Hercules

What’s the Story?

According to Disney, Hercules was the adored son of gods Zeus and Hera, stolen by Hades, ruler of the underworld, and made mortal. He must become a true hero to become a god again, so he can live with his parents on Mount Olympus. To do this, he seeks out a grouchy satyr (voice of Danny DeVito), who trains him in fighting techniques and strategy. When he saves some children (so he thinks) and defeats the hydra (its many heads masterfully provided by computer animation), he becomes an instant celebrity, with action figures and "Air Hercules" sandals. He goes on to his other labors, but finds that is not enough to be a real hero -- that comes from the heart, not the muscles. Meanwhile, Meg, who sold her soul to Hades to save the life of her boyfriend, must now try to find Hercules' weakness, so that Hades can take over Olympus.

Is It Any Good?

Kids will need some preparation for this movie. Scant exposition is provided by Spice Girl-style "muses" as a sort of gospel Greek chorus, fun to watch, but hard to follow. The role of the three fates, who share one eye between them and cut a thread when a human's life is ended, is particularly confusing. Meg is tougher and braver than the traditional damsel in distress, but still very much on the sidelines. The movie's other weakness is its lackluster score

HERCULES' white-bread, "aw, shucks" teen-age protagonist is utterly outshone by a star turn of astonishing verve -- this time, James Woods as bad guy Hades, who will join Cruella DeVille in the pantheon of unforgettable villains. Sidekicks Pain and Panic (Bobcat Goldthwait and Matt "Max Headroom" Frewer) are wickedly funny as well.