Hercules and the Amazon Women

When I was eleven, in 1994, television was my life and books on the Greek myths were my obsession. I must have seen this episode five times back in '94. Each time, I felt very sad by the end. It was a great story, and "Hera" looked so evil & chilling. I won't ruin it by telling you the end. But the story is basically of a town Hercules has to save from constant attacks from Amazon women. Sounds boring, but trust me it isn't, it has a lot of fighting action! Lucy Lawless (who later appears in the "Hercules" spinoff "Xena: Warrior Princess") guest stars here. It is also an honor to have the infamous Anthony Quinn playing the role of Zeus.

I rewatched this after remembering it from my childhood and I loved it. Hercules and Iolaus are total bosses, strolling through the world without a single care, kicking asses, men admiring them and women falling for them. Usually I despise the strong powerful female garbage they cram into every modern movie, but back then this was at least portrayed as a ridiculous caricature in the form of the Amazons. The movie basically preaches a positive message of unity between the sexes, instead of division.

Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) returns home to visit his mother Alcmene (Jennifer Ludlam) and to the wedding of his best friend Iolaus (Michael Hurst). Out of the blue, the villager Pithus (Lloyd Scott) arrives asking for help to Hercules to defeat monsters that are attacking his distant village. Hercules travels with Iolaus to fight the monsters and soon they learn that they are indeed Amazons controlled by the evil Hera.

"Hercules and the Amazon Women" (1994) is still a delightful adventure after almost thirty years. Yesterday I saw this entertaining film again, which is based on mythological gods and demigods, and it has not aged. Even the special effects are still good for a TV movie. Kevin Sorbo is excellent in this role. Unfortunately, these Hercules' films have been only released on VHS in Brazil. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Hércules e as Amazonas" ("Hercules and the Amazons")

This is the first pilot TV movie that jump-started the "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" TV series, which eventually led to its successful series spin-off, "Xena: Warrior Princess." Filmed in New Zealand and set in ancient Greece with an emphasis on Greek mythology, Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and his sidekick Iolaus (Michael Hurst) are called upon my villagers to deal with a group of "monsters" that have been infiltrating their village. Turns out, the monsters are Amazon women under the evil influence of Hera, Queen of the Gods.

The plot of the movie goes at a fairly fast pace, putting much emphasis on Hera's influence over the aggressive and man-hating Amazon women; it is compelling to see how Hercules deals with the warrior women and his evil stepmother. The New Zealand countryside setting is refreshing and the costumes are colorful and vibrantly done. The music score by Joseph LoDuca is very upbeat and appealing and the acting is pretty spot-on.

I especially enjoyed seeing Touched by an Angel star Roma Downey in an out-of-character role - turning from the gentle, benevolent angel Monica to playing the aggressive and sinister Amazon queen Hippolyta in this movie. She did a great job and did have some touching chemistry with Sorbo's Hercules character.

A couple of things that this film lacked, though, was Hercules' power and action; he was portrayed as somewhat weak in the movie. And, for being the first TV movie to proceed two successful TV series, a better introduction into the world of Hercules and the Greek Gods was needed. I would have also preferred a first pilot TV movie concentrated on just Hercules and his origins, rather than the story we have here.

Other than that, this is not a bad TV movie. You'll get some neat action and adventures, but more scenes showcasing Hercules' origin and powers would have been preferred.

Grade B-

Hercules and Iolaus decide to go off on one more adventure together before Iolaus gets married. They go to help a village under attack from man-hating Amazons in league with Hercules' evil stepmother Hera. First of five made-for-TV movies that would lead to the Hercules: The Legendary Journeys TV series. The series, and this movie, has its good and bad qualities but I enjoyed it back when it first aired and still enjoy it today. Anyone complaining about historical accuracy on a movie or show about Hercules needs to switch to decaf. This is a fantasy show with action, adventure, humor, romance, and sex appeal. The fight scenes are often slapstick and the humor can be very broad. It was filmed on location in New Zealand so there's lots of beautiful location footage. The sets and costumes are nice. The special effects are alright for TV but this is the '90s so don't expect a lot, particularly from the CGI.

Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst are both natural fits for their characters. Sorbo's Hercules lightens up some in the series from the way he is here. Both he and Hurst's Iolaus are fleshed out more as the series progresses. But the basic dynamic is the same. Anthony Quinn plays Zeus, a role he played in all of the movies but did not play on the show. Lucy Lawless, who would go on to fame as Xena, a spin-off of Hercules that surpassed its parent show, plays one of the Amazons. She's gorgeous and has a natural screen presence. It's easy to see a future star in her. Roma Downey, of Touched By An Angel fame, has what is probably her sexiest role here. Her cleavage is a work of art. Sex appeal is a big part of this movie and the show. The women (and the men) often showed quite a bit of skin. Rose McIver, just a little kid here, has a small but cool part.

This is a nice start to a colorful, fun series. A little corny but no harm in that. It's good old-fashioned escapism. Don't take it too seriously and you should enjoy it.