Hercules Unchained
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Movie Reviews of Hercules Unchained
Movie Review: Pure Escapism
Summary: 5 Stars
"Hercules Unchained" isn't the kind of movie that is meant to change your life. It is just pure fun, an escape from the hum-drum of daily existence into the world of Greco-Roman mythology. I don't want to re-tell the story. That might spoil it for you. Suffice it to say that this is the kind of good, old-fashioned heroic fantasy film the whole family can watch together. I recommend it.Movie Review: Married to Sylva but bewitched by Sylvia
Summary: 4 Stars
"Hercules Unchained" (1959) is an Italian/French/Spanish sword & sandal flick in the mold of Kirk Douglas' "Ulysses" (1954). I always loved "Ulysses" as a kid (and adult), which is far better than the boring 1997 TV remake "The Odyssey" despite its datedness. So if you have a fondness for "Ulysses," "Hercules Unchained" is more of the same, with a very similar plot, i.e. the journeying hero forgets who he is while bewitched by a beautiful babe on some island.
Californian muscleman Steve Reeves plays the titular hero/god to perfection. Reeves is most known for his Hercules role but interestingly only played the part twice, in this film and the first one "Hercules" (1957). Anyway, one good side-effect of watching Reeves is that it will likely inspire guys to get in shape (the same effect as watching Stallone as Rambo).
In this film Herc is married to the beautiful Iole (Sylva Koscina), but he forgets his wife and homeland after drinking of the waters of forgetfulness and falls under the spell of Queen Omphale (Sylvia Lopez) of the isle Lidia. So Herc is caught between two beauties: Sylva and Sylvia.
"Hercules Unchained" can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. It's a fun fantasy adventure with dated "effects," but it also addresses quite a few mature themes.
One theme is the boneheaded predilection of men to sexual gratification and their intrinsic weakness to the spell of feminine beauty. Herc is married to cutie Iole (Sylva), but it wasn't too hard for him to fall under the power of Omphale (Sylvia). And he has the perfect excuse -- "Aduh, I forgot" (!).
Another theme is that feminine power can be used for good or evil, productivity or destruction. Sylva uses her feminine charms to catch herself a manly hunk (Reeves) for a husband and family, while Sylvia uses her womanly power to capture (literally) a never-ending succession of studs. Sylva wants a lifelong mate and family, whereas Sylvia is a black widow who kills her "conquests" after she gets bored with them and puts 'em in her trophy case, so to speak (you'll see what I mean).
Look around and you'll easily see both types of women in real life. One girl I knew in high school, for example, would catch herself a hunk boyfriend and ultimately start cheating on him as soon as she got bored; she would then let go of the boyfriend and officially hook up with the guy she was cheating with; once she got bored of him she'd start cheating with the next guy, ultimately dropping the boyfriend for him, ad nauseum. She was notorious, just like Omphale (Sylvia). She would even break up best friends with here expert feminine powers. The lunkheads could never come to the realization of what she was actually doing because they were too susceptible to her bewitching charms.
Interestingly, Sylva is beautiful in a cute way, whereas Sylvia is beautiful in a sharp, leggy and glamorous way. Both are well worth catching the film for if you're a red-blooded male.
Another theme is that of negative rivalry. The two siblings vie for kingship (or control) of Thebes. Proud rivaly begats enmity and violence, and ultimately mutually assured self-destruction. Both actors are outstanding, fittingly displaying a palpable royal pomp.
The sets and costuming are noteworthy. Mario Bava did the cinematography and special effects, as well as some directing, so the film has that colorful Bava look.
BOTTOM LINE: If you can overlook certain dated aspects (like the editing) "Hercules Unchained" is enjoyable on numerous levels, both juvenile and mature. It's the obvious precursor to modern films like "Troy."
Movie Review: Hercules in Politics
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie opens with a confusing scene where a woman brings a man into her domicile, and shortly thereafter the young man who was there meets his end. Okay, what the heck was that all about? Next we see Hercules (Steve Reeves), Ulysses (Gabriele Antonini), and Iole (Sylva Koscina) arriving on land as they journey home to Thebes. Shortly thereafter the trio encounters Antaeus (Primo Carnera), a half-god giant who appears to enjoy either killing people or snacking on them. Antaeus is another moment of confusion because other than being a pausing point in the movie, Antaeus does not appear again. I suppose you could argue that the encounter with Antaeus shows that Hercules is lazy, thus what happens later might be in Hercules' character; or not.
Soon Hercules encounters his old friend King Oedipus of Thebes, except the king is hiding out in a cave with one of his obnoxious sons trying to get the king's help in making his brother keep his promise to relinquish the throne. Now the story gets complicated. Hercules does convince the other brother to turn the throne over, but soon Thebes is threatened and Hercules volunteers to go on a diplomatic mission to make peace. Unfortunately, Hercules drinks the waters of forgetfulness and ends up on an extended dalliance with Queen Oomphale of Lidia, forgetting completely that he was recently married.
Meanwhile, back in Thebes, things are starting to look grim for Iole. The brother who is the king of Thebes (I kept losing track of which brother was which) threatens to kill Iole. Next, the other brother has allied himself with another kingdom and the leader of that army has the hots for Iole.
In the meantime, Ulysses, clever lad that he is, rescues Hercules just about the time that Laertes, Ulysses father, and a group of other men land on the island en route to perform the diplomatic mission that Hercules was supposed to perform. They were also hoping to find Hercules and Ulysses in the process. After a rousing round of action, they manage to escape the island and head back to Thebes.
Back in Thebes things get really exciting. The brother in Thebes threw a bunch of Iole's kinfolk off the city wall, which did them little good, and threatens to kill Iole the moment Hercules shows up. Hercules and company sneak into Thebes about the time that the two brothers duke it out in a duel, ultimately killing each other. Then the army outside Thebes attacks, beginning a very good battle scene that impressed me.
After having watched several other Hercules movies, I found this one much better in general. The plot was more complex, the special effects were better, and the action was nearly epic at the end. If you are looking for a good sword-and-sandals movie, as these types of movies were called, I recommend this particular movie as a good example of the genre.
Movie Review: Steve Reeves' second (and last) Hercules film
Summary: 4 Stars
Hercules Unchained (Ercole e la Regina di Lidia, aka Hercules and the Queen of Lydia aka Hercules and the Queen of Sheba) was Steve Reeves' second (and last) Hercules film, a direct follow-up to the well-received original Hercules. A lot more money went into the production of this film, but it never succeeds in becoming anything more than merely good. Perhaps part of the problem is the fact that the storyline diverges from the original mythology of Hercules and stumbles here and there along its way. There's nothing wrong with Herc and his fellow good guys, but the villains here are just a little bit too silly to really take seriously. The women in this film, on the other hand, are gorgeous, and that's always a plus.
Herc, Laertes, and the guys have just returned home, and Hercules, with wife Iole (Sylva Koscina) and young Ulysses (Gabriele Antonini) in tow, can't wait to return to his beloved Thebes. Before he even gets there, the half-god Antaeus attacks him just for passing through his land. It soon becomes clear that the portrait Herc has been painting of the city is way off, as bad times have fallen on Thebes. Oedipus has been forced into exile, while his two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, stand on the verge of a civil war to determine the rightful king. Herc undertakes a peace mission, but during his journey he makes the mistake of drinking from the Waters of Forgetfulness. Ulysses clams up and plays the role of a deaf-mute as he and Herc are transported to the island of Lydia, where Queen Omphale (Sylvia Lopez) waits to add Hercules to her collection of stuffed and mounted former lovers.
The amnesiac Hercules truly forgets everything, including his marriage vows to fair Iole, as he embraces the life of a king with the dangerously becoming Omphale at his side, serving girls trotting and giggling all over the place, and not a single care in the world. Ulysses, now a slave, keeps trying to awaken Hercules' memory as he awaits the aid of his father Laertes and his allies. All the while, as Herc is eating grapes and smooching with the queen, disaster draws nigh for the city of Thebes, and his wife Iole stands in mortal danger.
Pietro Francisci directs this 1959 Italian release, while the great Mario Bava oversees photography and special effects. If you ask me, the best special effect is Sylva Koscina, but a number of fights and even a chariot-drawn duel ensue as the movie winds toward its conclusion. For whatever reason, though, it's just hard to get overly excited about any segment of this film - but at least it's not as silly as some of the other Hercules movies.
Movie Review: HERCULES, WHAT A SATURDAY NIGHT HUNK!
Summary: 4 Stars
I WAS YOUNG WHEN HERCULES MOVIES WERE ON EVERY SINGLE SATURDAY NIGHT. I USED TO SNEEK AND STAY UP TO WATCH THESE MOVIES, WEEK AFTER WEEK AFTER WEEK. IT WAS A WONDERFUL ENDING FOR MY WEEK. THERE WERE MORE THAN JUST "STEVE REEVES" AS HERCULES IN SOME OF THOSE FILMS. AND THERE WERE OTHER MYTHICAL HEROES, SUCH AS SAMSOM AND ULYSSES, THAT WERE BEING OFFERED UP AS "EYE CANDY" TOO.
WHAT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND ARE SOME OF THOSE OTHER FILMS. WITHOUT SUFFICIENT TITLES, I'M NOT SURE HOW TO FIND THEM. CAN ANYONE HELP ME AND/OR OTHERS WITH THIS? ANYWAY, IT IS TRUE THAT THE DIALOGUE WAS TERRIBLE AND THE SETS WERE MEDIOCRE AT BEST. BUT ALL IN ALL THE MOVIES WERE GREAT FOR THAT TIME. NO CURSING. NO OVERT SEXUAL SITUATIONS. THE BAD GUYS AND SOMETIMES GALS GOT WHAT THEY DESERVED. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST HERCULES ALWAYS GOT THE WOMAN HE LOVED, AFTER HE RESCUED HER, THAT IS. FINDING A GOOD COPY IS NOT EASY. I BELIEVE I HAVE 2 SEPARATE COPIES AND ONE IS MORE GRAINY THAN THE OTHER. BUT THE MOVIE IS STILL FUN TO WATCH. SO GET OUT YOUR HERCULES COSTUME AND YOUR STRAP UP SANDALS. YOU'RE IN FOR "A REAL MYTHICAL EYE CANDY TREAT."
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