Hercules *** (1997, voices of Tate Donovan, Danny DeVito, Susan Egan, James Woods) – Classic Movie Review 8182

Directors Ron Clements and John Musker’s prestigious and classy 1997 animated musical fantasy comedy Hercules is the 35th Disney animated feature film, loosely based on the legendary hero Hercules, the son of Zeus, in Greek mythology. The song ‘Go the Distance’ (Alan Menken music, David Zippel lyrics) was Oscar and Golden Globe nominated for Best Music, Original Song.

The voices are Tate Donovan as Hercules, Danny DeVito as Philoctetes, James Woods as Hades, Susan Egan as Megara, Frank Welker as Pegasus, and Rip Torn and Samantha Eggar as Zeus and Hera, Hercules’ birth-parents.

In the screen story, which underwent many treatments and is credited to 13 writers, Hercules loses his immortality as an infant and must become a hero to reclaim it. The animation screenplay is credited to directors Ron Clements and John Musker, Don McEnery, Bob Shaw and Irene Mecchi.

Development of Hercules began in 1992 after animator Joe Haidar pitched an adaptation of the Hercules mythological stories. The first script draft was inspired by classic screwball comedy films and Nineties popular culture. Donald McEnery, Bob Shaw and Irene Mecchi were brought in to tighten the script. Famed British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe was recruited as production designer, producing more than 700 designs of the characters.

Also research trips to Greece and Turkey were undertaken to inspire the background designs. The animation was done in California and Paris, and computer animation was used in several scenes, especially in the Hydra battle sequence.

Despite under-performing on its cinema release, earning $252.7 million worldwide, Hercules was followed by the direct-to-video prequel Hercules: Zero to Hero, the pilot to Disney TV series Hercules: The Animated Series.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8182

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