Hercules

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 1st August, 2014
Time : 99 minutes
Director : Brett Ratner; Writers :Ryan Condal, Evan Spiliotopolous (based on the Radical comic character by Steve Moore); Music : Fernando Velazquez
Starring : Dwayne Johnson, John Hurt, Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Aksel Hennie, Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Reece Ritchie, Joseph Fiennes, Rebecca Ferguson, Irina Shayk, Tobias Santelmann



Thankfully the film doesn’t focus on the twelve labours of Hercules but more on life after. And there is a team, its not just a one man show. And there is some great action, super sequences using knives, clubs, arrows, spears and even bare hands. Dwayne Johnson, in the title role, somehow, manages to make it seem just about believable…

Dwayne is now a mercenary, fighting for gold, along with his team Rufus (his childhood friend, great with knives), Ian (a spear-wielding seer), Aksel Hennie (doesn’t speak much but a human battering ram), Ingrid (an Amazon, arrows are her thing) and Reece (nephew, story-teller and marketing guy). Dwayne is preparing for a quieter, retired life on an island, still haunted by nightmares of his murdered wife (Irina) and kids. And there arrives his next mission

The king of Thrace, John Hurt, via his daughter (Rebecca), seeks his help to defeat a warlord, Tobias, who is laying waste to the land using a mix of sorcery and an army of centaurs. The reward is Dwayne’s weight in gold but everything isn’t what it seems.

There is a dark, grim feeling about the entire film, which made the whole experience heavy rather than entertaining but other than that its well made, has us rooting for our hero(es) and feeling for them when they fall. Like any action adventure film must, there are quite a few jaw-dropping set pieces sprinkled liberally through the duration. The pace remains tight, despite the few moments of introspection and intrigue.

With such films, almost as much as a good script, you need characters who are believable and this film does a great job of populating the central characters with a very believable group, who provide a perfect foil to The Rock’s central, hulking hero. If he had to train for six months for the role, you can well imagine what he looks like in the film !