Hercules 2014 6 out of 10 Taking the Myth out of Mythology

Hercules 2014  6 out of 10

I was looking forward to Hercules.   Dwayne the Rock Johnson is one of the few legitimate action stars today and his casting as Hercules was a role he was meant to play, unfortunately this was not the Hercules we were looking for.  They basically took the Mythology out of Hercules and tried to play it straight without the mythical elements that make Hercules so legendary.  I felt the advertising for this film was misleading in regarding that and the film suffered from misleading me into thinking I was getting a different film.  They took would could have been an epic story and instead made a much smaller, less inspired and more predictable movie.   It was really a waste of the Rock's talents as well as Rufus Sewell (Dark City) and Ian Mcshane (Deadwood).    Hercules and his crew of misfits from "many previous adventures" get hired to protect a city from terrible invaders in exchange for gold.  They even have a dull "Let's train the farmers how to fight segment".

Hercules teaching the citizens of El Poco (Three Amigos) to sew like the wind is not really the type of epic adventure we would expect from Hercules.  I was hoping for a modern day Jason and the Argonauts with major special effects.  Instead they gave us a story where Hercules legends are just that "Legends".    The story has a predictable twist  (SPOILER)

 It turns out that Hercules was played for a fool and was fighting for the wrong side all along.  He then decides to make things right.   One of his crew pulls a Han Solo and is happy to take his reward and leave and basically even gives the same speech about it being a suicide mission that Han gives Luke in Star Wars.  The rest of Hercules band wanders straight into a trap and should have been killed except for the infamous James Bond villian moment where they tell them their plan and then set them up for a slow death.   If this was Game of Thrones Hercules head would already be on a pike outside the city.   Of course Hercules buddy that pulled a Han shows up at just the right moment and rips of another line from Star Wars---and Hercules finally has to show some of his legendary strength to save the day.

The only redeeming thing about the movie was that some of the action sequences were decent --despite lackluster plot.

My Advice ----It is worth a rental if you are looking for a little action--just don't get your hopes up for an epic film.

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters 2013 7 out of 10

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters  2013  7 out 10

My quick thoughts on Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters

This sequel to the entertaining yet under performing Percy Jackson movie  series is an enjoyable action adventure comedy ride. 

The studios really wanted this series to be the next Harry Potter, but unfortunately the box office fell way short of that goal. 

Luckily it  did well enough to give us a sequel.  

1.  The sequel has a light more comedic tone that felt closer to the Men in Black films.  

2.   The story focuses on the training center for the young demi-gods being threatened as the magical barrier that protects it is in jeopardy.  Percy and his friends end up involved in an action packed quest for the Golden Fleece from Jason and the Argonauts fame in order to hopefully heal the barrier.  

3. Like the original movie this sequel features  good action sequences and fun modern day takes on stories well known from mythology. 

I feel both Percy Jackson movies succeed in reaching  the level of enjoyment  I got out of the Harry Potter movies.  I just wish they had caught on the same way –so that we would get to see the rest of the book series on the big screen--- which I fear we won’t get to.

For my thoughts on the first movie in the series go here
http://bradgeekness.blogspot.com/2012/09/percy-jackson-and-olympians-lightning.html

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Wraith of the Titans 2012 6 out 10

Wraith of the Titans 2012.  6  out 10

"Feel the Wraith" the advertising says......Well I saw the Wraith on the screen,  but felt it NOT SO MUCH.....  The visuals in Wraith of the Titans were good, but the story was just extremely lazy.   This sequel to the updated epic big screen Clash of the Titans  (which ditched the  Golden Owl R2D2 wannabe)  was just underwhelming while at the same time looking grand on the screen.   The story follows a reluctant Perseus into the underworld on a quest to save his father Zeus and prevent the elder gods the Titans upon the Earth.  This results in a grand special effects filled finale in which Cronos battles against Perseus, Zeus and Hades.   The movie really should be called Wraith of the Titan---because none of the other Titans seemed to show up to the fight.....It could have been really epic on the level of the Avengers if the other Gods and Titans were around .    The writing is lazy,  borrowing elements from other Greek myths that featured other different demi-gods.  Perseus battles the Minotaur, and the Cyclops and journeys into hell.   The Minotaur scene was especially weak and not even up to level of  some lower budget stories I've seen involving the MinotaurThere was really no originality to the story at all.  It was basically just visual popcorn with little or no substance.