but soon discover that there's much more to the conflict than they've been led to believe. "Forced," "staged," and "formulaic" are three words that best describe Hercules. A slick and smooth picture though it may be, it absolutely fails to ignite any kind of spark, find any kind of character novelty, unearth any sort of dramatic intensity, play with even a hint of urgency, or display any pride in the cinematic medium. It clearly lacks a core and never seems bothered by the depth of its spiraling void of emptiness. The picture never feels organic, playing more like Ratner pointing the camera at something that might be interesting rather than something that better defines the film and shapes the story. Every scene, whether intimate dialogue or sweeping action, looks like it's been carefully rehearsed rather than naturally captured on film. Watching it is an odd sensation, witnessing a continuous string of nothingness unfolding up on the screen, and describing it is even more of a challenge, because there's just not all that much on which to comment beyond that very tangible sense of movie-audience detachment, that disconnect, that long stray from the fine line between reality and make-believe where the movie is neither a good example of escapist entertainment nor something with any real dramatic value. Hercules appears merely content to show stuff rather than tell a story and make it feel in some way tangibly authentic, which is the very definition of the worst of films, not the best of films. Even Dwayne Johnson seems fully disinterested, but who can blame him? He starred in Journey 2, a movie that so perfectly captured that very essence of spirited entertainment set in a make-believe world, but here it seems he realizes the absolute zero net gain to be found in the project's presentation that, even phoning in a performance, he still rises to the top of the messy Hercules heap. The film at least gives Hercules a soul, even if its a recycled soul, repurposing the old "hero with a tortured past" routine rather than simply make him some invincible He-Man that does nothing but bash enemies and collapse structures with the power of protein-packed muscles. Johnson looks the part and would undoubtedly pull it off very well if given superior material with which to frame and shape his performance. Johnson's supporting cast seems content to simply let their costumes and the accumulated grime on their clothes and flesh do the acting for them. Name actors like Rufus Sewell and John Hurt accomplish little more than reciting lines and pushing the bare-necessities plot forward towards the next battle sequence or CGI effect. Everyone involved -- cast, crew, audience -- seems to just let the movie go by no doubt wanting something better but settling for mediocrity every step of the way. Hercules reminds of another recent throwback-to-ancient-times movie, Pompeii, not so much in story but in the almost dizzying mediocrity and inability to capture the imagination despite a spectacular backdrop and grand potential. Both films emphasize style over structure and forget the importance of characterization and story substance. Hercules is particularly disturbing considering its meatier lead character and significantly richer mythology. Brett Ratner's film is almost completely empty. It's a good show but a flat movie and a reminder of how lacking the modern cinema landscape can so frequently be. Audiences interested in mindless moviemaking can certainly do much worse than this Hercules, but anyone looking for a movie with even an ounce of substance should look elsewhere. Paramount's Blu-ray 3D release of Hercules does deliver on the technical front. Excellent video, a solid 3D effort, and pristine audio are supported by a healthy array of bonus content. Worth a rental, no more. [CSW] -2.6- The 3D was spectacular primarily because of the set designer. That eye candy was well worth it alone. The plot and character development were only ploys for this type of action movie to move the action along. If you are looking for drama or character portrayals or even a sense of the actual Hercules legend this is not the movie for you. But if you can shut off your mind and just enjoy the action, adventure, and great 3D you will find this a fun popcorn movie. After all with a PG-13 rating and "The Rock" is in his element what more would you expect. Cast Notes: Dwayne Johnson (Hercules), Ian McShane (Amphiaraus), John Hurt (Lord Cotys), Rufus Sewell (Autolycus), Aksel Hennie (Tydeus), Ingrid Bolsų Berdal (Atalanta), Reece Ritchie (Iolaus), Joseph Fiennes (King Eurystheus), Tobias Santelmann (Rhesus), Peter Mullan (Sitacles), Rebecca Ferguson (Ergenia), Isaac Andrews (Arius), Joe Anderson (Phineas), Stephen Peacocke (Stephanos), Nicholas Moss (Demetrius). IMDb Rating (10/24/14): 6.3/10 from 33,268 users IMDb Rating (02/24/12): 6.8/10 from 24,328 users
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