Hercules poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Tate Donovan, Josh Keaton, Roger Bart, Danny DeVito, James Woods ... see more see more... , Susan Egan , Bobcat Goldthwait , Matt Frewer , Rip Torn , Samantha Eggar , Barbara Barrie , Hal Holbrook , Paul Shaffer , Amanda Plummer , Carole Shelley , Paddi Edwards , Charlton Heston

Disney's animation team dipped into the rich well of ancient mythology for this musical comedy. The son of Greek gods Zeus (voice of Rip Torn) and Hera (Samantha Eggar), Hercules (voice of Josh Keaton... read more read more...) is stolen as a boy by the minions of Hades (voice of James Woods), lord of the underworld. Forced to live among humans, Hercules is turned into a half-god and half-mortal after drinking a forbidden potion brewed by Hades' right hand men, Pain (voice of Bob Goldthwait) and Panic (voice of Matt Frewer). Now Hercules has the remarkable strength of a god, but is trapped in the body of a human, and before he learns how to use his power properly he goes through a typically adolescent awkward period. In order to become a god and return to his home on Mount Olympus, Hercules must prove himself a true hero on Earth. With the assistance of Philotes (voice of Danny De Vito), a plucky satyr known as "Phil," the grown-up Hercules (voice of Tate Donovan) learns to use his strength to his advantage and becomes a famous and benevolent protector of those around him, successfully battling a variety of gods and monsters. However, Hades, wanting to cut Hercules down to size, sends his secret weapon after him -- Megara (voice of Susan Egan), a seductively beautiful woman under Hades' control, who is to win Hercules' heart and render him helpless against the forces of the underworld. Acclaimed British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe served as production designer for this project, while Alan Menken wrote the musical score. Incidentally, for the Spanish language version of the film, Latin pop singer Ricky Martin provided the singing voice of Hercules, two years before he became a chart-topping sensation in America with his hit single "Livin' la Vida Loca." ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

68% liked it

359,064 ratings

Critics

84% liked it

49 critics

G, 1 hr. 32 min.

Directed by: John Musker, Ron Clements

Release Date: June 15, 1997

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: November 9, 1999

Get It:

Stats: 12,960 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Hercules Hercules Hercules Hercules Hercules (1997) Hercules (1997) Hercules Seductive Meg Meg Hercules Hercules Hercules Megara & Pegasus Hermes Meg Megara Phil Hercules
Upload a Photo | View All Hercules Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (12,960)

  • DreamExtractor
    August 15, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Hercules isn't the best animated Disney film, but its still one of my favorites and is a good way to teach kids about Greek Gods, I learned a lot as kid from this movie at least.
  • ajv2688
    August 11, 2011
    ajv2688
    Although there are a huge amount of inaccuracies in this adaptation of the classical mythological tale of Hercules, this movie is a lot of fun. It's hilarious and has a bunch of catchy tunes. Both kids and adults will love it.
  • spielberg00
    July 16, 2011
    spielberg00
    Another terrible Disney cartoon.
  • jamers2011
    July 3, 2011
    jamers2011
    A severely underrated film! Interesting story, fun characters, interesting characters (Meg), great music, humor, greek mythology...it truly has alot to offer, and it does not disappoint. Hercules is a great animated film, I'd recommend it to anyone.
  • murphmann93
    June 23, 2011
    murphmann93
    A childhood favourite and a classic!
  • MidnightMadwoman
    May 30, 2011
    MidnightMadwoman
    This movie is such a delight. It's well-written, the characters are beautiful and gorgeously designed and the jokes deliver splendidly. I love how it pokes fun at all the early Disney animation myth tropes - Charlton Heston the narrator, gets interrupted before he can even finish... read more his preamble spiel by five soul-inspired Muses. I think the thing I like most about this movie is Hades, voiced by James Woods and possibly the most engaging villain Disney animation has ever put on screen. He's got great motivation, the character design is eye-catching and his ad-lib-peppered vocal performance is one of a kind. Hercules and Megara as well don't quite fall into the trap of being one-dimensional stock characters which they easily could have; Hercules' naivety and heroism are believable and Meg's personality and character arc are much richer than you'd expect in a kids' movie. The only complaints I think I could raise are that some of the more soulful songs tend to drag and the story makes several departures from its Classical Greek source material. The latter wouldn't have bothered me so much if it weren't for the Muses' repeated refrain of "...and that's the Gospel truth".
  • fb535316333
    May 17, 2011
    fb535316333
    If it weren't for the glorious stylization, beautiful color pallets and the best two supporting characters in Disney history (Hades & Meg) this movie would've just been a mess of Pop-humor and formulaic storytelling.

    But alas, there's enough charm, wit and competent art directio... read moren to make this a worthy candidate of the Disney name.
  • ironclad1609
    May 9, 2011
    ironclad1609
    Disney's take on the mythical tale of Hercules does take its usual liberties of course. That doesn't mean that we want to hear Soul music, right? So, some of the songs are a bit annoying, other's alright. The plot gets better as it develops and has some rather cruel and exciting ... read moreaction sequences to offer, considering the young target audience. That's pretty entertaining but not as engaging as Mulan or The Hunchback for example. The film's biggest asset is the ambiguous and interesting Meg, not exactly your typical Disney princess. Kids should still have a lot of fun with this, of course.
  • 3niR
    March 20, 2011
    3niR
    Great animation. It's funny. I loved the game too.
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    January 16, 2011
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    Pretty good Disney flick! Hercules was the man!

    Based on both the legend of Hercules and Heracles.

    On Mt Olympus, Zeus and his wife are celebrating the birth of their son, Hercules. The Lord of the Underworld, Hades, is also invited, though is not at all pleased with the birth... read more of Hercules.

    Returning to the Underworld, Hades meets up with the 3 Fates, who tell Hades that in 18 years, when the planets align, if he unleashes the Titans (who were imprisoned by Zeus), he will defeat Zeus and rule over all. However, there is a possibility that Hercules could stop him.

    Hades assigns his minions, Pain and Panic, to turn hercules mortal, and kill him. Armed with a potion, the two kidnap Hercules, and take him to Earth. Hercules drinks almost every drop except one, when a childless couple disturbs the two minions' plan. The two decide to tell Hades that they killed Hercules, but figure leaving him on Earth as a mortal will keep him from interfering in Hades' eventual plot.

    As Hercules is almost completely mortal, he cannot return to Mt Olympus. However, the childless couple have taken him in, and raise him as their own. However, not being completely mortal, Hercules is ostracized from the rest of society by his immense strength. As he approaches his teenage years, his father tells of how they found him, with a medallion bearing the symbol of the gods.

    Hercules sets off for the Temple of Zeus to find answers. Once inside the temple, the enormous statue of Zeus comes to life, first scaring Hercules, but then explaining how he is the young boy's father. Zeus then explains that if Hercules can become a True Hero, he'll be able to return to My Olympus and rejoin them. Zeus then provides Hercules with a winged horse named Pegasus, and sends them off to find Philoctetes.

    Hercules and Pegasus find Philoctetes (who is nicknamed 'Phil') on a deserted island. Having become a grouchy, old satyr, Phil is at first reluctant, but finally relents. After an intense period of training, Hercules grows from a scrawny teenager to a buff young man. At Hercules' insistence to try what he has learned, Phil, Hercules and Pegasus head for the city of Thebes, which is plagued by a number of disasters and problems.

    On the way there, they are sidetracked by Meg, who appears to be menaced by a centaur. Hercules grows somewhat enchanted with her, before Phil gets them back on track to Thebes. After they leave, Meg meets with Hades, and his assistants, Pain and Panic. Meg was actually trying to get the centaur to side with Hades, but claims Hercules spoiled her plans. Upon hearing this, Hades angrily grabs his assistants, realizing they have lied to him. Pain and Panic manage to convince Hades that since Hercules is mortal, they can still kill him.

    In Thebes, Hercules tries to convince the citizens that he is a hero, but noone is willing to believe him. Suddenly, Meg appears, and tells of two small boys trapped under a rock in a nearby canyon. Hercules saves the little boys (actually Pain and Panic in disguise), but then has to contend with the 3-headed beast called the Hydra. After finding out that cutting off one head produces 3 more, Hercules ends up crushing the beast with a rock slide. The defeat of the Hydra causes the citizens of Thebes to acknowledge Hercules as a hero, and further anger Hades.

    Hades continues to send beasts and creature against Hercules, but each and everyone is defeated, further making Hercules a hero in the eyes of the citizens. Statues and merchandise are soon rampant with Hercules' face, and Hercules thinks that his fame will allow him to return to Mt Olympus. However, upon visiting the Temple of Zeus again, Zeus explains to Hercules that fame does not equal heroism. When Hercules asks to know what he can do, Zeus refuses to explain further.

    Back in Thebes, the conversation has upset Hercules, who wonders if he even has what it takes to be a hero. While in his home, Meg appears, and gets Hercules to come with her for an evening rendezvous. However, Meg's intentions are to secretly find Hercules' weakness, but as the night goes on, she begins to find him charming. The mood is broken when Phil and Pegasus show up to take Hercules home. During the flight away, Phil ends up getting hit by a tree, and falls off Pegasus. When he comes to, he sees Meg talking to Hades, with their conversation sounding as if Meg has been two-timing Hercules. In truth, Meg refuses to go along with Hades plan, claiming that Hercules has no weakness...which leads Hades to believe that she IS that weakness.

    Back at Thebes Stadium, Phil tries to convince Hercules of what he saw, but Hercules angrily hits Phil. Phil, hurt by his protege's backlash, gets up and leaves. Once Phil is gone, Hades appears, and offers Hercules an ultimatum: if Hercules gives up his powers for 24 hours, Hades will allow Meg to go free, with the provision that the deal will be voided if any harm comes to her. Hercules goes through with the deal, only to have Hades then tell Hercules how Meg was working for him. Now drained of his strength, Hercules can only watch as Hades lets loose the Titans that Zeus had imprisoned years earlier.

    Hades sends a giant cyclops to Thebes to destroy the City. Even though Hercules is drained of his strength, he still tries to stop the creature. Fearing that he'll be killed, Meg and Pegasus find Phil, who they convince to return and help his student. With Phil's help and some ingenuity, Hercules ends up blinding and finishing off the cyclops, but in the process, Meg is gravely injured.

    Her injury causes Hades' deal to expire, and Hercules receives his strength back. With Phil watching over Meg, Hercules and Pegasus fly to Mt Olympus, where the Titans have all but over-powered Zeus and the other gods. Hercules helps turn the tide of battle, and ends up taking care of the Titans, and Hades angrily retreats to the Underworld.

    When Hercules returns to Thebes, Phil reveals that Meg has died. Upset by this, Hercues descends into the Underworld to get her back. Hercules makes a deal with Hades, that he will take Meg's place if he rescues her from the River of Death. Hades accepts the deal, sure that Hercules will die before he can save her.

    It seems Hercules will die, but upon reaching Meg, he suddenly begins to glow yellow, having achieved god status by risking his life to save her. Hercules manages to get Meg out of the River of Death, much to Hades ranting and protestations, several of which cause Hercules to send him flying into the river, where the dead attempt to drown him.

    Hercules, Pegasus, Phil and Meg then fly to Mt Olympus where the gods are waiting to welcome Hercules back, now that he has become a 'True Hero.' However, Hercules chooses to stay on Earth, but still be able to visit his family.

    The film ends as one of the gods creates a constellation in the sky of Hercules, making Phil swell with pride that he was able to train a legend and a god.

View All Hercules Reviews

Critic Reviews

Desson Thomson
November 16, 2009
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

[An] insipid, lifeless, animated feature. Full Review

Rita Kempley
October 18, 2008
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

Chock-full of celeb cameos, puns and contemporary camp, the movie is annoyingly hip. Full Review

Richard Corliss
September 1, 2008
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

This is a bright movie, in both senses of the word. Full Review

Leonard Klady
September 1, 2008
Leonard Klady, Variety

It's a winning tall tale, cleverly told and wonderfully voiced... Full Review

Peter Stack
June 18, 2002
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle

What fun! Full Review

Kenneth Turan
February 14, 2001
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Light on its feet and continually amusing, this free-spirited show-biz version of Greek mythology ranks with the best of modern Disney animation. Full Review

Janet Maslin
January 1, 2000
Janet Maslin, New York Times

On any level, earthly or otherwise, the ingenious new animated Hercules is pretty divine. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Jumps into the ancient legends feet-first, cheerfully tossing out what won't fit and combining what's left into a new look and a lighthearted style. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Hercules has the dubious distinction of being the least-enchanting cartoon Disney has fashioned in over a decade. Full Review

Susan Wloszczyna
January 1, 2000
Susan Wloszczyna, USA Today

Furiously fast and fiendishly funny.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Anastasia
    Anastasia (80%)
  • The Little Mermaid
    The Little Mermaid (70%)
  • Aladdin
    Aladdin (84%)
  • The Jungle Book
    The Jungle Book (100%)

More Movies like Hercules

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Meg: For a true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.
    • Hades: Game. Set. Match.
    • Hades: So is this an audience or a mosaic?
    • Hades: Uh, guys? Olympus would be that way.
    • Zeus: So, Hades, you finally made it. How are things in the underworld?
    • Hades: Well, they're just fine. You know, a little dark, a little gloomy. And, as always, hey, full of dead people.
    • Hercules: Aren't you... a damsel in distress?
    • Meg: I'm a damsel, I'm in distress, I can handle this. Have a nice day.
Submit a Fact | View All

Hercules : Watch Free on TV

Hercules Trivia

  • which disney film had a flying horse called pegasus?  Answer »
  • which of the following are all characters in hercules?  Answer »
  • Identify the character from the following clues - I'm very strong - I want to be a Hero - My real parents live in mount Olympus (They are gods) - I fell in love with a woman called Meg - Hades wants to kill me  Answer »
  • In the movie, Hercules; Where was Hercules born?  Answer »
More Hercules Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Hercules Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Hercules to favorites

Recent News

Submit a Story |

View Hercules News

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

JennifairyW Skin by JennifairyW
75 Profiles
Add to Profile

More Skins