Hercules (G, 1997)

common sense media says

Lighthearted, but scary stuff is too much for littlest kids.


parents & educators say
  • 33% say violence is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie about what it really means to be a hero is a shade darker than many other Disney blockbusters. There's a lot of gore and intense, scary stuff for a G-rated movie, including gruesome monsters and end-of-the-world images (floods, fires, ice storms, mass destruction) that might overshadow the more lightheated musical components. Some kids may also be confused or even upset about the underworld and what happens when people die.

Educational value: Kids who are unfamiliar with the Greek gods and goddesses will get an introduction to Zeus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Hades. Hercules is also an actual mythological figure, though few of the heroic tales in the movie are in line with those in his mythical tale.
Positive messages: The movie's overarching message is about learning what it means to be a real hero -- as opposed to a celebrity.
Positive role models: Hercules is initially motivated to be a hero by rather selfish, if understandable, motives: He wants to become a god so that he can be with his real parents. But overall, he's a nice guy who suffers a betrayal. On the other hand, the portrayal of Hades as a slick power broker with a hooked nose who makes deals and uses Yiddish words plays on unnecessary stereotypes.
Violence & scariness: Hades is a slimy, terrifying guy whose sharp teeth and hot temper are likely to frighten the youngest viewers. Hercules fights monsters, decapitating a hydra from inside of its long neck, only to watch it grow a bunch of more heads and attack him. Dead bodies are shown in the underworld and dying people are shown floating in a sea of death. Apocalyptic scenes, characters in peril.
Sexy stuff: Meg is forced to handle Hercules "like a man" if she wants her freedom. Hercules and Meg
share a couple of long kisses. Phil spies on nymphs swimming and chases them.
Language: Taunts/insults -- "freak," "sweetcheeks," "yutz," "Jerkules" (instead of Hercules), etc.
Consumerism: When Hercules gains popularity, he gets a credit card with his name on it; there's also a Hercules store with lots of Hercules dolls on the shelves, and kids wear Air Herc shoes and drink Herculade. In other words, success means having your name on lots of products.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Hades smokes a cigar and drinks a martini when he celebrates success.

More on Hercules

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about real-life heroes. What makes someone a hero? How does society treat its heroes? Why do we buy products endorsed by athletes (or movie tie-ins)?
  • Is wanting to be a god a good reason to want to be a hero? Do we see any evidence that Hercules (or anyone else in the movie) has much concern for the well-being of the community?
  • Does this movie seem scarier than other animated kids' movies? Why or why not?

What's the story?

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, Hercules (voiced by Tate Donovan) seeks out a grouchy satyr (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 it's not enough to be a real hero -- that comes from the heart, not the muscles. Meanwhile, Meg (Susan Egan), 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?

Is it any good?
 

Kids will need some preparation for this movie. Scant exposition is provided by the movie's Spice Girl-style "muses" (a sort of gospel Greek chorus that's 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' teenage protagonist may not be Disney's most memorable hero, but the movie's bad guy turns in a performance of astonishing verve -- as Hades, James Woods will join Cruella DeVille in the pantheon of unforgettable Disney villains. Sidekicks Pain and Panic (Bobcat Goldthwait and Matt "Max Headroom" Frewer) are wickedly funny as well.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
Cast: Danny DeVito, James Woods, Tate Donovan
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 92 minutes
Theatrical release: June 27, 1997
DVD release: August 1, 2000
MPAA Rating: G
MPAA explanation: some scary scenes

This review was written by Nell Minow
 
 

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What parents & educators say

8
Based on 6 parent & educator reviews:
  • 33% say violence is an issue

Most useful reviews by all members

naturallywonderful
teen, 14 years old
 
I love this movie! A little violent, but it's a true Disney classic! A lot better than Disney now. I especially love the song "I won't say I'm in love" and the muses.

Michikorabbit2
teen, 16 years old
 
Less than faithful adaptation is still a good movie
This is absolutely NOTHING like the actually tale of Hercules. Hercules is actually the child of Zeus and a human woman, and Hera, who is mad at Zeus for cheating on her again, punishes Hercules by casting a spell on him that causes him to kill his family. To atone for this, he does these 12 tasks and yada yada yada. While this movie strays from the story on which it's based a little TOO much, it still is a fun movie. Watch out for violence though, Hercules decapitates a Hydra at one point.

kjinho
teen, 15 years old
 
Hades' firey stuff may be scary for children. Megara acts kind of sexual to impress Hercules.

Jay_Sean_Fan
teen, 16 years old
 
LOOK lol
I love this movie...it may have some not so gud scenes but it teaches u leasons...if u really get into the movie....it shows how Hercules had to go through life and Hercules learns to not just care bout himself but about otha ppl

doglovermegan12
teen, 16 years old
 
awesome!!!!
It`s an awesome movie though Disney did change the story a lot to make it for younger ages.

bournefan
kid, 13 years old
 
not the true story
i liked it until i found out the real story of hercules how he became very savage and his father Zeus wanted to kill him

 
Shame on Disney
My 2 1/2 year old wanted to watch this movie, so I sat and watched it with her. I turned it off less than half of the way through due to inappropriate scenes. There was a lot of crude behavior, especially of a sexual nature and was demeaning towards women. Also the "heroine", Hercules' love interest is an immoral woman. People are rude and mean, smoke, etc.

trafficdesign
parent of 3 and 5 year old
 
Beware of the pit of death
I am 5 years old and the pit of death/souls scene scared me very much. I had nightmares and was freaked out and thought that it was real. I don't think this movie is for kids aged 5. (As told to my Dad who typed this).

musicfan789
teen, 14 years old
 
luv it
i luv this movie i dont care if it is ment for little kids it is a great movie

katiemay017
teen, 17 years old
 
GREAT MOVIE
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS MOVIE!i agree it isnt very similiar to the real story but its fun, and awesome. Hades is hilariouse and i love MEG she is awesome. and so is Pegasus. its a classic disney film and i love it.. so if u havnt seen WATCH IT!!!!

 
It's a Disney movie! Lighten up and have some fun!
I've had this movie since I was a little kid and have watched it countless times. I think it's great. Some parents might object to the lady that Hercules falls for, but in the end she changes and everything turns out fine. It's an older Disney movie, so some characters smoke (mostly this is the bad guy, Hades) and there is some violence. But it's a cartoon and overall a good movie for kids.

Musedancegracesing
kid, 12 years old
 
Good for people unformillyer with Greek Myths
Well I was kind of disappointed because I'm obsessed with Greek myths so I saw how many things they got wrong, still it was enjoyable.

nduns
adult
 
Not the masterpiece I remember it being
Ah, yes, I remember loving this film when I was younger, but looking at it now, it's just kind of... meh. The animations I won't dwell on as Disney was just simply trying out a different style for the film. (Even if the CGI is rather cheap for the time, and considering how good the panther head in Aladdin looked there is no excuse for that) The songs are also very nice, Menken once again impressing me, but the story is not only the most predictable of the 90's (Pretty much retelling Superman/Rocky) but most of the main characters (Keyword being MOST!) are very bland a 2-dimensional. Hercules himself is nothing more than a boring hero, that guy who barrels into danger without thinking. I can barely tolerate it in rpgs, and at least those have something to distract me from the blandness... this doesn't. The only interesting characters are Meg and Hades, Meg having more depth than most Disney females in films like these and Hades just bringing with him a great personality and the way his flames are like a mood ring is pretty cool too. Everyone else is just bland and never really changes as a character... well, not by much anyway. Something my dad pointed out while we were watching this was that the fight scenes were much more cartoony than in other Disney creations, and I can see that. While I normally see heart and soul put into the action scenes in other Disney films, these fight scenes had little to no soul, just "hey, let's have these characters kick each other around". They're entertaining, sure, but they're not the most memorable out there.

arthur16morgana
teen, 16 years old
 
pretty good movie. meg is just awesome.

sidobagga
teen, 14 years old
 
Excellent movie.
Great movie. 5+

rebma97
teen, 14 years old
 
A really good Disney classic
This might be the third best disney classic after Mulan and Aladdin (but they're all good!) Hades is a very funny villian. Of course, younger kids may be frightened by Hades and the whole underworld thing. Kids 7+ can probably watch it

viobird
kid, 11 years old
 
luv!!
I first saw it when I was 5 and today I saw it with a three year old and she loved it!!! I highly recmend it. it shows you to be ture to your heart

robinrunner
teen, 14 years old
 
A infamouse greek tale told by a kid-friendly disney picture.
A movie about the Gods & Goddesses and greek mythology without all the blood, cusses, and plain old boringness. Hercules is the story of an outcast who finds out he is the son of Zeus, and that to be with the rest of his family on Mt. Olympus he must prove himself worthy by bieng a hero. Parents might want to talk about how the Underworld and Hades represent h.e.double-hocky-sticks and the devil. Philitites, a satre training Hercules is a player in this movie and flirts a lot, but nothing goes farther than his come-ons (besides a smooch at the end) Hades; the villain in the movie may be scary to the youngsters. spoiler alert for parents: The scariest part is somewhere towards the end where Hercules must swim through a sea of moaning dead bodies to get to his dyeing love Megera. You see him slowly ageing and beging to die. He doesn't though, and niether does Meg. Parents should also be advise of a fight where Hercules cuts a gooey head off a monster repeatedley.

 
Overall - Mild content
Violence: Mild - A character tries to "slay" a mythical creature with a sword (its' heads are cut off but grow back again) which is eventually crushed by a rock. There are various scenes of slapstick violence where the characters remain unhurt. Sex/Nudity: None. Horror: Mild - Themes of death and the underworld aswell as some perilous scenes where the main character battles a large monster, all handled with a mild intensity. Language: None Drugs/Alcohol: None. Overall: Mild themes. Some scenes (most notably the battle with the Hydra) are likely to frighten young children.

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