Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #865 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-08-12
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Animated, PAL
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 89 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Not the egregious foul it seemed to be in cinemas, Disney's Hercules (1997) stands up as an entertaining spritzer of an animated feature. The continual peppering of in-jokes and cultural references becomes less irksome on the small screen. That there is no majesty or awe invested in the beloved Greek legends also seems less of an error. Also on the plus side is the bounciest Alan Menken music since Little Shop of Horrors. With Zeus's blood in his veins, young Hercules's amazing strength makes him an outcast (sorry, that still doesn't fly), so he trains with a satyr named Phil to become a hero. Along the way Herc meets Meg, a common mortal who falls hard for him. They are both against the jocular Hades, who has to destroy Hercules to take over Olympus. The hydra is the computer-animated set piece for this little number, a no-chance attempt to beat that wildebeest herd from The Lion King. --Keith Simanton

Special Features
English
Region 2
Video Scrapbook
Disneypedia O Greek Mythology
Making Of Featurette
Sing Along Song
Music Video
Art Attack How To Make A Greek Urn

Synopsis
Hercules is a rollicking, tongue-in-cheek Disney film based on the Greek myth. Forget those legendary labours--this teenage Herc is the goofy and lovable adopted scion of mortal parents, toiling on earth to prove himself to Zeus, his Olympian dad. His demi-god gifts score him money, fame, and product endorsements, but he can't attain full deity (or "True Hero") status--and defeat a jealous Hades--without the help of his satyr friend, Phil, and the true love of beautiful Megara. This entertaining animated fantasy features the voices of Tate Donovan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, and more.

Customer Reviews

Witty and likeable
There's a lot to complain about with "Hercules". It mishandles Greek legends to a scandalous degree. The hero is something of a lug. Even the songs aren't much to write home about, with the exception of "Won't Say I'm In Love".

And yet, the film manages to be likeable - good, even. It's very much typical of the "wacky" comedies Disney began making in the '90s and onwards - "Aladdin", "The Emperor's New Groove", and "Lilo and Stitch" are other examples of this - and, like the others, is genuinely funny. The story is interesting, the hero has a goal (and a moral dilemma), and the secondary characters (Phil, Pegadus, Panic, and Pain) are in fact a step up from run-of-the-mill sidekicks. The artwork is very interesting as well - like "Sleeping Beauty", it is subject-appropriate. Every frame (and character) looks as though it could have stepped off the side of a Greek vase, so great job there. There are also a lot of visual gags and several real historical places, which are both entertaining and interesting to anyone who's ever studied ancient Greek temples!

Meg, Hercules' love-interest, is probably the most fascinating character in the film - and probably one of the most interesting Disney heroines created. She's cynical and sassy - a real break from the Cinderellas and Ariels who have stretched across the years. Hercules is far from being her first love (which far from making her imperfect actually serves as a plot point early on to prove her loyalty to the audience), and she's even on the "wrong" side to begin with. This is great stuff, and I'm really impressed that Disney wasn't afraid to create a flawed heroine, and managed to do it successfully as well.

"Hercules" is a good film, although probably not Disney's best. Like "Aladdin" and "Pocahontas", it's very much of the '90s, which makes it entertaining as a cultural artefact if nothing else. Don't watch it if you want the true facts about the Greek legends, obviously, but anyone with a sense of humour should find it easy to like!

Disney greats coming to DVD!
For the young, or simply the young at heart, the coming of Disney classics to DVD is something that is eagerly anticipated - and in this respect Hercules is no exception. In the spirit of Disney, the typical inaccuracies can be overlooked during an action-packed adventure. This movie is worth it alone for the hilarious antics of Pain and Panic, along with the stylish villany of Hades. A not-your-typical Disney heroine is also to be celebrated in the form of Meg. All this coupled with the usual Disney package of great tunes and brilliant animation makes this a classic to make any Disney fans' collection complete!

Greek, Gospel, Great !!
The Greeks are responsible for some of the most heroic and magical stories ever made, and who better than one of the greatest storytellers ever to help bring their most famous hero back to life...
According to the film, Hercules is the new born son of Zeus and Hera (king and queen of the Gods), he gets kidnapped by order of his uncle who plans to overthrow Zeus and thus rule all… Why? Because according to a prophecy, Hercules is the only person that could ruin his plan, so after he is brought to earth, he was supposed to be eliminated… obviously he wasn’t…
The catchiest gospel tunes will hook you to the screen from beginning to end, during which you will see not the mighty hero performing his twelve famous tasks, but Hercules behind the scenes of the public eye… the insecure teenager who’s left out because he can’t control his freakish strength, the painstaking training he had to go through and his climb to fame. Keeping with tradition with the Lion King, Disney also provides yet another perfect villain: Voiced by James Woods, the hilarious God of the Underworld ‘Hades’ provides a brilliant counterweight to mister goody two shoes Herc. (P.S. Scar actually makes a cameo appearance in the film, see if you can spot him…)
Of course the film doesn’t come without a variety of sidekicks, each contributing their own bit of comedy to the film. In other words, their will be laughs galore when watching this feature.
The film doesn’t come without it’s soft spots either, due mostly to the beautiful and seducing female heroine Megara, the warm relationship between trainer Philoctetes and apprentice and the desire for a young boy to find out where he belongs.
Of course you’ll have loads of inaccuracies concerning the true mythology, and practically all the creatures from the other famous stories are thrown into the mix, but as far as cocktails go, this is one of the most delicious of all. I wouldn’t recommend this feature as a documentary for your history lessons, but certainly as good all-round family entertainment, well done again Disney!!

Extra’s are quite good, some behind the scenes stuff and the usual variety of games and picture books for the kids.