Heracles2.0255

Brett Ratner, director, Hercules (1), motion picture, 2014, MGM Pictures; screenplay by J. Condal and Evan Spiliotopoulos, based upon Steve Moore's Radical Comics Hercules.

From the Google pop-up page:
"Though he is famous across the ancient world for his larger-than-life exploits, Hercules (Dwayne Johnson), the son of Zeus and a human woman, is haunted by his tragic past. Now, he fights only for gold as a traveling mercenary, accompanied by a band of loyal followers, including Amphiarus (Ian McShane) and Autolycus (Rufus Sewell). However, when the benevolent ruler of Thrace and his daughter seek his help in defeating a savage warlord, Hercules must find the true hero within himself once again."

The MythMatters blogpost by RTM argues that the Ratner Hercules is remarkably different from all previous Heracleses (Heracleis?... Heracleidai...).Not only does this Ratner undermine all narratives about Heracles' labors — mythologizing them and setting them in quoted recaps — he even equips the hero with a team of sub-heroes who do all the amazing deeds just behind the scenes. This sly narrative brings absolutely every aspect of Heracles' heroism into question without ever allowing the facade to really fall away. Good comic relief throughout and surprising twists of mythological familiarities. Plenty of negative reviews press forward, but this film is worth watching and worth thinking about.