Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Bestowed with superhuman strength, a young mortal named Hercules sets out to prove himself a hero in the eyes of his father, the great god Zeus. Along with his friends Pegasus, a flying horse, and Phil, a personal trainer, Hercules is tricked by the hilarious, hotheaded villain Hades, who's plotting to take over Mount Olympus!
Disney's Hercules is a fun, energetic retelling of Greek mythology with a distinctly pop-culture American spin that gives it personality, but the story follows a fairly conventional hero's journey arc with predictable beats. The voice cast is solid — James Woods' Hades is a genuine standout, witty and scene-stealing — but the rest of the performances are competent rather than exceptional. Visually, the film has a striking Gerald Scarfe-inspired art style that sets it apart from other Disney films of the era, giving it angular, stylized energy. The Muses as a Greek chorus is a clever narrative device adding novelty, though the film doesn't fully commit to its mythological roots and sanitizes the source material considerably. The ending resolves too neatly and quickly, with Hercules' sacrifice and subsequent choice feeling rushed and emotionally underdeveloped compared to the buildup. A spirited, entertaining entry in the Disney Renaissance that punches slightly below its peers.