From Amazon.com
Not the egregious foul it seemed to be in theaters,
Hercules stands up as an entertaining spritzer of an animated feature. The continual peppering of in-jokes and cultural references becomes less irksome on video. That there's no majesty or awe invested in the beloved Greek legends also seems less of an error. Also on the plus side is the bounciest Alan Menken music since
Little Shop of Horrors. With Zeus's blood in his veins, young Hercules's amazing strength makes him an outcast (sorry, that still doesn't fly), so he trains with a satyr named Phil to become a hero. Along the way Herc meets Meg, a common mortal who falls hard for him. They're both against the jocular Hades, who has to destroy Hercules to take over Olympus. The hydra is the computer-animated set piece for this little number, a no-chance attempt to beat that wildebeest herd from
The Lion King.
--Keith Simanton
Review
As popping with winking self-parody as anything Disney has ever put onscreen, Hercules is a delicious send-up of the hero worship heaped on professional athletes, as well as the exuberant and often ridiculous cross-promotional marketing campaigns with which the studio is quite familiar. Using the type of anachronisms that served as a wellspring of sophisticated humor in Aladdin, Hercules turns its title character into an overnight sensation and media darling, complete with his own line of action figures and breakfast cereals. This type of winning self-awareness carries the picture through the familiar story and crisp set pieces that have become Disney's "if it ain't broke don't fix it" formula for success. The wonderfully angular animation jumps off the screen, and some of Disney's best vocal work yet adds contagious giddiness to this breakneck adventure. James Woods stands out as an alternately sarcastic and enraged Hades, while Susan Egan's readings drip with the kind of eyeball-rolling feminist wit that makes her one of Disney's strongest female characters. The studio's knack for casting comic relief continues its winning stride with minions Bobcat Goldthwaite and Matt Frewer, as well as the pint-sized satyr that's a perfect visual incarnation of the pint-sized actor who voices him (Danny De Vito). Hercules deserved to scratch out more than its $100 million domestic take, given the fertile world of Greek myths it conjures with such bursting colors and lampoonish sensibilities. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
DVD ~ Gary Trousdale
DVD ~ Chris Buck
DVD ~ Barry Cook
DVD ~ Mike Gabriel
DVD ~ Mark Dindal
