Hercules packs a 'Rock' punch

| Friday September 5, 2014 12:57

 

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is back at it again ladies and gettlemen, in my books one of the most hardworking actors in Hollywood with an average movie release of two to three films per year.

Last year he thrilled us with GI Joe: Retaliation as a special task force agent, and drove us wild in Fast and Furious 6 when he joined forces with Vin Diesel and the late Paul Walker. 

This year The Rock is back again, but this time in 3D as half man, part God in Hercules.  Brett Ratner is the director.  Ratner is renowned for producing the hit TV series Prison Break, as well as directing X-Men The Last Stand. With his latest film, Ratner has pieced together a thrilling legendary story for movie enthusiasts.

Hercules has a scintillating trailer, and the movie does deliver on that promise set forth by teaser in the sense that the screenplay is well done. There is a lot of action from the onset, with his imposing muscles.  Hercules battles the Lernaean Hydra, slays the Erymanthian Boar, and kills the Nemean Lion with his bare hands within the opening minutes of the film to set the tone.

This particular introduction of the film is of course one of its best moments.  Credit has to go towards the screenplay writers Ryan Condal and Evan Spiliotopoulo. 

The scenery is superb, apart from the fact that this movie is in 3D, one has to applaud the fact the visuals have depth in the imagery, unlike most ancient war movies like Troy, 300 and Sparta. Hercules director Ratner and his crew went all out and made this exceptionally clear and visible as most of the scenes and action sequence occurred in broad daylight making images captivating.

Watching this movie, one does not have to struggle to zoom their eye lenses in, and focus to get a better view of darker pictures.  There is no such thing in this epic, as everything is quality.

Meanwhile, Hercules also keeps one on the edge of their seat in the cinema with some fresh stunts that complement the storyline.

There is no way one can help it, but much to everyone’s delight who got to watch the movie alongside yours truly will mention that the characters were all good.

Talk about the battle in Bessi, which is in central Thrace the fight with bald tattooed knife wielding men.  Every character got to showcase to the audience their true potential.

Hercules’ ‘Rock’ punch that totally knocks out the tattoo natives leader flat cold with a single blow, Antalanta’s (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal) accurate long-range archery, Amphiaraus’ (Ian McShane) hilarious moments that add a twist of humour even in the time of battle. The entire audience in cinema laughed their lungs out when McShane stood still twice waiting for flaming spears to stab him with his character expressing that it is his moment, which was rather outrageous.

Now to the 3D aspect of the movie, this is a whole new experience.

A fantastic experience to say the least, Hercules gives one a unique feel when watching this film as you get to feel part of the movie.  I got a fright, as did the others within the audience when we were watching, there was this moment that Hercules was fighting one of Lord Cotys’ soldiers after the deception and dispatched them of their knifes in the heat of a struggle.

The knife got thrown off the hand and swung at the same time spinning as if towards the movie enthusiasts glued to the big screen. Nearly almost everybody made an evasive reaction away from the knife, which was quite thrilling to watch in 3D.

One can applaud the screenplay team for dishing together a breathtaking play and stunt that gives viewers something to remember the movie with.

In Hercules, Ratner tells a story about Greek methology. The movie is narrated by Hercules’ nephew Iolaus (Reece Ritchie).

Iolaus is being held hostage by a band of pirates who suspend him over a long, jagged spear of rock aimed at his nether regions.

Hercules posits that the legends of its titular hero have the power of scaring men into submission, but these pirates temporarily prove the exception.

Clad in fur and covered in smoke, Hercules announces his new role as mercenary for anyone willing to pay his price.  A crew of people joined him including Amphiaraus the Oracle (Ian McShane) and an Amazonian archer Atalanta (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal).

After dispatching the pirates and saving his nephew from a stalagmite-like enema, Hercules’ next job for hire is at the behest of Lord Cotys (John Hurt).

Cotys wants to stop the terrible reign of Rhesus, a leader who supposedly possesses ruthless powers of persuasion.  With Cotys’ army far too untalented to face Rhesus, double the payment of gold convinces Hercules to lead Cotys’ hapless army into war. 

After defying the odds by defeating Rhesus, Hercules soon discovers how he has been fighting for the wrong team when Cotys proves his deception to the son of Zeus.

However, the selfish emperor learns the hard way not to mess with gods.

Hercules is on its fourth week now, which might be its last in cinemas as it is having a torrid time at the box office.  Having not had a huge impact, this movie is slipping down the chart out of the top 10 as new movie releases like Lucy, Let’s Be Cops seek to topple Guardians Of The Galaxy off the number one spot.

The movie continues to rake in money on its fifth week. All in all Hercules is such an exciting movie also a good 3D experience and I would give it an 8.5/10 rating.  So you guys should make a date to watch this before its screen time is over.