Hercules (1997 film)

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Hercules

Directed by	Ron Clements John Musker
Produced by	Ron Clements John Musker Alice Dewey
Written by	Ron Clements John Musker Barry Johnson
Starring	Tate Donovan Josh Keaton Roger Bart Danny DeVito James Woods Susan Egan Rip Torn
Music by	Alan Menken
Distributed by	Walt Disney Pictures
Release date(s)	June 15, 1997
Running time	92 minutes
Language	English
Budget	$70,000,000
Followed by	Hercules: Zero to Hero (1998)
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Hercules is a 1997 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 14, 1997. The thirty-fifth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, the film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, and stars the voices of Tate Donovan, Susan Egan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Bobcat Goldthwait, Matt Frewer, Rip Torn, Samantha Eggar, Josh Keaton, Lillias White, Paul Shaffer and Charlton Heston. The movie depicts the adventures of Heracles (known in the movie by his Roman name, Hercules), the son of Zeus, in Greek mythology. The storyline also draws much of its inspiration from Superman: The Movie, as well as The Karate Kid and Rocky. Though Hercules did not match its predecessors, it still took over $99 million in domestic revenues[1] and over $252,700,000 worldwide. The movie was later followed by Hercules: The Animated Series, focusing on Hercules during his time at the Prometheus academy and Hercules: Zero to Hero, a direct-to-video movie.

1 Overview
2 Awards and Nominations
3 Plot
4 Credits
- 4.1 Voice cast
5 Crew
6 Trivia
- 6.1 Anachronisms
7 Pop-culture references
8 External links

[edit] Overview

In the film, Hercules is the son of Zeus and Hera. In the Greek myth, he is the son of Zeus and a mortal, earth-born woman, Alcmene. Alcmene and her husband, Amphitryon, appear in the Disney's Hercules version, as Hercules' "foster parents", like Jonathan and Martha Kent to Superman.

Hades, voiced by James Woods is cast as the villain, although he more closely resembles the Christian devil than the Greek god of the underworld, who has never been depicted as particularly evil, but more as cold and unfeeling, feared by gods and men alike, yet still just.^{[citation needed]} This idea is similar to that of the Hades of the Marvel Universe, who wanted to overthrow Zeus and was an ambitious, scheming god. In the movie Hades is a fast-talking, manipulative deal maker with a fiery temper, who hates his job as lord of the underworld and plots to overthrow Zeus.

Disney took considerable liberties with the "Hercules" myths, since some of the original material and characters were deemed inappropriate for younger viewers by the Disney studios moral standards, such as Hercules being conceived through a god posing as a mortal woman's husband, and of his stepmother Hera's attempts to kill him. Disney also made use of stereotypes when designing the look of the characters, particularly the gods, such as depicting the Moirae as demonic hags (merging them with the Graeae), the Muses as divas, and the Titans as brutish giants.

Due to the name's prominence in Western culture, they went with the Latin Hercules rather than the actual Greek Herakles (Ἡρακλῆς).

The Disney version of Hercules has almost nothing to do with the Heracles myths, and should not be regarded as the actual stories about the mythological hero; rather, it is a spin on the character and the culture of ancient Greece. (The film does contain a brief reference to The Twelve Labours and other myths pertaining to the character, however, such as the Erymanthian Boar. In the movie, Hades sends these monsters to him, rather than their being encountered as they are in the myths). Some other Greek myths are appropriated, as well. One is the myth of Bellerophon, from which was taken the winged horse Pegasus and the scene where Hercules is swallowed by the Hydra (for Perseus it was the dragon Cetus) and cuts his way out. Another is the myth of Orpheus, who goes to the underworld to try to bring back his love, Eurydice. The most obvious is when Hercules is fighting a titanic battle with the Hydra, a lizard-like monster who regrows three heads for every one severed.

Because noted British caricaturist Gerald Scarfe (who contributed the animated segments for the film adaptation of Pink Floyd's album "The Wall") designed the characters, the film has a quirky visual style unusual in recent Disney films.

[edit] Awards and Nominations

One Nomination

Academy Award for Best Song - "Go the Distance"

[edit] Plot

The film begins with a group of the five members of the gospel quintet "Sisters in God" telling the story of how the almighty Zeus came to power and prevented the monstrous Titans from ruling the world ("The Gospel Truth"). This leads to the day Hercules is born to Zeus and Hera, much to the pleasure of the other Gods... all except Hades, who receives word from the Fates that Hercules will one day rise to power and prevent Hades from taking control of the world. He sends his minions, Pain and Panic, to kidnap Hercules and feed him a potion that will strip him of his immortality; however, they are interrupted and, while Hercules becomes mortal, he retains his God-like strength.

Hercules grows up to be a misfit, challenged by his incredible strength and unable to fit in with other people ("Go the Distance"). His adoptive parents finally tell him that he was once a son of the Gods and that he must go to his father, Zeus. Zeus tells him that he must prove himself a true hero before he can join the others Gods on Mount Olympus. Along with his flying horse Pegasus, Hercules goes to Phil, an unhappy satyr who has failed to train a true hero yet; he decides to take on Hercules as his final attempt ("One Last Hope").

After training with Phil, the three of them attempt to save Meg, a damsel in distress, from a monster. A smitten Hercules barely succeeds and Meg returns to the forest, where she is revealed to be a negative girl who sold her soul to Hades in order to save her lover's life; in turn, her lover abandoned her and now Meg must do Hades favors in order to avoid an eternity in the underworld. When Hades learns that Hercules is alive, he is enraged and plots to murder him again.

When Hercules tries to prove himself a Hero at Thebes, Hades sends to Hydra to kill him. After a lengthy battle, he prevails by using his strength to cause a landslide. He soon becomes a national, multi-million-dollar celebrity as a result ("Zero to Hero"). Realizing that his plans are jeopardized, Hades sends Meg out to discover Hercules' weaknesses, promising her freedom in return. Hercules is disappointed to learn that he isn't really a hero and then spends the day with Meg, who finds herself falling in love again ("I Won't Say I'm in Love"). When Hades intervenes, she turns from him, much to his dismay.

Phil learns of Meg's involvement with Hades and tries to warn Hercules, who ignores Phil. Discouraged, Phil plans to leave for home. Hades arrives and makes Hercules a deal: If he surrenders his strength for the next twenty-four hours, Meg will remain free of harm. After making the deal, Hades frees the Titans from their prison and sends them to attack Olympus; one Titan, however, is sent to kill Hercules, but ends up killing Meg. As a result, the deal is broken and Hercules' strength is returned. Hercules, along with Pegasus and Phil, saves Olympus from certain doom and Hades returns to the underworld.

Hercules arrives and demands for Meg to be revived, but Hades shows him that she is currently trapped in the River Styx, a river of souls. Hercules makes a deal with Hades, hoping to return Meg's body to the surface before he is killed within the river. Hercules jumps in and his lifeline runs out, but his amazing courage proves him a God, and he successfully returns Meg to the surface. Hades tries to talk his way out of the situation but Hercules punches him, knocking him into the Styx. The other souls grab him and pull him down into the stream.

Hercules revives Meg and goes to Olympus, but when Meg's entrance is denied, Hercules chooses to become mortal and stay on Earth with her. Nevertheless, Phil is remembered for being the one to train Hercules, who is still remembered as a hero ("A Star is Born").

[edit] Credits

[edit] Voice cast

Actor	Role
Tate Donovan	Hercules
Danny DeVito	Philoctetes (Phil)
James Woods	Hades
Susan Egan	Megara
Rip Torn	Zeus
Bobcat Goldthwait	Pain
Matt Frewer	Panic
Josh Keaton	Young Hercules
Jim Cummings	Nessus/ Additional Voices
Paul Shaffer	Hermes
Lillias White	Calliope, Muse of Epics
Vanéese Y. Thomas	Clio, Muse of History
Cheryl Freeman	Melpomene, Muse of Tragedy
LaChanze	Terpsichore, Muse of Dance
Roz Ryan	Thalia, Muse of Comedy
Charlton Heston	The Narrator
Wayne Knight	The Pottery Salesman
Lillias White	Calliope, Muse of Epics

Singer	Role
Roger Bart	Young Hercules

[edit] Crew

Crew Position
Directed by	John Musker Ron Clements
Produced by	John Musker Ron Clements Alice Dewey
Written by	John Musker Ron Clements Bob Shaw Don McEnery Irene Mecchi
Songs by	Alan Menken David Zippel
Original Score by	Alan Menken
Associate Producer	Kendra Haaland
Art Director	Andy Gaskill
Production Designer	Gerald Scarfe
Film Editor	Tom Finan
Artistic Supervisors	Barry Johnson (Story supervisor) Rasoul Azadani (Layout supervisor) Thomas Cardone (Background supervisor) Nancy Kniep (Clean-up supervisor) Mauro Maressa (Effects supervisor) Roger L. Gould (Computer Graphics supervisor)
Artistic Coordinator	Dan Hansen
Supervising Animator	Andreas Deja (Adult Hercules) Randy Haycock (Young & Baby Hercules) Eric Goldberg (Phil) Nik Ranieri (Hades) Ken Duncan (Meg) Ellen Woodbury (Pegasus) Anthony DeRosa (Zeus & Hera) James Lopez (Pain) Brian Ferguson (Panic) Michael Show (The Muses) Dominique Monfrey (Titans & Cyclops) Richard Bazley (Alcmene & Amphitryon) Nancy Beiman (The Fates/Thebans) Oskar Urretabizkaia (Hydra)
Production Manager	Peter Del Vecho

[edit] Trivia

When Hercules walks into Phil's house on the island, he hits his head on the mast of the Argo. Phil tells him to be careful. This is a reference to Jason of the legends of "Jason and the Argonauts", who died when the mast of the Argo fell on him.
The Pillars of Hercules were spotted on Phil's Island.
In the beginning of the movie, Narcissus is seen as a god at Hercules' celebration. However, in Greek mythology, Narcissus was not a god.
The city of Thebes is a reference of New York City (When Phil calls it The Big Olive which is an opposite of The Big Apple) and Los Angeles (At the ending of "Zero to Hero" Hercules and Pegasus are marking on wet cement, this is an action to famous people in Hollywood).
Hercules was not the son of both Zeus and Hera, but rather the son of Zeus and a mortal woman. Hera was spiteful against both, and vexed Hercules until his death. Disney felt that the original myth of Hercules, with its story of infidelity and spousal jealousy, was inappropriate for its movie, and therefore made Hades the villain instead.
Hades was originally scripted as a slow, menacing character until James Woods auditioned for the role and impressed the casting directors with his rapid-fire style.
In the sequence where Hades takes over Olympus, he yells down to Zeus "Zeusy, I'm Home." This is a reference to Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy.
In the Squaresoft games Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts II, a Greek world "Olympus Coliseum" was created. In Kingdom Hearts, it tells the story of how Hades hired the traveling swordsman Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII to kill Hercules while the "Hades Cup" was on. In Kingdom Hearts II, we see that Hades has locked Auron's (from Final Fantasy X) will inside a doll, and made him do his bidding. Of course, he wanted Auron to kill Hercules, so he organized another "Hades Cup" in the "Underworld" where he lives, and Sora and friends must help Auron to be free from Hades' control.
It's been rumored that direct-to-video sequel, Hercules II: The Trojan War, was once planned but later cancelled.[2]
After Hercules saves Meg from Nessus the Centaur, Phil tells him, "Next time, don't let your guard down because of a pair of big goo-goo eyes". The line originally came out as, "Next time, don't let your guard down because of a pair of big, blue eyes". But, by the time the scene was in colour, Meg's eyes were purple.
At the time of the film's release, there was a popular live-action television series entitled Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which had led to a renewed interest in the character. Disney had begun production on the film years before the series debuted, but nonetheless this led to some confusion. Eventually the producers of the series released a direct-to-video animated feature entitled "Hercules and Xena: The Battle for Mount Olympus." The art style was similar to that of the Disney film, and the advertising for the feature claimed that it starred "The REAL Hercules."
Max von Sydow provided the voice of Zeus in the Swedish version of the film.
Ricky Martin provided the voice of adult Hercules in the Mexican-Spanish version of the film.
Susan Egan, the English voice of Meg, was also Belle in the original Broadway cast of Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
There is a small continuity error when Hercules confronts Hades in the Underworld. When reaching for Meg, he touches a liquid that ages his hands. However he then has to dive a long way down in order to even make contact with this liquid.
It is the first Disney animated film which takes place before Christ (However, it is possible that The Lion King could have taken place BC).
It is the last Disney Animated Classic which takes place in Europe.
In the scene where an artist is doing a painting of Hercules on the vase, the lion skin Hercules is wearing is really that of Scar from the Lion King. This can be seen most clearly when he takes it off.

[edit] Anachronisms

Many events of Greek mythology are mentioned by the various deific characters within the film in the past tense, either explaining the events to Hercules or referencing an example. However, several of the events mentioned occurred either during or after the life of the mythological Heracles. These include:

The quest for the Golden Fleece: The quest for the Golden Fleece, featuring Jason and the Argonauts, took place during the life of Heracles and featured him as a member of the Argonauts. However, the Argo itself has apparently been disassembled and Hercules has no first-person knowledge of its adventures.
Orpheus: In the beginning of the movie, Hermes flies in and says that Orpheus made the floral arrangement in the bouquet he is carrying. However, Orpheus was a contemporary of Heracles.
The Trojan War: The war occurred a generation after the life of Heracles, and in fact featured his son as a participant, but Hades makes a reference to the defeat of the Trojans with the Trojan Horse.
Achilles: In addition to referencing the Trojan War, several characters mention the mythological figure of Achilles, who lived a generation after Hercules and took part in the Trojan War.

[edit] Pop-culture references

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Hades refers to Zeus as Mister "Hey You, Get Off My Cloud", which is a reference to the Rolling Stones song, "Get Off My Cloud."
There is a brief cameo appearance by Scar, the villain of The Lion King, as the Nemean Lion, whose skin is worn by Hercules in one scene. Note: Andreas Deja, the animator who animated Adult Hercules, also animated Scar for The Lion King. Hercules is shown battling a different animated lion in another scene, this lion is presumed to be the actual Disney version of the Nemean Lion.
Hermes gives Hera a bouquet of flowers, a play on FTD, who use him as their mascot.
"Go the Distance" is a term from boxing, meaning to last all fifteen rounds. It is also a quote from Rocky.
A beverage that Hercules sponsors is named "Herculade", a spoof of Gatorade. This also works as a pun in Britain where many carbonated drinks are named with the "-ade" suffix, particularly Lucozade.
"Air Herc", a brand of sandal seen throughout the film are a spoof of the shoe brand Air Jordan.
When the Tornado Titan appeared there was a sheep caught in its' winds, similar to the cow in Twister.
During the "Zero to Hero" sequence, next to the Hercules store is a shop called "Aphrodite's Secret", a spoof of Victoria's Secret.
During the song "I Won't Say I'm in Love," the Muses are portrayed as singing busts with one bust laying broken on the ground. This is a direct reference to Disneyland's The Haunted Mansion.
During 'Zero To Hero', a constellation of Marilyn Monroe can be seen. However, in the original trailer, it was Sebastian from The Little Mermaid.
During the scene in the movie where Hercules is rescuing two children from a cave-in in a gorge (which was actually a staged calamity to lure Hercules into danger), one of the children can be heard saying; "Someone call IX I I", which are the Roman numerals for 9-1-1.
During the final number, "A Star is Born", Hermes can be seen playing the piano, a reference to Paul Shaffer, who is the voice of the character and the piano player on The Late Show With David Letterman.
Meg makes a reference to a "Peloponnesian minute", a play on the New York minute.
Phil refers to Thebes as "The Big Olive," a reference to "The Big Apple" (New York) but with a Greek twist (olives are a well-known product of Greece).
Meg refers to "the greatest thing since they put the pocket in pita." Pita is a Greek pocket bread, a reference to "the biggest thing since sliced bread"
In Thebes, Hercules is detained by a panhandler who says, "Hey, Mack, wanna buy a sundial?" and holds his coat open, revealing miniature sundials on straps. These are in reference to imitation Rolex.