7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The heavenly Hercules is stripped of his immortality and raised on Earth instead of Olympus, where he's forced to take on Hades and assorted monsters.
Starring: Tate Donovan, Susan Egan, Josh Keaton, Roger Bart, Danny DeVitoFamily | 100% |
Animation | 88% |
Adventure | 61% |
Fantasy | 55% |
Comedy | 47% |
Musical | 44% |
Romance | 14% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese = Brazilian
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (as download)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Disney loves August. I don't quite understand the trifecta of late summer, Blu-ray and family entertainment, but the Mouse
House has once again settled on August as the month du jour, unleashing another deluge of new releases. Four Walt Disney
Animation Studios feature films are making their BD debut -- Fun and Fancy Free (1947), The Adventures of
Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949), Hercules (1997) and Tarzan (1999) -- as is the nearly forgotten RKO Radio
Pictures feature The Reluctant Dragon (1941), live-action classic Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), direct-to-
video DisneyToon movie Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004), brand spankin' new sequel Muppets
Most Wanted (2014) and DisneyNature's latest natural history documentary, Bears (2014). For those keeping
count, that's nine films spread across seven Blu-ray releases. (The Ichabod and Mr. Toad 2-Movie Collection is actually
a 3-Movie Collection, with The Reluctant Dragon buried inside.) Whew. Most studios would space it out. But Disney?
Open the floodgates, gentlemen. Given the second, sometimes third tier nature of most of the films, though (save
Muppets Most Wanted), it isn't exactly overwhelming. Most fans will pick and choose their favorites. Only a select few
completists will have to find a way to purchase all seven in bulk.
Hercules is one of Disney's trickier classics. Plenty of people adore it. Plenty can't stand it. Divisive as it is zany, slow on the draw as it is quick on its feet, the studio's 35th animated feature is a ton of fun... with a ton of problems. How much you love or loathe the film will depend entirely on how simpatico you are with its endless pop culture riffs, in-jokes, self-aware references and one-liners. A good point of reference? The Emperor's New Groove, another snarky crowd-splitter with camps of fans and critics. Personally, I dig Hercules. Just not enough to watch it very often. It's funny, snappy and clever, sure. But it also wears out its welcome pretty fast if you aren't in the right mood.
No need to brace for bad news. Yes, Hercules' 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation exhibits some of the same issues that plague Tarzan's problematic presentation. Comb through the screenshots accompanying this review and you'll find instances of minor aliasing, macroblocking and banding. However, each issue is less prevalent and, more importantly, far less noticeable in Hercules than it is in Tarzan, making for a more rewarding, expectation-meeting viewing experience. In fact, most viewers won't catch sight of anything wrong unless they dig through screenshots, which tells you just how difficult it is to spot the vast majority of the anomalies in motion on a properly calibrated display. So on to the undisputed good news. Color and contrast are strong and stable, primaries have plenty of punch and black levels are deep. Detail is excellent too, with sharply defined line art, crisp background clarity and very, very little that hinders or interferes with the integrity of the animation. (The film's CG elements are prone to more obvious aliasing, but those particular instances trace back to the source animation, not Disney's encode.) All told, Hercules looks great. It's not perfect, but it's also not as imperfect as Tarzan. Splitting hairs, I know, but there it is.
Hercules flexes some muscle thanks to a terrific DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that throws its weight and might behind the film's action and adventure. LFE output is bold and brawny, with enough power and presence to render giants gigantic, titans titanic and monsters monstrous. Rear speaker activity is engaging and energetic, creating a full, immersive soundfield packed with impish directional effects, sly pans and impressive dynamics. Dialogue doesn't disappoint either. Voices are clean and clear at all times, prioritization is spot on, and no amount of chaos, music or unruly hijinks overwhelm or disrupt the precision-crafted six-channel fun.
Hercules isn't a tried and true classic's classic, but it's a light, breezy adventure with just enough heart, humor and weight to keep it grounded. Disney's Blu-ray release is better, at least in terms of its AV presentation. The supplemental package is much too short -- and oooold at this point -- but the film's video presentation impresses, standing tall despite a few flaws, and its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track hits hard, proving itself a hero long before Hercules. Bottom line? It's worth the cost of admission.
The Signature Collection | Ultimate Collector's Edition
1992
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2010
50th Anniversary Edition | DVD Packaging
1963
2000
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2013
Peter Pan 2 | Special Edition
2002
2000
Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1959
1970
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2016
Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1989
2007
Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1953
2014
2002
25th Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1991
70th Anniversary Special Edition
1941
60th Anniversary Edition
1951
Rental Copy
1940
The Signature Collection
1940