HERCULES
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1997 Michael John Legeros
(Walt Disney)
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
Written by John Musker, Ron Clements, Bob Shaw, Don McEnery, Irene
Mecchi
Cast The voices of Tate Donovan, Joshua Keaton, Roger Bart,
Danny DeVito, James Woods, Susan Egan, Rip Torn,
Samantha Eggar, Bobcat Goldthwait, Matt Frewer
MPAA Rating "G"
Running Time 92 minutes
Reviewed at General Cinemas at Pleasant Valley, Raleigh, NC
(21JUN97)
==
Disney's 35th animated feature-- a retooling of the Olympian legend crossed with, well, the Superman story-- is surprisingly soft at the center. Great wit, great art, and a great villain (James Woods as Hades, Lord of the Underworld and local lounge act) can't quite stifle the yawns induced by a bland hero, his colorfully monotonous sidekick (Danny DeVito as the satyrical trainer Phil), and a largely unremarkable soundtrack. (None of the Alan Menken/David Zippel tunes are particular- ly noteworthy. Some lack lyrical snap. Others need more memorable melodies. Boring ballads we expect, but boring production numbers, too?)
So, HERCULES is a bit of a long sit, but you won't stay bored. The highlights include a nifty round of animated action (Herc battling a CGI hydra), a steady stream of anachronisms ("somebody call IX-I-I") and pop references ("let's get ready to rumble!") a la ALADDIN, and several long-overdue jabs at the Mouse's marketing and merchandising depart- ments. While not as rock-solid as HUNCHBACK, it's a still a new world of improvement over POCOHONTAS. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, with voice credits including Tate Donovan, Susan Egan, Bob Goldthwait, Matt Frewer, Samantha Eggar, Paul Shaffer, and, as Lighting Bolt Zeus, Rip Torn, who's having a very good summer, also appearing in TRIAL AND ERROR and MEN IN BLACK.
Grade: B+
--
Mike Legeros - Movie Hell http://www.nonvirtual.com/hell/
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