Is there really anyone in Holywood more perfect to play notorious half-man, half-god warrior Hercules than Dwayne Johnson? Johnson's combination of immense charisma and hulking physical presence would have made casting anyone else in the role a sin. Unsurprisingly, Johnson turns in another excellent, larger-than-life performance in the title role and is a large part of why Hercules is such a fun and efficient late-summer blockbuster.
Director Brett Ratner (The Rush Hour trilogy, X-Men: The Last Stand) specializes in making films that entertain without being overly complex or serious, and everyone involved with this film bought into Ratner's philosophy. In an age where blockbusters are becoming more and more elaborate, it's nice to see a blockbuster take the simple, direct route with its premise and execution. The plot involving Hercules and his team of mercenaries (Rufus Sewell, Aksel Hennie, Reece Ritchie, Ingrid Bolso Bordal and Ian McShane- who is a stitch as a wisecracking prophet who keeps falsely predicting his own death) being hired by a king (John Hurt) to fend off a brutal warlord who may or may not be not a centaur (Tobias Santelmann) from taking over his kingdom is easy to follow and offers a few nice twists along the way. As with any sword & sandal epic, the real star of Hercules is the battle scenes, and the film certainly doesn't disappoint in that regard with a handful of beautifully shot and choreographed large-scale fight sequences. The first major battle in which Hercules and co. face off against an army made up of green body-painted savages is the standout-especially when McShane's character comes through with a chariot tricked-out with two large blades on the side to slice through the remaining barbarian troops at the scene's climax. Hercules is an old-school blockbuster that manages to entertain without getting bogged down by a muddled, overly-complex plot or half-baked political message. It won't go down as a classic by any means, but Hercules is still a no frills good time at the movies that further solidifies Johnson as the finest action star of his generation.
3.5/5 Stars
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