The Legend of Hercules is an action fantasy movie directed by Renny Harlin and produced by Nu Boyana, and Nu Image Entertainment GmbH. The film was released on January 10th, 2014, and stars Kellan Lutz, Scott Adkins, and Gaia Weiss.
Hercules, the main character of the movie, was born into a royal family filled with cruelty and deceit. He was made a suffering object by the king and his son, and was sent to the battlefield, eventually falling into slavery. However, he managed to rise up to the throne and seek revenge for his mother’s death, using the power of Zeus to break down any obstacles in his way.
The Legend of Hercules is an interpretation of the ancient Greek mythology figure, with an attempt to place his life story on the map of human history. Kellan Lutz, who is famous for his role in The Twilight Saga franchise, was chosen to portray Hercules.
The movie is set in ancient Greece in 1200 BC, which was a time of great upheaval in the region. Hercules was born into the kingdom of Tiryns, where his father, King Amphitryon, continued to expand his empire and conquer neighboring kingdoms. However, Queen Alcmene, Hercules’ mother, was against her husband’s actions and prayed to Hera for protection. Zeus granted Alcmene a son with incredible strength who would be named Hercules.
Twenty years later, Hercules fell in love with Hebe from Crete. While he was out hunting, he and his stepbrother Iphicles were attacked by a Nemean lion. However, only Hercules managed to defeat the beast. To claim the victory as his own before the king, Iphicles proclaimed himself as the lion’s slayer and became engaged to Hebe. Hercules was then sent on a military expedition to Egypt with a captain named Sotiris.
During that expedition, they were attacked by Amphitryon’s forces, who were ordered to kill Hercules. After the attack, Hercules and Sotiris were sold as slaves to become gladiators. Hercules managed to defeat all the gladiators and subsequently motivated the Amphitryon’s army to join him in the fight against the king. The king, on the other hand, hired foreign mercenaries to fight against Hercules.
Hercules’ eventual triumph against the king and the mercenary army is a must-watch, especially for those fascinated with the ancient Greek mythology and history.
The Legend of Hercules is an attempt to place Greek mythology into human history. The movie directors chose 1200 BC, which could be the period most appropriate for this story. The screenplay writers attempted to storytell the history and cultural context of the story. However, they missed the mark by using many references from the Roman culture rather than the ancient Greek culture.
A prime example of this is the usage of gladiators as a form of entertainment. Gladiator games were part of Roman culture that developed in Italy in 500 BC, centuries after the ancient Greek civilization. Hence, the time of the ancient Greek civilization would not have had gladiator games. Similarly, the command “Testudo” was issued by Hercules in one of the movie’s battles, which was a Latin term used by Roman armies during battles. The use of Latin, therefore, does not represent the historical accuracy of the period.
In conclusion, The Legend of Hercules is a movie that attempts to blend ancient Greek mythology with human history, but it has missteps in utilizing historical facts. The movie does have a thrilling plot with Kellan Lutz brilliantly playing the lead role, which will be an exciting watch for anyone interested in ancient Greek civilization, mythology and action-packed movies.
