Having endured his legendary twelve labors, Hercules, the Greek demigod, has his life as a sword-for-hire tested when the King of Thrace and his daughter seek his aid in defeating a tyrannical warlord.–IMDb.com
Hercules
Starring
Dwayne Johnson, Rufus Sewell, Ian McShane, Joe Anderson, Joseph Fiennes, Aksel Hennie, John Hurt, Reece Ritchie, Ingrid Colso Berdal
Directed by Brett Ratner
Box Office: $54,079,527 as of August 4, 2014 (USA)
Thoughts
Whenever I saw the trailer for this film, I’ll be honest, it made me laugh. Just having The Rock play Hercules alone had me questioning whether or not this was going to be a good film. I love Dwayne Johnson but I just did not see him as Hercules. The scene where he yells “I am Hercules!” made me roll my eyes every time and I did not have high hopes for this adaptation of the legend.
This film was directed by Brett Ratner. He also directed X-Men: The Last Stand, Rush Hour 1, 2 & 3, and Money Talks. He also produced Running Scared, 21, Horrible Bosses, and 81 episodes of Prison Break. This was actually a very surprisingly well-done movie. I had gone into it not really knowing what to expect and I can’t believe how much I loved it. It is based on Hercules: The Thracian Wars and it did not take me long to get thrown into the story. It offers a look at the more human aspect of Hercules and Johnson shows the side of Hercules that shows humility.
I had not heard much about the cast so when I saw Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, and Joe Anderson, I freaked out a little bit. I love all of them and they were perfect for their characters. McShane has amazing one-liners that make you burst out laughing. I already can’t wait to watch it again. Ingrid Berdal’s character Atalanta had me wanting a bow and arrow just like hers. I was happy to see strong female roles included in the film.
It has been getting mixed reviews…
so far but the majority of critics are saying it is a pleasant surprise and I must agree. The graphics and the scenes containing violence were well executed. You have to respect Johnson for how much effort he put into this role.
According to an interview Dwayne Johnson did, he stated:
“I trained and worked harder than ever for 8 months for this role. Lived alone and locked myself away (like a moody 260-lb. monk) in Budapest for 6 months while filming. Goal was to completely transform into this character. Disappear in the role. Press journalist asked me today, with the mental & physical toll the role had on me, would I do it again? Not only would I do it again…. I’d do it f***ing twice.”
– The Rock Opens Up About Hercules Preparation
Overall, I am excited to watch it again and I am very happy that it exceeded the expectations I had going into it.