Review: "The Legend of Hercules" is Tolerable

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Legend of Hercules (2014)
Running time:  99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 sequences of intense combat action and violence, and for some sensuality
DIRECTOR:  Renny Harlin
WRITERS:  Sean Hood and Daniel Giat
PRODUCERS:  Boaz Davidson, Renny Harlin, Danny Lerner, and Les Weldon
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Sam McCurdy
EDITOR:  Vincent Tabaillon
COMPOSER:  Tuomas Kantelinen

FANTASY/ACTION

Starring:  Kellan Lutz, Gaia Weiss, Scott Adkins, Roxanne McKee, Liam Garrigan, Liam McIntyre, Rade Serbedzija, and Johnathon Schaech

The Legend of Hercules is a 2014 action-fantasy film from director Renny Harlin.  This movie is based on mythical Greek hero, Hercules.  It offers a new origin story of Hercules and finds him learning to embrace his destiny, as he fights a brutal king.  Although they do not receive credit on screen, director Renny Harlin and Giulio Steve apparently co-wrote the screenplay for The Legend of Hercules, along with credited writers, Sean Hood and Daniel Giat.

The Legend of Hercules opens in 1220 B.C. in the nation of Argos in Southern Greece.  King Amphitryon of Tiryns (Scott Adkins) leads his army in a bid to conquer Argos and to defeat its king, Galenus.  Queen Alcmene of Tiryns (Roxanne McKee), disgusted by her husband’s warmongering, begs the gods for guidance.  The goddess Hera sends a message that Alcmene will give birth to the son of the god, Zeus, and that this son will be the savior of her people.

Alcmene gives birth to a child that Amphitryon names Alcides, but that the Queen names Hercules.  Hercules (Kellan Lutz) grows into a strong young man, and he falls in love with Hebe (Gaia Weiss), daughter of the King of Crete.  That love turns Hercules into an exile.  Now, the half-human and half-god young hero must use his formidable power to fight his way back to Tiryns in order to save Hebe and his kingdom.

Hmm… What to say?  I did enjoy some of The Legend of Hercules, but the best word to describe it is “mediocre.”  It is one of those sword-and-sandal movies (like the 2004 film, Troy) that would work better as a sword-and-sorcery film (the Conan movies).  Like 2004’s Troy, The Legend of Hercules drains the myth of its magic (although not quite as much or as badly as Troy did), and the movie clearly suffers for it.

The acting is bad.  Kellan Lutz, best known for his role in the Twilight film franchise, is pretty bad here.  He looks like someone took one of those overly muscular G.I. Joe dolls and gave it action figure steroids.  I swear you can see the stretch marks on Lutz’s bulging muscles, as if his workouts have tortured his skin.  The poor acting exception is Liam McIntyre; as Hercules’ cohort, Captain Sotiris, McIntyre gives a performance that is good enough to make it stand out from the rest of cast, which seems to sleepwalk or shuffle through this film.  [Well, Scott Adkins eagerly throws himself into overacting as King Amphitryon.]

So if you want to watch action-fantasy with sword-fighting, battles, and Greek heroes, The Legend of Hercules will do.  At least, it is not puffed up with pomposity, superiority, and pride like Warner Bros. 300 film franchise.

4 of 10
C

Friday, May 09, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer Says: Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day, Mama.  Happy Mother's Day to mothers, grannies, aunties, surrogates, sisters, those who mother, and the women in our lives.

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Negromancer News Bites and Bits: Saturday, May 10, 2014 - UPDATE #1

Ray Subers at Box Office Mojo wrote an interesting piece about the release-date stand off between Walt Disney Picture-Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures regarding the untitled Superman/Batman movie and "Captain America 3." The showdown is May 6, 2016.

New CSI - CSI-Cyber - from EW.com.

Roberto Orci as director of Star Trek (reboot) 3? Well, I actually like... love the reboot movies. From Collider.

More Wolverine - even more than expected - from Collider.

Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt Race Around the World for "Edge of Tomorrow"

"Edge of Tomorrow" -- Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt Chase Tomorrow Right to the Edge: Three Premieres / Three Countries / One Day

Stars race against time to meet fans in London, Paris and New York on an unprecedented Red Carpet Repeat tour

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On May 28, the stars of “Edge of Tomorrow” will take part in a groundbreaking worldwide event when, for the first time ever, three fan premieres will be held in three different countries in just one day, “resetting” the red carpet as Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt race the clock to make each event before time runs out.

In “Edge of Tomorrow,” Cruise’s character relives the events of one day over and over in an epic battle to save the world. The story begins as he arrives in London, making that city the perfect place to kick off this global event.

All times are local:

•     7:00 a.m. inaugural premiere kicks off on the carpet in London, with a 9:00 a.m. screening.

The film takes both characters to France, where they face off against an insurmountable army of alien invaders.

•     2:00 p.m. red carpet in Paris, screening at 4:00 p.m.

The final premiere will take the stars back to the U.S.

•     10:00 p.m. red carpet in New York City, with the final screening—on the edge of tomorrow—at 11:59 p.m.

Between cities, Cruise, Blunt and the film’s director, Doug Liman, will interact with fans via social media as they jet from country to country. A contingent of select press will travel to each premiere, covering the events as they unfold.

There will be live stream components for each of the three events. Those fans on the ground can network via social media using #EOTLive.

Oscar® nominee Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt star in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ sci-fi thriller “Edge of Tomorrow,” under the direction of Doug Liman.

The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world.

Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again.

But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

The international cast also includes Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Noah Taylor, Kick Gurry, Dragomir Mrsic, Charlotte Riley, Jonas Armstrong, Franz Drameh, Masayoshi Haneda and Tony Way.

Liman directed “Edge of Tomorrow” from a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth, based on the novel entitled All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Erwin Stoff produced, along with Tom Lassally, Jeffrey Silver, Gregory Jacobs and Jason Hoffs. The executive producers are Doug Liman, David Bartis, Joby Harold, Hidemi Fukuhara and Bruce Berman, with Tim Lewis and Kim Winther serving as co-producers.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a 3 Arts Production, in association with Viz Productions, a Doug Liman Film, “Edge of Tomorrow.” Opening domestically on June 6, 2014, the film will be distributed in 2D and 3D in select theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow.

This movie has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and brief suggestive material.

edgeoftomorrowmovie.com

Statement from the Family of Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.

Missed this from last week: Zimbalist was best known for the 1960s-70s TV series, The F.B.I.  He also provided the voice of Alfred Pennyworth in Batman: The Animated Series and characters in Spider-Man and Iron Man animated series - LD

Statement from Stephanie Zimbalist and Efrem Zimbalist III:
May 02, 2014 08:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time

SOLVANG, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--We are heartbroken to announce the passing into peace of our beloved father, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., today at his Solvang, Calif. ranch. He was 95 years old. A devout Christian, he actively enjoyed his life to the last day, showering love on his extended family, playing golf, and visiting with close friends. We will miss him dearly.

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