Hércules e Xena - A Batalha pelo Monte Olimpo

This is an animated spin-off from the two TV series featuring Hercules and Xena, where they, along with sidekicks Iolaus and Gabrielle, try to save Zeus, Aries, Artemis and Aphrodite on Mount Olympus from the Titans.

The story-line is somewhat average and less exciting than most episodes of the TV shows and the animation is very amateurish. There isn't much character development or chemistry among each of the cast members, but there are plenty of action - from the Hercules battling a dragon to Xena using her Chakram against a band of warlords, and from the Gods against the Titans to our heroes trying to save villagers caught in the middle of the feud.

The characters are voiced by the original actors from the TV shows, which gives the movie a more familiar feel and brings you back into the Hercules and Xena universe. That is what I think the best element of the movie as the voices helped maintain each of the characters' familiar personalities. A large part of the movie, though, suffers from limited suspense and spirit. I also personally would have liked to see Gabrielle, Iolaus and Aphrodite utilized more - they looked like they were just thrown in for good measure.

Overall, kids may like the movie, but true fans of the TV shows probably would be taken aback a little.

Grade C-

Animation offers the opportunity for film makers to throw off the constraints of live action and produce creative, intelligent and original work. See the Simpsons and The Iron Giant for examples.

That opportunity has been badly squandered here. The bursts of genuine genius and joi de vive that typify the live action originals are gone. Instead we are left with a mediocre slog that would have been tiresome without the breathtakingly appalling animation that makes "He-Man" look cutting edge.

This quite seriously looks like someone took a bad idea for a Hercules/Xena two-parter, pitched it with storyboards, was turned down because the effects budget would have been too high, and instead talked Raimi and Tapert into turning the storyboards into a cartoon of the worst quality. Motion is minimal, proportions are inconsistent, the characters are downright ugly...I could go on, but I think the rot is creeping into my brain.

Don't let this one into your home...seriously.

Well, okay, maybe we didn't expect musical numbers, of which one, "We're the Titans," is exceedingly bad (We're the Titans - boom chucka lucka lucka - boom chucka lucka") although the others are okay.

Basically it's a big-budget version of a Hercules episode (even the CGI of the show couldn't sustain these monstrous fights). The problem is, they didn't want to seem to spend _any_ budget on the animation. Minimalist backgrounds and crudely drawn figures might be some kind of stylistic statement. Then again, it might just be cheap animation. The characters themselves are rather grotesque: Xena has a odd reddish streak in her hair, while Herc is grotesque: one scenes has his veins literally bulging out of his arms during a moment of extreme exertion. As Aphrodite would put it, "Gross!"

Even the plot is pretty minimalistic: doesn't Olympus have more than 5 gods?? It's nice that they got Kevin Smith for the always sneaky Ares (and Alexandra Tydings as Aphrodite, although her character has nothing to do), and there are some funny kid-type moments (the Olympians being turned into farm animals). Generally, though, it's a lot grimmer than the Hercules series: closer in tone to a Xena "serious" episode. Of course, there's no real continuity with the series, either, which has never had Alcmene head off to live with Zeus before her series death.

Basically, H&X ain't bad as a kiddy flick, and die-hard fans of the series, which the movie apparently caters to, probably won't be disappointed. But other than that, there's not much to recommend it.

'Hercules: The legendary journeys' was consistently enjoyable, if also consistently middle-of-the-road; its spinoff, 'Xena: Warrior princess,' was uneven, but absolutely outstanding and unquestionably superior at its best. How did I go 25 years without being made aware of this animated crossover? Well, maybe it's not so difficult an answer. I think this is enjoyable, worth watching, and especially recommendable for fans of either series. That recommendation comes with a minor caveat, though, and I can see why in all these years 'Hercules and Xena - The animated movie' hasn't been as famous as its parent programs.

'The battle for Mount Olympus' has two primary facets to it. The first is a recognizable cast of voice talent (Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, Michael Hurst, Kevin Smith, Alexandra Tydings, and more), and a world and characters derived from Greek mythology that will be gladly familiar to fans of the shows. In the broad strokes of John Loy's screenplay, all this will feel like a return home for those who enjoyed the live-action adventures, as the dialogue, characters, scene writing, light comedy, and indeed the narrative bear flavors we know and love. Powerful and boastful Hercules, comic relief Iolaus, strong-headed and fierce Xena, reliable sidekick Gabrielle, devious Ares, villainously jealous Hera - and plenty of monsters and action. Joseph LoDuca's score even takes clear inspiration from the original series in some measure. If not exactly canon, this is definitely part of the "Xenaverse."

The second primary facet of this film is that it is unmistakably geared toward a young audience, and specifically modeled after other cartoons of the 90s. This isn't to say that there aren't more adult-oriented elements that ride a line between "PG" and "PG-13" (mostly when it comes to any women and their sartorial arrangements), but it looks and surely feels like any animated feature or series we might have seen in the preceding decade. To obtain that look and feel, it means that 'The battle for Mount Olympus' contains snappy pacing (including exposition that is achingly crammed into an opening song), zany antics (i.e., more cartoonish humor and plot ideas than either live-action series at their silliest), simplified writing, and sometimes over the top voice acting. To whatever extent one may enjoy this, they must do so with acceptance that this is as much a Saturday morning cartoon as it is kin to 'The legendary journeys' and 'Warrior princess.'

With all this having been said, there's much to admire about 'Hercules and Xena.' The story is actually rather solid in and of itself, engaging and satisfying. As far as the details go, I often found myself thinking "Yeah, that's totally something the show would have done," even in some of the more ridiculous moments. Even the involvement in the tale of only a handful of gods is in keeping with series precedence; how often did we see more than a few immortals in a single episode? The animation isn't the top of the line, and does perhaps feel a tad dated, but it was at least about on par for 1998 - somewhere on the spectrum between the 80s 'He-Man and the masters of the universe' cartoon, and contemporary fare like 'Johnny Bravo.' Some moments or particular inclusions are especially well done, such as the designs of the titans. The sound design, meanwhile, is surprisingly great - I've watched some brand new, major cinematic releases that were distinctly inferior in this regard. Every sound effect, note of music, and exclamation or line or dialogue rings out with welcome crystal clarity. Some jokes or gags are genuinely funny; some action sequences are earnestly exciting, the climax above all. The end result is meaningfully entertaining across the board, and for as gauche as the original songs are, I'd be lying if I said they weren't well done, too. (The "Titan's song" sequence is an especial minor delight.)

The picture gathers strength as it progresses, and ultimately ends on a strong note. None of this is to say that 'The battle for Mount Olympus' is flawless, and perfectly entertaining for all comers. Much like its live-action brethren, an animated vision thereof is indubitably an acquired taste, and surely even more so on account of the ways the saga has been rendered more appealing and suitable for young audience members. Still, I had mixed expectations when I sat to watch, and at length I'm pleased to say that I had a good time watching. The syndicated series are more dependably deserving, sure, and as a matter of personal preference I can't say that everything herein meets with equal success - but all involved turned in good work all the same, and a movie that only wanted to have fun achieved that goal. There's no need to go out of your way for 'Hercules and Xena,' but if you have the chance to watch, this is a fine way to spend a mere 80 minutes.