July 1724, 1997
movie shorts
Predictably, the mythic strongman has been cast into a generic quasi-Christian narrative, complete with an infallible father-god (this Zeus sires Hercules with his wife Hera, not by raping a mortal female) and an evil Satan. There are no 12 labors, no drinking binges, none of the comically unintentional killings this dimwitted hulk is known for. No, this is standard road movie formula with bulging biceps: Herc wants to be a hero, slays beasts, saves Olympus, gets the girl (Megara, whom he later murders... in the original version). All questions of offensiveness or authenticity aside, though, this movie is simply not among Disney's strongest. The comic bits are forced and few, the songs are boring rip-offs from Little Mermaid and Aladdin, and the flow is mysteriously ill-paced.

