By Brett Blake HERCULES, director Brett Ratner’s latest, is one of the more surprising films to arrive so far this summer. It’s surprising not because it’s bad (heck, Ratner’s track record is spotty enough for a person to reasonably assume - in knee-jerk fashion - that anything new from the guy won’t be much good), but because it’s actually a very solid adventure tale with a compelling lead performance from Dwayne Johnson. It’s interesting to think that the character of Hercules has never really gotten his due in the live action realm, and certainly not with the kind of budget and technological tools that were extended to this new version. Director Ratner and company make the most of them, presenting a fairly slick, polished yarn that does justice to the legendary character, if not the actual specifics of his legend itself. Indeed, those looking for a straight re-telling of the classic Hercules myth, complete with lavish, no-expense-spared depictions of his Twelve Labors are likely to be quite disappointed by the film, which posits that Hercules’ legend was something of his own making, and of those who followed him. In fact, the whole story is a commentary on myth-making itself; in a prologue, we see brief glimpses of Hercules engaged in several of his Labors, but the movie makes it clear there was far more going on than any of the myths surrounding the character ever implied. The movie has some fun poking holes in the classical image of Hercules, while still conveying the notion that he’s somebody worth following and fighting for. These ideas are interesting, and the dichotomy between the way people see a hero and who that hero actually is inside adds some compelling elements to the otherwise-standard plotline. Said plot, which involves Hercules and his small band of mercenaries agreeing to train an army to defend a seemingly-in-danger city ruled by John Hurt’s character, is the kind of sword and sandal stuff we’ve all seen before in countless other films (complete with more than a couple twists that anybody who’s ever seen another movie should be able to spot coming from a long way off), but it’s done with no small amount of charm and good humor; the movie knows exactly the sort of film it is, and it has fun with the concept without being tongue-in-cheek or apologetic about it. All that said, one gets the sense that the filmmakers might have been just a little too clever for their own good in the way they’ve reinvented the character of Hercules; a proper “Twelve Labors of Hercules” film could have been a terrific spectacle, so it’s hard not to see HERCULES as a minor missed opportunity, no matter how entertaining the final result is (and it certainly is entertaining). Johnson - who is always highly watchable but would never be accused of having incredible range as an actor - does fine work in the title role; obviously, he’s got a handle on the physicality demanded by the part, but even in the quieter moments, he’s legitimately good. He’s surrounded by a mini Rogue’s Gallery of strong supporting talent: the likes of Ian McShane, John Hurt, Rufus Sewell (in a non-villainous role for a change!), Peter Mullan, and Joseph Fiennes all show up to chew some scenery (to various degrees), and they add some nice color to the proceedings. McShane and Sewell, in particular, get some entertaining moments to play as they bounce off the other characters. The movie often looks very good, complete with seemingly massive and practical sets, and even though it never really shows us anything we haven’t seen before (from a visual perspective), it also never looks aggressively cheap, as so often can happen in the sword and sandal genre. Additionally, the action/fight sequences are legitimately fun, complete with a bit of flair and verve in the choreography and staging of the scenes; these sequences are also - thankfully - edited in a coherent fashion, rather than cut to shreds (in an attempt to be EXTREME! or EXCITING! or CHAOTIC!) as so frequently is the case in modern action films. Though HERCULES probably won’t satisfy die hard aficionados of mythology (I’m not sure how many of those people exist, but still), it is more entertaining than you might expect it to be, and it doesn’t insult the intelligence of its audience (well, not too terribly much, anyway). Director Brett Ratner is often a deserving punching bag in movie buff circles, but when he gets something right, he deserves a little credit, too: HERCULES is a perfectly fine, fun time at the movies. Sometimes a little goofy, sometimes a little familiar, it’s heart genuinely is in the right place, and at a tight 98 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s a much better movie than it probably should be.
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