DVD: Hercules

Given Hercules stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and is directed by Brett Ratner, the man behind the Rush Hour films, currently signed on to helm Beverley Hills Cop IV, few would expect anything but a mindless multiplex romp.

And that’s exactly what they get although it’s a shame brains must be so completely switched off since much more fun could have been had with this, especially given a strong supporting cast that includes John Hurt, Peter Mullan and Joseph Fiennes. Marvel films such as Avengers Assemble and Guardians of the Galaxy have ably demonstrated that it’s possible to entertain 14-year-old boys while retaining comedy, likeability and general post-modern smarts tailored to all ages and sexes.

Those expecting the 12 labours of Hercules will also be disappointed for these are quickly glossed over in the opening sequence and the Hercules we’re introduced to is a mercenary roaming about with a band of reprobate stereotypes, played by the likes of Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell and Norwegian actress Ingrid Bolsø Berdal. They’re asked by the King of Thrace (Hurt) to deal with his enemies, whereupon the film falls into familiar Magnificent Seven-style, training-the-farmers territory and endless talk of “shield walls” (which the screenplay becomes obsessed with, for no particular reason). However, there’s a double cross along the way and Hercules must face an event from his own violent past.

This latter bloodbath plays on the original Greek legend of Heracles, and the film tries to have fun with mundane reality falling short of myth. Creatures such as centaurs and Cerberus, the three-headed hound of Hades, are placed in context and it’s intimated that Hercules's heroic status is a crafty con, but any amusement value is simply frittered away. Mainly the film is an excuse to watch lots of CGI battles featuring bearded, long-haired Johnson in a breastplate. As soon as it’s all over, it becomes hard to recall much else.

Extras for the Blu-Ray edition include an extended version, deleted scenes, interviews with Johnson and Ratner, and mini-docs on the weapons, the battles, the effects and the background behind Hercules’s gang of mercenaries.

Overleaf: Watch the trailer for Hercules