Dear Mills Creek Entertainment. I think you need to reread the definition of what a Sci-Fi movie is. There are several movies in your “Sci-Fi Classics” box set that are clearly not Sci-Fi movies. Seriously, what does a movie about Hercules have to do with science fiction. Now if this was a “Fantasy” box set, then I wouldn’t have a problem with it because this would fit right in, but as a sci-fi movie, this is nowhere close. Ok, now that I got my little rant out of the way, let’s get on with today’s movie, Hercules Unchained.
The plot: After a recent adventure, Hercules is returning to Thebes with his new wife, Iole, and his fellow companion,Ulysses, when they discover an army of mercenaries camped outside Thebes. Upon investigating, Hercules learns that the army has been hired by Polynices in order to take control of Thebes from his brother Eteocles. Trying to find a peaceful solution, Hercules continues on to Thebes and talks to Eteocles, who says if Hercules can get Polynices to sign a peace treaty, he will relinquish the throne. Leaving Iole at his house in Thebes, Hercules and Ulysses head back to see Polynices, but Hercules winds up being bewitched after drinking from an enchanted spring, falls unconscious, and is captured. Hercules is taken to Lydia where Queen Omphale tries to take advantage of his amnesia to make him fall in love with her. Ulysses, pretending to be a deaf and mute servant, manages to get a message to his father while also attempting to help Hercules regain his memory. When Ulysses’ father and his men arrive, Hercules does regain his memory and manages to escape with Ulysses and the rest. Heading back to Thebes, they realize that the due date for the treaty has passed and try to prevent a war. Hercules learns that Eteocles has imprisoned Iole and plans to feed her to the tigers in the arena if Hercules shows up in Thebes. Hercules sneaks into Thebes but winds up facing the tigers himself and manages to kill them. While this was going on, Eteocles and Polynices were having a duel outside the city in order to prove who would rule the city. When they wind up killing each other, the leader of the mercenaries orders his men to attack the city but Hercules rallies the city’s defenses and mounts a counter attack which defeats the mercenaries. The city officials then elect the high priest Creon as the new ruler of the city to a rousing applause.
I have to be honest, I felt this movie was pretty boring. The final battle was pretty decent but every other fight scene was slow and boring. The couple of times that there was a one on one sword fight, they looked like they had incredibly fake wooden swords and were so overdramatic with their movements that it was hard not to laugh. A couple of different myths were used for the plot of the movie and while the dialogue was decent, the story itself moved too slowly. I don’t know. I mean, I loved Jason And The Argonauts but this is just a pale imitation.
Rating: 1 1/2 out of 5
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