By Azarias Perez
Contributing Writer
The well-known Greek myth “Hercules” appeared on the big screen this past summer in a modern adaptation, causing a lot of controversy with the fans of Greek Mythology.
In the Greek myth, Heracles (most commonly spelled as Hercules), is the offspring of Zeus and a mortal woman who is not his wife. Furious at her husband’s ‘one night stand’ with a random woman, Hera, Hercules’ cruel stepmother and Zeus’ wife, drives Hercules insane. Eventually her cruelness drives him to the point of killing his wife and kids later in life. He would then go on to complete his “labors” under King Eurystheus as self-punishment.
Fans of the legend eagerly anticipated the premiere of “Hercules” featuring, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Hercules. Some would expect to see blood and fighting everywhere, essentially the elements of a great action movie.
However, this was not exactly how it all went down. Although the writers of this film did a good job creating a plot that was both intriguing and closely related to the Greek myth, the lack of violence and realistic action in the film was disappointing. It almost seemed as if the producers were afraid to upset the viewers in any way, pushing away from any moments of deep sadness, anger or suspense that would have made up the life of Hercules.
Aside from that, the film was actually pretty entertaining. It had hilarious elements and the plot was simple enough to follow. This PG-13 rated adaptation did indeed master what it intended – the entertainment of its audience. Overall, Hercules was a successful film in terms of revenue, grossing $29,000,000 on its opening weekend and screened in 3,395 different theaters.
However, by targeting a younger audience, all the violence and conflict in the film seemed extremely unrealistic for the mature public, thus taking away from the core message behind Hercules.
Anyone, a Hercules fan or not, should watch the film and form their own conclusions. Watching the film is not a bad way to spend a few hours on the couch with a bag of popcorn on a Friday night. As long as you are not expecting to see any gods, mythological beasts, or magic in the film, you should be in for a treat. Oh, and who doesn’t appreciate a happy ending? Spoiler Alert: Hercules destroys Amphitryon’s palace and gets the girl, and the two live happily after.
Perezah12@bonaventure.edu
