Hercules (1997)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Brad W

  
  Hercules isn't the best animated Disney film, but its still one of my favorites and is a good way to teach kids about Greek Gods, I learned a lot as kid from this movie at least.

• AJ V

  
  Although there are a huge amount of inaccuracies in this adaptation of the classical mythological tale of Hercules, this movie is a lot of fun. It's hilarious and has a bunch of catchy tunes. Both kids and adults will love it.

• Alexander D

  
  Another terrible Disney cartoon.

• Jameson W

  
  A severely underrated film! Interesting story, fun characters, interesting characters (Meg), great music, humor, greek mythology...it truly has alot to offer, and it does not disappoint. Hercules is a great animated film, I'd recommend it to anyone.

• Bethany M

  
  A childhood favourite and a classic!

• Emily A

  
  This movie is such a delight. It's well-written, the characters are beautiful and gorgeously designed and the jokes deliver splendidly. I love how it pokes fun at all the early Disney animation myth tropes - Charlton Heston the narrator, gets interrupted before he can even finish… More
  This movie is such a delight. It's well-written, the characters are beautiful and gorgeously designed and the jokes deliver splendidly. I love how it pokes fun at all the early Disney animation myth tropes - Charlton Heston the narrator, gets interrupted before he can even finish his preamble spiel by five soul-inspired Muses. I think the thing I like most about this movie is Hades, voiced by James Woods and possibly the most engaging villain Disney animation has ever put on screen. He's got great motivation, the character design is eye-catching and his ad-lib-peppered vocal performance is one of a kind. Hercules and Megara as well don't quite fall into the trap of being one-dimensional stock characters which they easily could have; Hercules' naivety and heroism are believable and Meg's personality and character arc are much richer than you'd expect in a kids' movie. The only complaints I think I could raise are that some of the more soulful songs tend to drag and the story makes several departures from its Classical Greek source material. The latter wouldn't have bothered me so much if it weren't for the Muses' repeated refrain of "...and that's the Gospel truth".

• Drake T

  
  If it weren't for the glorious stylization, beautiful color pallets and the best two supporting characters in Disney history (Hades & Meg) this movie would've just been a mess of Pop-humor and formulaic storytelling. But alas, there's enough charm, wit and… More
  If it weren't for the glorious stylization, beautiful color pallets and the best two supporting characters in Disney history (Hades & Meg) this movie would've just been a mess of Pop-humor and formulaic storytelling. But alas, there's enough charm, wit and competent art direction to make this a worthy candidate of the Disney name.

• Jens S

  
  Disney's take on the mythical tale of Hercules does take its usual liberties of course. That doesn't mean that we want to hear Soul music, right? So, some of the songs are a bit annoying, other's alright. The plot gets better as it develops and has some rather cruel and… More
  Disney's take on the mythical tale of Hercules does take its usual liberties of course. That doesn't mean that we want to hear Soul music, right? So, some of the songs are a bit annoying, other's alright. The plot gets better as it develops and has some rather cruel and exciting action sequences to offer, considering the young target audience. That's pretty entertaining but not as engaging as Mulan or The Hunchback for example. The film's biggest asset is the ambiguous and interesting Meg, not exactly your typical Disney princess. Kids should still have a lot of fun with this, of course.

• Dead A

  
  Great animation. It's funny. I loved the game too.

• Manu G

  
  Pretty good Disney flick! Hercules was the man! Based on both the legend of Hercules and Heracles. On Mt Olympus, Zeus and his wife are celebrating the birth of their son, Hercules. The Lord of the Underworld, Hades, is also invited, though is not at all pleased with the birth of… More
  Pretty good Disney flick! Hercules was the man! Based on both the legend of Hercules and Heracles. On Mt Olympus, Zeus and his wife are celebrating the birth of their son, Hercules. The Lord of the Underworld, Hades, is also invited, though is not at all pleased with the birth of Hercules. Returning to the Underworld, Hades meets up with the 3 Fates, who tell Hades that in 18 years, when the planets align, if he unleashes the Titans (who were imprisoned by Zeus), he will defeat Zeus and rule over all. However, there is a possibility that Hercules could stop him. Hades assigns his minions, Pain and Panic, to turn hercules mortal, and kill him. Armed with a potion, the two kidnap Hercules, and take him to Earth. Hercules drinks almost every drop except one, when a childless couple disturbs the two minions' plan. The two decide to tell Hades that they killed Hercules, but figure leaving him on Earth as a mortal will keep him from interfering in Hades' eventual plot. As Hercules is almost completely mortal, he cannot return to Mt Olympus. However, the childless couple have taken him in, and raise him as their own. However, not being completely mortal, Hercules is ostracized from the rest of society by his immense strength. As he approaches his teenage years, his father tells of how they found him, with a medallion bearing the symbol of the gods. Hercules sets off for the Temple of Zeus to find answers. Once inside the temple, the enormous statue of Zeus comes to life, first scaring Hercules, but then explaining how he is the young boy's father. Zeus then explains that if Hercules can become a True Hero, he'll be able to return to My Olympus and rejoin them. Zeus then provides Hercules with a winged horse named Pegasus, and sends them off to find Philoctetes. Hercules and Pegasus find Philoctetes (who is nicknamed 'Phil') on a deserted island. Having become a grouchy, old satyr, Phil is at first reluctant, but finally relents. After an intense period of training, Hercules grows from a scrawny teenager to a buff young man. At Hercules' insistence to try what he has learned, Phil, Hercules and Pegasus head for the city of Thebes, which is plagued by a number of disasters and problems. On the way there, they are sidetracked by Meg, who appears to be menaced by a centaur. Hercules grows somewhat enchanted with her, before Phil gets them back on track to Thebes. After they leave, Meg meets with Hades, and his assistants, Pain and Panic. Meg was actually trying to get the centaur to side with Hades, but claims Hercules spoiled her plans. Upon hearing this, Hades angrily grabs his assistants, realizing they have lied to him. Pain and Panic manage to convince Hades that since Hercules is mortal, they can still kill him. In Thebes, Hercules tries to convince the citizens that he is a hero, but noone is willing to believe him. Suddenly, Meg appears, and tells of two small boys trapped under a rock in a nearby canyon. Hercules saves the little boys (actually Pain and Panic in disguise), but then has to contend with the 3-headed beast called the Hydra. After finding out that cutting off one head produces 3 more, Hercules ends up crushing the beast with a rock slide. The defeat of the Hydra causes the citizens of Thebes to acknowledge Hercules as a hero, and further anger Hades. Hades continues to send beasts and creature against Hercules, but each and everyone is defeated, further making Hercules a hero in the eyes of the citizens. Statues and merchandise are soon rampant with Hercules' face, and Hercules thinks that his fame will allow him to return to Mt Olympus. However, upon visiting the Temple of Zeus again, Zeus explains to Hercules that fame does not equal heroism. When Hercules asks to know what he can do, Zeus refuses to explain further. Back in Thebes, the conversation has upset Hercules, who wonders if he even has what it takes to be a hero. While in his home, Meg appears, and gets Hercules to come with her for an evening rendezvous. However, Meg's intentions are to secretly find Hercules' weakness, but as the night goes on, she begins to find him charming. The mood is broken when Phil and Pegasus show up to take Hercules home. During the flight away, Phil ends up getting hit by a tree, and falls off Pegasus. When he comes to, he sees Meg talking to Hades, with their conversation sounding as if Meg has been two-timing Hercules. In truth, Meg refuses to go along with Hades plan, claiming that Hercules has no weakness...which leads Hades to believe that she IS that weakness. Back at Thebes Stadium, Phil tries to convince Hercules of what he saw, but Hercules angrily hits Phil. Phil, hurt by his protege's backlash, gets up and leaves. Once Phil is gone, Hades appears, and offers Hercules an ultimatum: if Hercules gives up his powers for 24 hours, Hades will allow Meg to go free, with the provision that the deal will be voided if any harm comes to her. Hercules goes through with the deal, only to have Hades then tell Hercules how Meg was working for him. Now drained of his strength, Hercules can only watch as Hades lets loose the Titans that Zeus had imprisoned years earlier. Hades sends a giant cyclops to Thebes to destroy the City. Even though Hercules is drained of his strength, he still tries to stop the creature. Fearing that he'll be killed, Meg and Pegasus find Phil, who they convince to return and help his student. With Phil's help and some ingenuity, Hercules ends up blinding and finishing off the cyclops, but in the process, Meg is gravely injured. Her injury causes Hades' deal to expire, and Hercules receives his strength back. With Phil watching over Meg, Hercules and Pegasus fly to Mt Olympus, where the Titans have all but over-powered Zeus and the other gods. Hercules helps turn the tide of battle, and ends up taking care of the Titans, and Hades angrily retreats to the Underworld. When Hercules returns to Thebes, Phil reveals that Meg has died. Upset by this, Hercues descends into the Underworld to get her back. Hercules makes a deal with Hades, that he will take Meg's place if he rescues her from the River of Death. Hades accepts the deal, sure that Hercules will die before he can save her. It seems Hercules will die, but upon reaching Meg, he suddenly begins to glow yellow, having achieved god status by risking his life to save her. Hercules manages to get Meg out of the River of Death, much to Hades ranting and protestations, several of which cause Hercules to send him flying into the river, where the dead attempt to drown him. Hercules, Pegasus, Phil and Meg then fly to Mt Olympus where the gods are waiting to welcome Hercules back, now that he has become a 'True Hero.' However, Hercules chooses to stay on Earth, but still be able to visit his family. The film ends as one of the gods creates a constellation in the sky of Hercules, making Phil swell with pride that he was able to train a legend and a god.

• Michael E

  
  being a person who researches mythology in Greek, Roman, and Egyptian im inclined to like Hercules and it is one of the best Disney movies made. The songs are energetic and upbeat, the characters are fun and likable, the actors did great jobs especially James Wood as Hades my favorite… More
  being a person who researches mythology in Greek, Roman, and Egyptian im inclined to like Hercules and it is one of the best Disney movies made. The songs are energetic and upbeat, the characters are fun and likable, the actors did great jobs especially James Wood as Hades my favorite Disney villain. The animation is also top notch for a Disney film.

• Chris W

  
  This is neither the best nor the worst traditionally animated film from Disney. In fact, ipicking the best stuff is easy. Picking the worst-mediocre stuff is a challenge, especially considering how damn good Disney's track record was/is. From what I rmember, this takes… More
  This is neither the best nor the worst traditionally animated film from Disney. In fact, ipicking the best stuff is easy. Picking the worst-mediocre stuff is a challenge, especially considering how damn good Disney's track record was/is. From what I rmember, this takes liberties with the myth, but it's still pretty fun and entertaining. It's got a good voice cast too, and the look and style are also quite appealing. As far as the specific plot goes (considering I don't remember much of it or the myth), I don't recall much except for lots of action, lots of humor, some good songs, and an awesome fight with the hydra. In fact, I think that's the one thing I rememebr most of all about this, and even that is kinda fuzzy. Oh well, I'm rambling, and this isn't really thatr good or informative of a review, but I'm sure it's entertaining. Enjoy!

• Conner R

  
  This has always been one of my favorite animated disney movies, mainly due to the fact that it has such an amazing style and take on the character. It's Disney on an extremely grand scale. Sure there's some weird musical numbers and corny moments, but it surprisingly… More
  This has always been one of my favorite animated disney movies, mainly due to the fact that it has such an amazing style and take on the character. It's Disney on an extremely grand scale. Sure there's some weird musical numbers and corny moments, but it surprisingly doesn't ruin the viewing experience. The voice talents are great, the atmosphere is unmatched and it makes you feel like a hero after it's over. I love the small little odd touches like Hades speaking in Yiddish and Phil being a ladies man/goat.

• Richard C

  
  i hate this movie. F

• erika b

  
  good plot. good kids film.

• KJ P

  
  Good, but not great! It is fun watching as a kid, but it is a little overdone when watching it as an older kid. I am confused for liking this film or not, but I enjoy watching it.

• Wahida K

  
  Heil Disney Movies!

• Thomas B

  
  an animated look into greek mythology. oh joy

• Lewis C

  
  Hercules is a fun tale. It's not among the best of the Disney movies, but it's cool for an occasional viewing. Who doesn't love Greek myth? Disney took a lot of liberties with the story, so don't expect this to be true to source. That didn't bother me much,… More
  Hercules is a fun tale. It's not among the best of the Disney movies, but it's cool for an occasional viewing. Who doesn't love Greek myth? Disney took a lot of liberties with the story, so don't expect this to be true to source. That didn't bother me much, but the overall song quality did. There was only one good song in this movie, and for a Disney movie, that's absolutely awful. It's a little sad that the creators didn't make Hercules as good as it could have potentially been, but kids should still love it, regardless.

• Mike S

  
  Fantastic in many ways and one of Disney's best achievements.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings