HERCULES 3D [2014] [3D Blu-ray + 2D Blu-ray] [UK Release]
Dwayne Johnson is the Mighty HERCULES!
DWAYNE JOHNSON delivers an unforgettable performance as THE MIGHTY HERCULES! When a terrifying new enemy threatens the innocent, Hercules and his fearless team of warriors must lead their army in a battle against overwhelming odds. It will take the strength of a god for Hercules to overcome his past and conquer his foes in this epic adventure that the critics are calling, “a terrific blockbuster!”
FILM FACT No1: Awards and Nominations: 2014 Teen Choice Awards: Nominated: Choice Summer Movie Star for Dwayne Johnson. Nominated: Choice Summer Movie.
FILM FACT No2: To prepare for the role, Dwayne Johnson took on a gruelling training routine, stating: "I trained and worked harder than ever for 8 months for this role. Lived alone and locked myself away (like a moody 260-lb. monk) in Budapest for 6 months while filming. Goal was to completely transform into this character. Disappear in the role. Press journalist asked me today, with the mental and physical toll the role had on me, would I do it again? Not only would I do it again...I'd do it twice." Steve Moore, a writer whose name is used in the promotion of the film, wanted to have his name disassociated from the adaptation before his death, according to an interview excerpt with his friend, acclaimed writer Alan Moore (no relation).
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Rufus Sewell, Aksel Hennie, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Reece Ritchie, Joseph Fiennes, Tobias Santelmann, Peter Mullan, Rebecca Ferguson, Isaac Andrews, Joe Anderson, Stephen Peacocke, Nicholas Moss, Robert Whitelock, Irina Shayk, Christopher Fairbank, Ian Whyte, Karolina Szymczak, Matt Devere, Máté Haumann, Barbara Palvin, Tonia Sotiropoulou, Caroline Boulton, Robert Maillet, Oliver Doherty, Tom Doherty, Panka Kovacs, Mark C. Phelan, John Cross, Peter Ivanyi, Erika Marozsán, Nóra Lili Hörich, Athina Papadimitriu, Anna Trokán, Judit Viktor, Csilla Baksa, Elena V. Holovcsak, Petra Piringer, Erika Lajos, Dora Kanizsa, Sydney van den Bosch, Lilla Bozoki, Dalma Lörincz, Patricia Hegedus, Timea Palacsik, Benjamin Blankenship, Erik Orgovan, Shay Sabag, Anna Zsíros, Jean Pigozzi, Anna Skidanova, Kristina Starostina, Dorottya Podmaniczky, Lilla Babos, Aden G. Wright, Tamas Csernus, Jenei Attila (uncredited), Miklós Bányai (uncredited), Jenei Csaba (uncredited), Sebastien Cuk (uncredited), Kalle Hennie (uncredited), Kornelia Horvath (uncredited), Irina Konstantinova (uncredited), Ócsai Krisztián (uncredited), Zoltan Lörincz (uncredited), Anthony Milton (uncredited), Adam Nemet (uncredited), Sergej Onopko (uncredited), Daniel Westwood (uncredited) and András Ábel (uncredited)
Director: Brett Ratner
Producers: Barry Levine, Beau Flynn, Brett Ratner, Hiram Garcia, Jesse Berger, Peter Berg, Ross Fanger and Sarah Aubrey
Screenplay: Evan Spiliotopoulos, Ryan J. Condal and Steve Moore (based on Radical Comics' "Hercules")
Composers: Fernando Velázquez and Johannes Vogel
Cinematography: Dante Spinotti, A.S.C., A.I.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio: English: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio,
English: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio Descriptions
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English and English SDH
Running Time: 98 minutes
Number of discs: 2
Region: All Regions
Studio: Paramount Pictures / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: 2014 seems to be saturated with sword and sandal films, and most of them are about Hercules himself for some reason. I was mildly (emphasis on the world “mildly”) entertained by ‘The Legend of Hercules,’ but was really intrigued when I saw that “The Rock” was planning his own whirl at the famous demigod. Who else besides the Rock “could” play him well? As Hercules he is supposed to be a man of gigantic proportions and with incredible charisma. Check box one, and check box two seem to be complete, and with the trailer showing Hercules crushing a giant house sized boar with an oversized club, I was immediately in line for tickets to the cinema. Ironically much of what’s in the film is ALL in first 10 minutes of the film, with the rest of the 88 minute runtime dealing with a completely different plot device.
‘HERCULES’ [2014] is derived from the graphic novel, “The Thracian Wars,” the tale is about Hercules and his band of mercenary misfits taking on a mission to get the Thracian people up to speed against a legendary enemy. This band of misfits includes older and wiser soldier/prophet Amphiaraus [Ian McShane], Amazonian warrior Atalanta [Ingrid Berdal], Smart mouthed swordsman Autolycus [Rufus Sewell], mute savage Tydeus [Aksel Hennie], and of course the man with the gift of gab, Hercules younger nephew Iolaus [Reece Ritchi]. Set after Hercules has concluded his 12 trials, and after the death of his wife and son, the motley crew are taking money from the highest bidder, and unfortunately for them, this bidder turns out to be more than they bargained for. Originally just a simple job of training the Thracian military to fight against a ruthless enemy, the game changes quickly as friend becomes foe, and the enemy is not who they appear to be. Hercules has to not only defeat this legendary enemy, but the demons haunting his soul over the death of his wife and child, transforming him from a man behind the legend, into the legend itself.
‘HERCULES’ 3D runs a fine line with the demigod attribute of the legend, making it seem like Hercules is just a man at times. A man with incredible power and utilising trickery to puff himself up in to a legend of overblown proportions. Then you look at some of the moves he pulls off and Brett Ratner teases with the idea that “maybe Hercules really IS born of godhood”? Even at the very end that carrot is still dangling in front of the viewer, having them double check the film to see just “where” that turning point is where you actually “know” if he is or not. At first I was a bit frustrated by it, but as the story goes on it really allows the viewer to decide for themselves whether he has some supernatural power or not. It never comes out and tells you, but gives you “just” enough to make the decision for yourself, and have neither side’s opinion be wrong.
Now the plotline itself is nothing new, it’s your classic double cross tale set in ancient Greece. Nothing new is there and nothing new is taken away, as you’re really there for only one thing. To see Hercules smash things with a huge club and that we have in spades. The action sequences are quick and neatly paced, with much less quick cuts than I would have expected in this era of film making. The sidekicks are just as fun as Hercules himself, as Ian McShane subtly adds some dry humour to the story and Rufus Sewell’s smart mouthed warrior comes off as a lot of fun. The rest of the cast is fairly throwaway in nature, but John Hurt is so deliciously evil and sociopathic that you just can’t wait until he has his much due comeuppance.
For some strange reason, the huge bushy beard “The Rock” was sporting kind of weird me out. It wasn’t so much that he HAD facial hair, as I’ve seen it before, but the full bushy beard was kind of strange on his face. I guess they wanted to differentiate from “The Rock” of old and give him a new look for a period piece. Interestingly enough Dwayne Johnson is actually looking BIGGER than he did in ‘Fast & Furious 6,’ where he was covered up in armour most of the time, and he literally towers head and shoulders over all the other actors, giving him a very herculean look. I was a bit disappointed by the “I AM HERCULES” yell, being that all the producers, directors and Dwayne Johnson himself had hyped up how legendary it was, but I have to say, the only reason you’re going to be seeing this film is to watch The Rock smash things with a club and don’t worry, you won’t be at all disappointed.
3D Blu-ray Image Quality – ‘HERCULES’ 3D comes to us from Paramount Pictures with a fantastic 2.40:1 aspect ratio and awesome 1080p encoded image transfer. Colours lean towards very earthy browns and has that golden colour grading to it, giving the film a very period piece feel and texture to it. Still there are plenty of other colours to go around, from the green of the savage village people’s body paint, to the elaborate burnished reds of the Thracian army uniforms and the whites and purples of the royal robes. Detail is fantastic as you can see every crease and wrinkle on John Hurt’s face and even the stretch marks on the Rock’s (I still can’t call him Dwayne Johnson, in my mind he’s still “The Rock”) upper shoulders and neck from his massive muscle gain over the years. Contrast is very nice, and never boosted or lacking in any scenes, and the black levels are nice and inky. I looked and couldn’t notice any compression artefacts at all, whether it be simple macro blocking or digital manipulation by the studios. Except for some very minor soft spots in a couple of scenes, this entire transfer is reference from beginning to end. The 3D presentation is a very awesome pleasing experience for a converted 3D image, and did not much dimmer the presentation even with the addition of the 3D glasses. The foreground shows a lot of layering, with multiple layers going back to the background in descending sequence. Strangely enough the foreground characters look a little flat and 2 dimensional, even though they are popped straight into the viewer’s eyes at most times. What really stands out here is the inanimate objects that are turned 3D. The dust and debris kicked up from the battlefield looks awe inspiring and as it adds a huge layer of depth to the picture, and the weapons have some awesome pop out moments. Sadly some of the character actors themselves had shown a bit more three dimensionality acting ability, I would have given the film a bit more oomph, but with the 3D image, it helps makes the film more enjoyable.
3D Blu-ray Audio Quality – It was announced that ‘HERCULES’ 3D would come with a Dolby Atmos track via the original press release from Paramount Pictures, but it has arrived with a new press release that it is a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, and that is what we have on this Blu-ray disc. But Paramount Pictures has announced that Dolby Atmos will be coming out for other Blu-ray releases, but this one wasn’t able to have it on the disc for an undisclosed reason. Still, for those of you who aren’t banking on Dolby Atmos this is one incredible surround track, filled with raw throbbing power and kind of aggressive nature you’ve come to love with an action track. The surrounds blend seamlessly with the front sound stage, giving a 360 degree field of immersion makes the sound nerd in me giggle with pure joy. The dialogue is never drowned out by the aggressive sound mix, but comes through with crystal clarity, and is right there in the front row, pounding away mercilessly. It’s never that overpowering, but it’s blended in with the track so seamlessly that there is no room for complain. It’s a top notch sound track and despite the exclusion of Dolby Atmos that we may have been waiting for, it is not going to disappoint you one bit.
2D Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Audio Commentary by Brett Ratner and Beau Flynn: Director Brett Ratner and Producer Beau Flynn cover the project's origins and Brett Ratner's desire to direct a "Sword and Sandal" picture. Various versions of ‘HERCULES’ have been made over the years, but with this film it is much more realistic and well grounded, sets and shooting locales, special effects, cast and performances, and other filmmaking anecdotes are divulged. Topics of discussion include the film's inception, their appreciation for the source material, casting and development, production stories and the expected amount of personal recollections and back-patting. Also with Brett Ratner and Beau Flynn audio commentary, who serve up well worth in-depth information during the whole of the 98 minutes running time. It is a decent enough audio commentary track, and I should imagine that fans of this film will get exactly what they're expecting here and nothing more.
Special Feature: An Introduction by Brett Ratner and Dwayne Johnson [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [5:32] The director and actor discuss their long-time passion for the character, also Dwayne Johnson's injury and the resultant threat to the film, and pushing forward with the project.
Special Feature: Hercules and His Mercenaries [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [11:07] A deeper look into several main characters and the actors who performed them. Also examined are the costuming and makeup, physical preparations, riding chariots, and the sense of family amongst the crew. Contributors include: Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Rebecca Ferguson, Aksel Hennie, Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane, Allan Poppleton, Stephen Ralphs, Brett Ratner, Reece Ritchie and Rufus Sewell.
Special Feature: Weapons! [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [5:24] Here we get a closer look at the weapons that the main characters get to wield in the film.
Special Feature: The Bessi Battle [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [11:54] This special feature supplement gives the viewer a closer look into making one of the film's major action sequences, including shooting locales, makeup, actor preparation, and fight choreography. Contributors include: Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Neil Corbould, Beau Flynn, Aksel Hennie, Paul Hornsby, Dwayne Johnson, Tina Jones, Ian McShane, Conor O'Sullivan, Allan Poppleton, Greg Powell, Jean-Vincent Puzos, Brett Ratner, Rufus Sewell, Jany Temime and Tim Wildgoose.
Special Feature: The Effects of ‘HERCULES’ [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [12:28] Here we take a look at the blend of practical and digital effects in the film, including digital landscapes and computerised arrows. Contributors include: John Bruno, Neil Corbould, John Hurt, Dwayne Johnson, Greg Powell and Brett Ratner.
Special Feature: 15 Deleted and Extended Scenes [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] Zeus & Alcmene [1:00]; Gryza Left Hanging [0:41]; Extended Training [Extended Scenes] [1:43]; Sitacles and Atlanta [1:28]; Words For Arius [Extended Scenes] [0:27]; Bessi Aftermath [0:35]; Phineas Saved [0:54]; Hercules Banished [1:02]; Blood Rage [Extended Scenes] [1:06]; Phineas Revealed [Extended Scenes] [0:38]; Hercules’ Longer Speech [Extended Scenes] [0:52]; Atalanta Shoots Phineas [Extended Scenes] [0:14]; Phineas Runs [1:26]; Tydeus’ Funeral [0:36] and Alternate Ending [1:42].
Finally, I had a brilliant fun time with ‘HERCULES’ 3D as it was “leagues” better than the poor pathetic ‘Legend of Hercules’ and “The Rock” never fails to deliver when he is in full action mode. I mean, who doesn’t want to see a highly muscular 6’ 6” character smash things with his bare hands or a club the size of most small trees? It’s pure popcorn entertainment at the core and revels in the knowledge that it doesn’t try to be more than it is. There’s lots of action, and John Hurt is magnificent at playing a creep of a villain. The audio and image presentation will make home theatre buffs drool, so I definitely give it my recommendation for a watch if you can enjoy a nice “check your brain at the door” popcorn film. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
