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Rating:  - Hercules
This movie was very good! Funny, entertaining charecters, and an okay storyline.
Hercules is the story of a baby "god" (As innacurate as it is) that is turned mortal, forcing him to live with mortal parents. Hercules grows up with the mortal people, only to discover he is not one of them, sending him on a quest to become worthy of being a "god" once more. Along the way, he encounters Hades, the evil lord of the underworld, Megara, the girl he falls in love with, and many other charecters.
I would recommend this movie.
Rating:  - The worst movie I have EVER seen!
This was such a horrible movie. I hated it as a kid and I hate it even more now. When I was a kid a loved watching the "Hercules" and "Xena" shows, true they weren't excellent or completely accurate with mythology but they were still very good in my eyes. This piece of dung that Disney made was so bad, I can't even sit through it now!
I hated how it majorly screwed up the Hercules legend ( This is something Disney if famous for doing, I don't mind the other stories and legends they've done this to because I liked those movies. This one I hate with a passion!) and how it made the main character come across as a self-absorbed pig! And the character designs were so Ugly! All of Disney's other works I have loved ( with the exception of Tarzan, that was a piece of crap as well and I hated it with a passion too!) but this movie was just horrible. If you're really want to watch it, rent it. Don't waste your money on this unworthy crap!
Rating: - Great teaching tool
Precisely BECAUSE of the complete disregard for the original mythology, this movie is a superb teaching tool for middle schoolers. After a unit on Mythology, the kids can identify for themselves the many creative changes Disney opted to make, and even better, they can figure out for themselves why Disney made those choices. It makes the kids savvier media consumers, they enjoy spotting the "mistakes," and the music is terrific and holds their attention. We all enjoy the fact that nearly every time the Muses sing "and that's the Gospel truth!" they're referencing something completely FALSE. And the group scene at the christening makes a great "test" of those symbolic identifiers--the kids like being able to identify the gods and goddesses based on the clues in their appearance.
Rating:  - Zero to Hero
When the evil Hades, god of the underworld, learns that if Zeus and Hera's newborn son Hercules fights his world takeover plan, he will fail, Hades' idiotic helpers Pain and Panic kidnap the tyke in an attempt to turn him mortal and kill him. But before baby Herc could drink the last drop of the potion, a middle aged couple intersept. They take young Hercules in and raise him as their own. The only problem Hercules has is his god like strength, which he retained because he did not drink the last drop of the potion.
Hercules grows up feeling like he doesn't belong and goes on a journey to find his true identity. When he discovers that he is the son of Zeus, he is told that the only way he can regain entry to Mount Olympus is to become a true hero.
So with the help of Phil, a satyr, and Pegasus he begins training to become a hero. He ends up meeting Meg, a young woman who sold her soul to Hades, and falling in love with her. Meg is torn between loyalty to Hades and her growing love for "Wonder Boy".
When Hades strikes a deal with Hercules to give up his strength for 24 hours, Hades frees the Titans to take over Olympus. Due to one technicality in the deal, Hercules regains his strength and defeats Hades. But when he learns of Meg's death, he strikes a deal with Hades to rescue her and take her place in the underworld.
A little bit too modern for a story set in Ancient Greece but this movie contains all the essential elements of a true Disney classic.
Rating:  - From Zero to Hero
Hercules is a total knockout - for the first half of the movie. The second half falls flat. Hercules has one of the best animated film scores ever. To promote the film, Disney had a traveling "troupe" of singers in Greek costume perform at malls around the country. The executives apparently even appreciated the incredibly orignal gospel-style songs with witty and joyful lyrics. The rollicking songs get a big "Amen!" The fabulous Muses are wonderful creations.
The story involves Hercules as an awkward boy trying to fit in with the humans who have adopted him. After he inadvertently causes a disaster at the marketplace, Herc strikes out on his own, and is shocked to discover his Mt. Olympus heritage. Megara, the female romantic interest, is not very likeable as a fallen woman redeemed by love. You feel Herc deserves better.
Since Aladdin, Disney has used celebrities as character voices. Hercules in particular benefits from this, with James Woods ad libbing hilariously as Hades, lord of the underworld, and Danny DeVito, who brings heart and laughs as "Phil" the Satyr.
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