Our protagonist, Hercules, reminds me of Aladdin is a few different ways. First of all, they are both great creations by Disney. Hercules has a dream, and he is determined to make that dream a reality. This is the classic Disney character arc that continues to work in this film. Secondly, Hercules and Aladdin are the heart and soul behind their respected films. We care about this film as a whole because of Herc's actions and quest, but perhaps the greatest comparison I can make between Hercules and Aladdin is that both iconic figures are surrounded by scene-stealers in their ensembles. Meg is legitimately one of Disney's best characters from the Renaissance. I cannot applaud and praise Susan Egan's performance more because it is simply sensational. Every scene starring Meg is an instant classic. Herc's trainer, Phil, is brought to life by the incomparable Danny DeVito, and that fact alone should be enough to explain why I love Phil so much. In the same line of dialogue, DeVito makes us laugh hysterically while also touching our hearts in the process. When Phil is explaining to Hercules about his dream of having a trainee of his recognized by the gods, DeVito shines like never before. Herc's trusty steed, Pegasus, provides some superb physical comedy, especially during their first encounter with Meg. The entire cast of gods is spectacular creations as well. As I huge fan of Greek/Roman mythology, seeing Disney bring these legends to life is still astonishing to behold.
Once again, though, it is a villain that stands out among the crowd. If The Hunchback of Notre Dame is the most underrated film in my book, Hades may just be the most underrated villain of all-time. Disney's unprecedented string of bonafide casting moves for their villains continued in Hercules as James Woods provides the perfect voice for Hades. The film is at its best when Hades is on the screen. Our introduction to Hades near the beginning of the film when he crashes Herc's birthday party is one of the film's many highlights. It allows for a supremely entertaining scene to transpire while also developing this fantastic villain beautifully. Beyond being downright dastardly, though, Hades knows how to entertain us as Woods continually makes us laugh time and time again. His sidekicks, Pain and Panic, are solid additions to the ensemble as well. To this day, whenever someone starts a sentence with "If," I cannot help but to respond, "If...if is good."
The Disney Renaissance and Alan Menken are truly synonymous with one another, and with Hercules, Menken strikes yet again! The entire soundtrack for Hercules is just about as underrated as the film itself. The Muses provide such a spark whenever they are performing, and luckily for us, that happens often. The opening number, "The Gospel Truth," is such a creative and lively way to set up the story without getting bogged down in the details. Through the three unique renditions of this song, the story is set and then progressed, our characters are developed splendidly, and the audience is thoroughly entertained. "Zero to Hero" is similar to The Lion King's "Hakuna Matata" in the sense that it occurs about halfway through the film to bridge the gap between the first and second halves of the film. However, it not only is inserted to progress the story, but it is extraordinarily entertaining as well. Herc's inward thought song, "Go the Distance," is a powerful anthem featuring superb animation and a knockout performance from Roger Bart. Meg's defining moment, "I Won't Say I'm in Love," is the highlight of the entire film in my opinion (read more about this number below). Finally, the Muses bring this epic film to an epic conclusion with "A Star is Born." You will not be able to avoid singing along to this song as the closing credits roll.
I think Hercules gets an unfair treatment by some Disney fans. Some consider it to be too playful and too tailor-made for children. For me, though, therein lies the charm of this film. Its uniqueness should be celebrated. Honestly, Hercules is probably a film that some folks want to dislike, but when they actually watch it, it is impossible to dislike this film. Just because something is different doesn't make it any less classical. Hercules is a phenomenal film that earns its spot among the great animated films in Disney history undoubtedly, and that's the gospel truth.
Rating: 10/10
Historical Significance: Disney has always displayed a tremendous ability to cast the perfect actor to voice their villains, and James Woods as Hades is yet another brilliant casting choice. Hades was originally going to be a rather slow character, conniving villain, but once Woods was cast, the character was drastically changed because the filmmakers were so impressed by his quick, witty improvisations. While the character and script were altered, Woods ad-libbed most of Hades's lines anyway. He claims that Hades is his all-time favorite character he has ever portrayed. To prove this love, Woods told Disney that he would voice the Lord of the Underworld anytime the studio was going to use him in future projects. Disney took advantage of that offer, periodically bringing back Woods for the House of Mouse television series, the Kingdom Hearts video games, and the Hercules television series.
Behind the Scenes: Immediately, you can tell that the tone of Hercules is drastically different from the tone of Disney's previous two films, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The studio had received criticism for the darkness and mature themes found in those two films, so in response, Disney created Hercules to lighten the mood. Also, perhaps the best Disney Easter egg appears in Hercules. In The Lion King, Zazu mentions that Scar would make for an excellent throw rug. In Hercules, when Herc is posing for a painting, he is wearing a lion's skin that Phil eventually uses to wipe paint off his face. That lion skin belonged to Scar, fulfilling Zazu's prophecy. Furthermore, the Hydra scene was widely considered to be the most difficult scene to animate in the entire film, and one of the toughest ever for the studio. In fact, it would take the animators anywhere from six to fourteen hours to animate the Hydra depending on how many heads it had at that particular moment.
Favorite Character: I almost went with Meg for this section, but I just couldn't pick against Hades. James Woods turns in one of the best vocal performances of all-time, making Hades a villain we love to hate. Hades is everything a villain should be: charming, witty, diabolical, contriving, and the list goes on and on. Every time he is on the screen, I find myself laughing hysterically while also being terrified simultaneously. The filmmakers and animators did an outstanding job bringing Hades to life. My only problem with Hades in this film is he never sings, and who wouldn't love to hear Hades sing? However, therein lies the awesome characteristic of Hades: he doesn't need a show-stopping number to prove his vileness, and that is why he is one of my favorite villains of all-time.
Favorite Scene/Song: Meg is such a fascinating character. Susan Egan brings so many layers and adds multiple dimensions to this complex character, and her shining moment comes in the "I Won't Say I'm in Love" sequence. Up to this point, we have felt Meg's heartbreak as she forcefully serves Hades, and when Hercules enters her life, we are cheering wholeheartedly for her to break through and admit that life does indeed have purpose now. This song is an excellent way of accomplishing just that in one of the most entertaining and tender scenes in the entire film. Plus, the Muses arrive and, as per usual, steal the show. Whenever they align into the Haunted Mansion bust formation, I have the biggest smile on my face every time. Add that to Alan Menken's superb music, Egan's performance, the character development of Meg and you have one of the best scenes from the Disney Renaissance.Updated Ranking: I made the statement in my review yesterday that Hercules may be the second most underrated film in the Disney canon. I believe this ranking reflects those thoughts.
- Beauty and the Beast
- The Lion King
- Aladdin
- The Little Mermaid
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Peter Pan
- Cinderella
- The Jungle Book
- Sleeping Beauty
- Hercules
- Pinocchio
- Lady and the Tramp
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Alice in Wonderland
- Dumbo
- Bambi
- 101 Dalmatians
- Pocahontas
- The Great Mouse Detective
- Fantasia
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
- The AristoCats
- The Rescuers Down Under
- Fun and Fancy Free
- The Fox and the Hound
- Robin Hood
- Melody Time
- The Three Caballeros
- Saludos Amigos
- Oliver & Company
- The Rescuers
- The Sword in the Stone
- Make Mine Music
- The Black Cauldron
I will be out of town for the next week and a half, so the Summer of Magic will be taking a quick hiatus from June 30 to July 9. However, we will return on July 10 with Mulan! Until then, rank these films for yourself, choose a favorite character or song, and, above all, appreciate the magic. After all, that is why the Summer of Magic exists in the first place.
-Cody Fleenor
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