The mythology
of the ancient Greek hero Hercules dates back nearly 2,500 years, but
the new trailer for the July 25 big-budget action movie Hercules starring Dwayne Johnson looks like it’s inspired by much more
modern sources.
Adapted from the 2008 comic book Hercules: The Thracian Wars
by Steve Moore and Cris Bolsin, the story borrows elements from the
original myths while freely changing the details. The new trailer shows
Johnson battling a slew of mythological CGI beasties taken from the
tales of his 12 labors: the Nemean Lion, the Lernaean Hydra, the
Erymanthian Boar, and even the three-headed protector of the underworld
Cerberus.
But the movie looks to
fudge many of the specifics, especially regarding Herc’s family. The
trailer shows him going on a rampage to avenge their murder, but in most
myths Hercules is driven mad by Zeus’s jealous wife Hera and he kills his wife and children (not really what you’d expect of The Rock in a summer blockbuster).
Stylistically, the new
movie looks like it’s borrowing from several modern swords-and-sandals
flicks. It’s got slow-mo swordplay like 300, epic army clashes like Troy, and even a placid vision of a hand moving through a field that’s taken straight out of Gladiator. Seeing how most of the recent movies set in ancient times — Immortals, Conan the Barbarian, and, yes, the other Hercules
from earlier this year — have tanked at the box-office, Johnson’s new
take might need to show a bit more originality if it’s going to pull
audiences to the theater.
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