Hercules Reborn Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Hercules Reborn Blu-ray Movie Review

A legend recycled.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 18, 2014

Classic Asylum. Right here. Hercules Reborn arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the infamous "mockbuster" studio mere days prior to the release of the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson movie of almost the same name. Really, this one's got it all in terms of The Asylum's marketing strategy. Not only is the title pretty much interchangeable with the real mccoy (and bears the name of an identifiable character of long established lore), it also stars a professional wrestler in the lead role. Granted, John Morrison isn't in the same league as The Rock either in the ring or on the screen, but it's The Asylum; who cares. It's mission accomplished since people can say, "hey! this is that new Hercules movie with that pro wrestler in it!" Ah, Asylum gold right there, embodied in a single sentence. Never mind the quality of the film; all that matters is that this Hercules can be mistaken for that Hercules, and if someone enjoys this take on it, great, and if not, money already in pocket. The only question that really remains, then, is "how bad is this one?"

The heroes three.

The madman Nikos (Dylan Vox) leads a revolt against his king, Demetrius (Ben Chagra Khalid). He murders the king and queen, posts their heads outside the kingdom's walls, and claims the empire as his own. He also takes Princess Theodora (Christina Ulfsparre) as his own. She's to be engaged to Arius (Christian Oliver) who, along with his close friend Horace (James Duval), has left the kingdom in search of the one man who can restore order: Hercules (John Morrison). Their journey leads them to Hercules, who they find is but a shell of the legend that surrounds him. He's drunk and disorderly but remains a capable fighter and a good man underneath the haze of wine. The party journeys back to the besieged empire for a final showdown with Nikos.

Hercules Reborn is kinda fun and kinda drab at the same time, which makes it, well, something of a minor god amongst The Asylum trash heap. The movie is definitely more polished than the usual Asylum motion picture, giving audiences more complete set and wardrobe pieces, more polished action, fair characterization, and acting that wouldn't be a loss in a slightly bigger film. While the story lacks urgency despite a set-up to the contrary -- it's little more than the taking and reclaiming of a kingdom on a very small, cramped scale -- it does entertain even through its base elements and straightforward action. The swordplay stays away from the Spartacus school of slow motion and cartoonish violence in favor of something that's not really gritty but certainly not tame. There's plenty of flailing and swinging of weapons and ample amounts of blood that, gasp, doesn't look all that phony. In short, this is a perfect little escapist expedition for when those rare moods strike for inconsequential moviemaking mixed with the sword-and-sandal "epic," making Hercules Reborn the kind of thing one might watch once every decade or so.

For a movie called Hercules Reborn, Hercules sometimes feels more like a supporting character and less like a headliner. To be sure, this is more the story of Nikos versus Arias with Hercules playing more of a wild card than a title hero. Nevertheless, John Morrison does a good job with the role. He's not The Rock, but then again a movie of this scope really only a needs a guy who can pull off the look and not carry much dramatic weight on his broad shoulders. The wrestler does that and then some, showing a surprisingly good and consistent screen presence whether doubled over drunk or battling bad guys. The rest of the primaries manage to deliver solid performances, too. There's a very good, palpable tension between Arias and Nikos as well as Theodora and Nikos in those scene that show the usurper attempting to impose his romantic will on Arias' woman.

Hercules Reborn Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hercules Reborn arrives on Blu-ray with a frequently stunning 1080p transfer. The Asylum's 1.78:1-framed transfer, captured from a digital source, looks incredible. Close-ups reveal some of the most immaculately realistic and complex details the format has seen on faces, facial hair, and period clothes, be they ragged peasant garb or soldier armor. Colors, likewise, are bold and even, with bright reds -- clothing accents and blood alike -- in particular contrasting very well against the mostly earthy backdrops. Black levels are deep and true, and flesh tones appear perfect. The image does suffer from very mild banding in a few places and a hint of aliasing in one scene, but otherwise this ranks as one of the finest transfers to come out of The Asylum, which is saying something since the studio has really stepped up its game over the past few years.

Hercules Reborn Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hercules Reborn slashes onto Blu-ray with a good, active DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track blends action and music together with a commanding presence. Battle effects frequently hit hard and naturally spill into every corner of the listening area, with clanks and swoops and other action effects pouring out of every speaker. Music, likewise, is fully immersive and impressively clear. All is supported by a balanced low end. Cheering crowds and other minor ambient effects also help to place the listener into the film's more crowded environments. Dialogue delivery is clear and smooth, focused in delivery through the center channel.

Hercules Reborn Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Hercules Reborn contains the usual small assortment of Asylum extra content.

• "Making Of" Featurette (1080p, 7:40): A generic overview piece looking at shooting locations, cast and crew qualities, post production work, and more.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 1:54).
• Trailers: Additional Asylum titles.

Hercules Reborn Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hercules Reborn rates very highly for an Asylum movie. It boasts solid production values and acting for a low-budget movie, and it's the beneficiary of extremely minimal visual effects, which do drag the studio's other, effects-heavy movies down considerably. Here, there are no fuzzy and phony visuals like tidal waves and helicopters to distract from the core story, which is rather straightforward and inconsequential in the grand scheme of things but satisfactorily entertaining in context. John Morrison and cast offer good performances, much better than The Asylum deserves, and they elevate this movie well above junk status and towards a midlevel motion picture ranking. The Asylum's Blu-ray release of Hercules Reborn delivers rock-solid video, quality lossless audio, and a couple of brief extras. Worth a rental.