You cannot link the 1997 Disney adaptation of this Greek Mythological figure without mentioning Michael Bolton's songs. Whatever deal Disney made with the legendary singer, it must be massive.
Hercules is a very exciting little movie still regarded for its cute and eccentric characters despite not being a straightforward adaptation of his mythology.
Plot Overview
The film starts with Zeus and Hera celebrating the birth of their son, Hercules. The other gods join them in joy while Hades, Zeus' brother, plots ways to overthrow him. He learns that in 18 years, the planets will align, allowing him to summon the Titans to conquer Mount Olympus.
Hades orders his two minions to murder Hercules. He gave them a potion that would strip him of his immortality. They successfully kidnap and feed him the potion but flee after a farmer couple passes by. Hercules drank most of the potion that enabled him to maintain his god-like strength. The couple adopts him while the minions do not report their failure to Hades.
Hercules struggles to control his strength a few years later and becomes an outcast. He goes to the Temple of Zeus for answers about his origins. The statue comes alive and tells him he can earn his godpowers back by becoming a true hero. Zeus sends Hercules and Pegasus to meet with Philoctetes, or Phil, who is known to train heroes.
Hercules completes his training under Phil and travels to Thebes to prove he can be a hero. They meet Megara, or Meg, a woman whom Hercules saves from a centaur. He does not know that Meg is a slave of Hades. When the god of the underworld hears the failure of his minions, he grows angry and orders him to be killed immediately.
Review
The story of Hercules may be a tad too far and may not be as tragic as the actual Greek mythology, but it still is a good children's flick. It's obvious that Disney wasn't there to please book readers or historians but to let children of all ages enjoy the Gods of Olympus to an understandable level.
Hercules is a very fun animated film, and I got entranced by the beautiful soundtrack. It adds to the excitement and thrill. It's all thanks to the incredible voice of the legendary Michael Bolton.
Overall, I enjoy the character dynamic between all of them. They interacted gracefully, and I never felt like something was off. The voice acting was so much fun that I didn't feel like a child again.
A good 3.5 out of 5 stars.