Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
In Ancient Greece 1200 B.C., a queen succumbs to the lust of Zeus to bear a son promised to overthrow the tyrannical rule of the king and restore peace to a land in hardship. But this prince, Hercules, knows nothing of his real identity or his destiny. He desires only one thing: the love of Hebe, Princess of Crete, who has been promised to his own brother. When Hercules learns of his greater purpose, he must choose: to flee with his true love or to fulfill his destiny and become the true hero of his time. The story behind one of the greatest myths is revealed in this action-packed epic - a tale of love, sacrifice and the strength of the human spirit.
The Legend of Hercules (2014) is widely regarded as one of the weakest mythological action films of its era. The plot is a generic, poorly constructed retelling that strips the Hercules myth of any depth, substituting a clichéd love triangle and predictable beats for genuine drama. The acting, led by Kellan Lutz, is largely wooden and unconvincing, with flat line delivery across the board. Cinematography has some competent widescreen compositions and slow-motion action sequences, but these feel derivative of 300 without the stylistic commitment. Novelty is extremely low — the film recycles every sword-and-sandal trope with no distinctive voice or creative ambition. The ending resolves predictably and without emotional payoff, though it is marginally more functional than the rest of the film.