Hércules

The television show "Hercules," based on the Disney film "Hercules," is perhaps worth watching just for the impressive cameos by actors.

Why a show like "Hercules" would ever attract so many talented actors and actresses is beyond me. Perhaps the sound studio was nearby when the actors were filming a movie, and they decided to stop in and spice up the show a bit. Either way, the kids who watch the show most likely didn't realize any of the actors. It's an adult joke, really.

As for the show itself...well...what have we come to expect from television spin-offs? Nothing much. Though, be careful. When you start tuning in to hear the actors, you can become attached to the show easily.

2.5/5 stars --

John Ulmer

I wish I had watched this series in it's first run, but I figured "Oh great, another badly done TV series" (I was still bitter about Aladdin and Gargoyles being cancelled). Then, directly before it went off the air I found these sound clips from the show that were so funny that I decided to watch it. I loved it. The show is full of vague references to Greek myths and plays. The more Greek you've been made to study, the more amusing Hercules is.

I'm completely blown away at the cast list of this very funny, clever show. How in the world did they get (almost literally) every major living star to do a voice? I'm particularly impressed by how faithful (mostly) the stories are to the Greek and Roman sources

Hercules hits all the typical Disney/kid-show notes, delivering moral messages and a lot of humor. Like the original Disney movie, but unlike shows like Aladdin and Little Mermaid, Hercules toss in lots of modern-day in-joking which keeps it somewhat interesting for the adults (like myself) to watch while the kiddies enjoy the show. There's also a lot of quality voice talent assembled here (how did they ever get James Woods??). Overall, this somewhat skewed look at Greek mythology is humorous enough.

Sure, it takes a lot of liberties with Greek mythology and Greek history. It's not even totally faithful to the 1997 movie with the same name, to which it's supposed to be a "midquel". But still, "Hercules" is rather educational (there are facts about mythology and history in it, if you only care to look for them) and really funny. It must be one of Disney's most underrated TV shows ever!

It follows the adventures of the young demigod Hercules, who's not only a hero in training (he lives with his trainer Philoctetes), so it's often up to him to stop the plans of his evil uncle Hades, the lord of the Underworld, or to solve other problems. But he also has to go to High School, just like any other teenager, and face typical teenage issues. He's got two best friends, Icarus and Cassandra, but he's often taunted by Adonis, the arrogant prince of Thrace, who considers him "a loser".

The ancient Greek gods, like Zeus, Hera, Ares, Athena, Apollon, Artemis, Demeter, Bacchus, Aphrodite, Poseidon, the Muses and Hermes, all make appearances, and so do many heroes and monsters from Greek mythology. And like other reviewers have said, this show also have an impressive cast list, even for guest roles. So if you can, check it out!