Hercules

When I saw the trailer - only the short one, where Hercules fights with a lion - I thought to myself that there is finally an American movie that has taken on myths and approaches them as they are told. The first minutes even suggested that, but it only took those five minutes and then all my hopes collapsed. This is simply an American action movie that has some good characters - Rufus Sewell or Ian McShane, and maybe the character of Tydeus, portrayed by the great Axel Hennie, is well written - and it plays on the fact that it is properly explosive and humorous, and of course it ends perfectly as it should. Overall, it's quite enjoyable as a popcorn entertainment. I didn't get bored completely, even though there were moments when I was close to it. (07/30/2014)

Watch the extended and unrated cut, otherwise it won’t make any sense. Because the only thing tha does are the several very well-executed action and battle sequences that often captivate with their straightforwardness and relatively solid dose of heaven-piercing force. The rest is just a more or less effective mess of clichés. Rather than being a pompous ancient legend, it's closer to a dirty and gloomy Conan the Barbarian, and even the main hero himself is stylized as such. It's trash, but the protagonists are and surprisingly the wisecracks work quite well and solidly lighten up the unoriginal script. (01/18/2015)

I like the idea of removing the myth from Hercules, the story based on the comic book is fine. Predictable and simple, but fine. The tempo is just right (slowing only after the introductory action sequence), decent effects and Dwayne is trying hard. Liberal usage of snappy lines (soothsayer Ian McShane dominates in this) and everything’s simply ok. Unfortunately “ok" is the problem. Ratner isn’t able to come up with anything interesting or original. The story fizzles out and ends in flames and in Scorpion King style. Hasn’t the Rock learned anything over the years? (10/22/2014)

First of all, I want to praise the filmmakers for the trailer, which, although it seems to entice us with another gimmicky spectacle full of mythological characters and monsters, in the end it is completely different. Hercules simply won it for me even without hydras, giant boars, nemesis lions and who knows what else. Its story is not fantastical, but it moves along without stopping and still offers some fun. The way the screenplay lightens the action with humor reminded me of the good old Arnold Schwarzenegger movies (is there anyone who doesn't burst out laughing at the fire spear scene, for example?) and the acting of Dwayne Johnson, who is impossible not to root for, actually. The other characters are also well cast and acted, and the director has managed to make the battles gritty despite the fact that the enemies don't spurt blood (he cleverly saved that for the end for the title character), but just dust. (09/17/2015)