Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Hercules Blu-ray Movie Review

Even with the strength of ten ordinary men, this movie can't overcome mediocrity.

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.

Muscleman.

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 Bolsø 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 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hercules at least looks gorgeous on Blu-ray. The HD image is a spectacular example of pinpoint detailing and beautiful coloring on display in practically every frame. There's no shortage of naturally complex surfaces for the image to display and the viewer to soak in. Leathery armor, battered shields, metal armor adornments, fine-lined cloth, hair, and facial lines are beautifully captured throughout. Earthy, rough landscapes, too, impress even at some distance. Image clarity is healthy and consistent, and the absence of any perceptible noise gives the image a clean, natural appearance without looking unnaturally smooth or flat. Colors are bold and satisfying, with brighter red hair, blood, green body paint, and other brighter shades standing nicely apart from the earthen backgrounds that are so prevalent in the film. Black levels are impressively deep and accurate, while flesh tones are likewise true to life. The image suffers from no major hiccups; even dense fog is presented evenly and richly as it rolls across the screen with nary a hint of banding or break-up. Overall, this is a stunning presentation from Paramount and certainly no surprise accompanying a high profile major studio release.

Hercules Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hercules features a big, wide, and satisfying DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. It's a fine example of a major Action blockbuster audio presentation, with everything in perfect working order, delivered with not only electric stage presence but depth and clarity to match. Music is sweepingly large and precise, with notable clarity throughout and a wide, even delivery area, including a healthy surround support structure. Various scenes produce quality environmental ambience as well that help define a number of varied environments, from swamps to great halls. Small elemental details like creaking wood and crackling fire are likewise brilliantly presented. Battle scenes are beautifully chaotic and precise, with clanking armor, screaming combatants, stampeding horses, and other sounds of ancient battle chaos enveloping the listener with precise placement throughout the stage. Even minor details like whooshing arrows are never lost in the battles but are precisely tuned to make the most every occurrence. Dialogue is expectedly clear and center-focused, rounding a reference-worthy presentation into top form.

Hercules Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Hercules contains a healthy allotment of bonus content, including an audio commentary track, a handful of featurettes, and more than a dozen deleted and extended scenes. A UV/iTunes digital copy code is included in the case. Note that this release contains two cuts, one the theatrical edition (1:38:04) and the other the extended cut (1:41:35).

• Audio Commentary: Director Brett Ratner and Producer Beau Flynn cover the project's origins and Ratner's desire to direct a "Sword and Sandal" picture, various versions of "Hercules" over the years, this film's more realistic and grounded tone, sets and shooting locales, special effects, cast and performances, and other filmmaking anecdotes. Available only on the theatrical cut.
• Brett Ratner and Dwayne Johnson: An Introduction (1080p, 5:32): The director and actor discuss their longtime passion for the character, Johnson's injury and the resultant threat to the film, and pushing forward with the project.
• Hercules and His Mercenaries (1080p, 11:07): A deeper look into several main characters and the actors who performed them. Also examined is costuming and makeup, physical preparations, riding chariots, and the sense of family amongst the crew.
• Weapons! (1080p, 5:24): A closer look at the weapons the main characters wield.
• The Bessi Battle (1080p, 11:54): This supplement gives the viewer a closer look into making one of the film's major action sequences, including shooting locales, makeup, actor preparation, and fight choreography.
• The Effects of Hercules (1080p, 12:28): A look at the blend of practical and digital effects in the film, including digital landscapes and computerized arrows.
• Deleted/Extended Scenes (1080p): Zeus & Alcmene (1:00), Gryza Left Hanging (0:41), Extended Training -- Ext (1:43), Sitacles and Atalanta (1:28), Words for Arius -- Ext (0:27), Bessi Aftermath (0:35), Phineas Saved (0:54), Hercules Banished (1:02), Blood Rage -- Ext (1:06), Phineas Revealed -- Ext (0:38), Hercules' Longer Speech -- Ext (0:52), Atalanta Shoots Phineas -- Ext (0:14), Phineas Runs (1:26), Tydeus' Funeral (0:36), and Alternate Ending (1:42).

Hercules Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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 2D release of Hercules does deliver on the technical front. Pristine video and audio are supported by a healthy array of bonus content. Worth a rental, no more.