Hercules

In a sea of obscurity from Disney (from Dinosaur to Inspector Gadget to Recess to Disney's Doug to whatever things they destroyed) Hercules is one of those shows that has a lot of creativity. Now mind you, the Movie wasn't up to Disney Standards in any way you put it but was an interesting feature film that many other animated features will try to emulate. But actually the Hercules Cartoon is actually very nice.

The cast of characters are very interesting and is definitely making fun of Greek mythology and today's pop culture. This series' was more well executed that the movie of the same name. Animation is sortof typical for this kind of show, but (my God) look at the celebrities they casted for the roles. Everybody like Robert Stack (Unsolved Mysteries), Eric Idle (Monty Python) and even James Woods (The original Dead-Head: Hades) gave their talent to this show. It's sortof amazing in a sense. But I digress, this show is still much more better than the crap they put out now on Disney's One Saturday Morning but I think will never replace Disney's Nostalgic shows like Ducktales, Darkwing Duck, or even Gargoyles. Still, it's a nice show. Recommendable if you ask me.

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!

I wasn't a fan of Disney's Hercules when it was new. But after a re-watch some 20 years later or so, i found it to be enjoyable.

I decided to take a peek at its TV-show spin-off, and it is fun (though less, lot less colorful and fluid), though it should be called a prequel, since it follows Hercules in his teens.

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.

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