Hercules, English Hollywood Film Movie Review, Johnson Thomas, Rating: * * 1/2

Hercules, English Hollywood Film Movie Review, Johnson Thomas, Rating: *  * 1/2
  

<a href="http://www.mrqe.com/"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/"><a href="http://www.wikipedia.org/"><a href="http://www.aasra.info/"><a href="http://www..com/"><a href="http://www.thepioneer.com efilmcritic.com/"><a href="http://www.talkingpix.co.uk/"><a href="http://www.newyorktimes.com/"><a href="http://www.timesofindia /"><a href="http://www.tirbuneindia.com/"><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/"><a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/"></a></a></a></a></a></a></a></a></a></a></a></a><a href="http://www.internationaltribune.com/"><a href="http://www.efilmcritic.com/"></a></a>

<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/"></a>                                      

#Picks&Piques/SnippetFilmReviews/1stAug2014/JohnsonThomas

 #Hercules(English) Rating: * * ½ #BrettRatner,  familiar to #Indians as the man who couldn’t make #HrithikRoshan’s #Kites fly, directs this  #RadicalComics graphic novel adaptation which plays out as a sacrilegious depiction of a familiar legend. With #Dwayne-too-Hawaiian-looking-to-pass-off-as-Greek-Johnson essaying the eponymous role, the film swings drastically away from authenticity to make it just another battle-hungry enterprise! All action, no soul here! #Viacom18  #AartiJadhav #Paramount #Metro-Goldwyn-MayerPictures #JankiPatel

English Film review

Johnson Thomas

All brawn, No Brain!

Film: Hercules         

Cast: Dwayne Johnson

Director:  Brett Ratner

Rating: *  *  ½

Dwayne Johnson stars as the son of Zeus in this Brett Ratner directed adaptation of Steve Moore’s radical Comics graphic Novel.

That in fact says it all. Using a Samoan/Hawaiian looking Johnson, albeit with an appropriate giant build, to play a Greek Legend was in itself what amounts to mocking off authenticity.

 

Now for a brief lesson in Greek mythology. Heracles a.k.a Hercules was the progeny of  Zeus joining up with a mortal woman, Hera. Zeus’ philandering ways has Hera spinning a curse on him which actually takes effect on their progeny Hercules. Hera drove Hercules insane, at which point He murdered his wife and children. After regaining his sanity and realizing the horrible nature of his crime, Hercules accepts as penance the famous labors including defeating the Nemean Lion, the hydra and the Erymanthian boar.

 And that’s certainly not what we get to see in Brett Ratner’s film. This film follows the route most travelled by actioners. Just have an all powerful hero vanquishing tyranny and evil with his powers, albeit minus graphic violence and gore.

The story is told by Hercules’ nephew Iolaus (Reece Ritchie) who is being held hostage by a band of pirates who suspend him over a long, jagged spear of rock aimed at his nether regions. The idea is to put the fear of ‘Hercules’ in the herts of the pirates. But for matters best known to the director and script-writer, the pirates are not afraid, as they scoff at the incredulousness of such a proposition.  And then Hercules (Dwayne Johnson) makes his entrance wrapped in the Nemean lion’s hide. And he announces himself amidst smoke and clouds, as a mercenary willing to kill for anyone agreeing to pay his price. He is joined by a crew of people including Amphiaraus the Oracle (Ian McShane) and an Amazonian archer (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal). What transpires thereafter is mere revisionist myth meant for those who have little or no idea about Greek legends or myths. The treatment is a little too middling to give you the excitement or the adrenaline rush you were expecting.  Wearying computer generated special effects make it look busy but the emotional involvement is totally missing. Dwayne Johnson, as I mentioned earlier has the brawn to fit the role but not the looks or the smarts to make it stick! This one is merely meant to steer ahead a comic book cinema franchise!

Johnsont307@gmail.com