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The truth is the 16th movie on my list is a lot like Alice in Wonderland as its less than sum of its parts coupled with some weird decisions to the narrative and YET it still a fun watch.
Hercules is a strange yet fun entry into the Disney Pantheon. It has an imaginative art style, inventive use of song style, a great fresh take on a Villain and leading lady. I love how Megara a cynical underlying which pairs nicely against Hercules’ nativity.I love Hades wheeling and dealing persona and that he actually keeps his word on deals.
However this movie does one the most fantastical narrative points in any story ever, it makes Zeus into a loving family-man. But more than that, the story of Hercules’ rise to hero is plays out like a sport film though thankfully it doesn’t resort to him being a centered ego-manic. The plot and all the liberties to the myths are a weird to say the least. However this movie has a lot of highs despite all the narrative nitpicks.
It a shame Hades didn’t get a villain song, there should be more Disney Hades. I would LOVE to see Disney do a take on the Hades/Persephone myth but this this version the god because they already did it in the 30s but that Hades was more like Mephisto from Faust.
Side note – Is it just me or Phil’s song “One Last Hope” song musically very similar to “A Guy like you?”
