Hercules (1997)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Directors:

Ron Clements
John Musker

Writers:

Ron Clements (animation screenplay) &
John Musker (animation screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 June 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

A Comedy of Epic Proportions

Plot:

The son of the Greek Gods Zeus and Hera is stripped of his immortality as an infant and must become a true hero in order to reclaim it.

Plot Keywords:

Hercules | Hero | Zeus | Hades | Olympus

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Tate Donovan	...	Hercules (voice)
Josh Keaton	...	Young Hercules (voice)
Roger Bart	...	Young Hercules (singing voice)
Danny DeVito	...	Philoctetes (voice)
James Woods	...	Hades; Lord of the Underworld (voice)
Susan Egan	...	Meg (voice)
Bobcat Goldthwait	...	Pain (voice)
Matt Frewer	...	Panic (voice)
Rip Torn	...	Zeus (voice)
Samantha Eggar	...	Hera, Hercules' Mother (voice)
Barbara Barrie	...	Alcmene; Hercules' Foster Mother (voice)
Hal Holbrook	...	Amphitryon; Hercules Foster Father (voice)
Paul Shaffer	...	Hermes; the Messenger God (voice)
Amanda Plummer	...	The Fates (voice)
Carole Shelley	...	The Fates (voice)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-8/5 (re-rating) | Finland:K-8/6 (original rating) | Denmark:7 | Iceland:L | USA:G (certificate #35360) | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Germany:o.Al. (bw) | Mexico:A | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/6 | Sweden:7 | UK:U | Singapore:G | Norway:7 | Brazil:Livre

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

Leaving aside the 'Pastoral' segment of 'Fantasia', this was the first Disney animated feature to be completely inspired by mythology rather than a fairy tale.

Goofs:

Continuity: Hercules puts his hands in the water trying to reach Meg's soul. Seconds later, when he jumps into the water, he is a hundred feet up on a cliff.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: Long ago, in the faraway land of ancient Greece, there was a golden age of powerful gods and extraordinary heroes. And the greatest and strongest of all these heroes was the mighty Hercules. But what is the measure of a true hero? Ah, that is what our story is...
Thalia: Will you listen to him? He's makin' the story sound like some Greek tragedy.
Terpsichore: Lighten up, dude.
Calliope: We'll take it from here, darling.
Narrator: You go, girl.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Disney's Animation Magic: Beauty and the Beast (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Go the Distance (End Titles)

God-like

"Hercules" is a cracking Disney film and for once it's not just for the kids. The animation is more like the "old-school" Disney, before the cute, big-eye syndrome and the characters are hugely entertaining. It has sly humour and in-jokes, but what sets it apart are the songs; soul, RNB, jazz and not a drippy sugar-song in sight. Quality entertainment!