#897 – Review: Hercules

I’ve been a fan of Dwayne Johnson for a long time. I started watching the WWE in 1998 and the Rock was a rising star. I love the Rock as a heel and as a face. Whatever role he played, the Rock had the energy and charisma to captivate an arena full of fans.

Since he’s stepped out of the ring and into the movies Johnson has had his ups and downs. I loved him in movies like The Rundown and The Gridiron Gang but avoided his movies like The Tooth Fairy. I’ve also sworn off any Fast and Furious movies since the second one is one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen.

So I’ve liked the Rock for a long time and a lot those good feelings fueled my desire to see Hercules. I didn’t think Hercules would be a great movie but I thought that it could be a lot of fun if the Rock’s charisma carried over into the movie.

After seeing Hercules I can say that it wasn’t a great movie but it was a lot of fun. Johnson is great in the role of Hercules and definitely has what it takes to carry an action movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously. While Hercules wasn’t enough to make me forgive Brett Ratner for X-Men 3, I did enjoy my time in the theater.

Here are some other thoughts I had while watching Hercules.

Teamwork

In this version of Hercules the hero doesn’t work alone. The movie leaves Hercules’s origins a little up in the air, leaving it up to the viewer to decide whether or not he really is the son of Zeus. While he is a strong and well-trained fighter, Hercules doesn’t accomplish any of his feats alone. He has a team of people around him including an oracle, an Amazon and a crazy man. I loved Hercules’s attitude towards his friends; he knew he couldn’t accomplish anything without them. And, when looking at our lives, we need to realize that we can accomplish more if we work with others. God didn’t create us to serve him alone; he created us to serve him together with the body of Christ.

Reputation

Hercules definitely lives off of his reputation, so much so that one of his companion’s only job is to tell stories. The stories spread far and wide, causing the legend of Hercules to grow with each telling. Reputation can be a tricky thing for followers of Jesus. We shouldn’t be concerned with our own reputation and what others think of us. We should, however, be concerned with how our reputation reflects upon Christ. We are Christ’s ambassadors in this world and if we live sinful, selfish and unloving lives, then we are going to be terrible ambassadors. If our reputations can push others to Christ, though, then we can make a positive impact for God’s kingdom in this world.

Calling

Since the movie leaves Hercules’s origins a little ambiguous, there are some questions about his calling and destiny. Even though we aren’t totally yoked like the Rock, we can all identify with questions about calling and destiny. I spend a lot of time with young people who want to know exactly what God has in store for them. I’m 32 and have been in my career for seven years and I still wonder what God has in store for me. We want God’s call on our lives to be this big, extravagant tale full of good, evil and obstacles to overcome. The reality is, though, that we know God’s call on our lives. He calls us to be faithful in loving him and loving others. If we can answer that call every day of our lives, then eventually we’ll be exactly where he wants us.

I enjoyed Hercules. It had a quick pace, solid action and a great leading man. I’ll probably forget all about it when I see Guardians of the Galaxy this weekend, but it was a lot of fun for an hour and forty minutes.

What did you think of Hercules?