Hercules (1997)

Released in the summer of 1997, Hercules arrived at a curious moment for Walt Disney Feature Animation. The studio had ridden an extraordinary wave through the early part of the decade, and by the time this one landed in cinemas, audiences and critics had begun to wonder whether the formula was wearing thin. Disney's answer was to do something genuinely unexpected: take one of the most recognisable figures from Greek mythology and filter him through the aesthetics of gospel music, classic Hollywood excess, and the visual language of ancient Attic pottery. The result was a film that sat slightly apart from its immediate neighbours in the catalogue, more brash and knowing than the films around it, and perhaps a little harder to place because of that. It is worth noting that the source material here is, of course, the ancient Greek legend of Heracles (Romanised to Hercules), though Disney takes considerable liberties with the myth, repositioning the story as a rags-to-riches tale of a young man trying to earn his place among the gods. The screenplay treats the original material as a springboard rather than a blueprint, which is either a feature or a flaw depending on where you stand on classical fidelity in a children's animated film.

At the helm were Ron Clements and John Musker, a directing partnership with a long and productive history at the studio. Clements in particular had previously helmed The Little Mermaid, and fans of that film will recognise a similar appetite for musical showmanship and warmly comic supporting characters. The visual style of Hercules is notably distinctive, developed in close collaboration with British illustrator Gerald Scarfe, whose angular, elongated character designs give the film a look unlike any other Disney production of its era: figures stretch and curl like figures on a painted urn, and the colour palette leans into rich ochres, deep blues, and the amber glow of ancient stone. It is a polished but unremarkable technical achievement in some respects, though Scarfe's influence on the overall aesthetic is anything but unremarkable; it gives the film a coherent visual identity that rewards close attention. For a broader sense of how Clements continued to develop his directorial instincts, it is also worth glancing at Moana, which he co-directed nearly two decades later.

The voice cast is where the film finds much of its personality. Tate Donovan leads as the adult Hercules (with Josh Keaton and Roger Bart handling the younger and singing incarnations respectively), giving the character a sincere, good-natured quality that keeps him likeable even when the script asks him to be a bit of a naif. Danny DeVito voices Phil, Hercules' satyr trainer, bringing a gruff, world-weary charm that sits comfortably alongside DeVito's broader screen persona. Then there is James Woods as Hades, the god of the Underworld reimagined as a fast-talking, permanently irritable dealmaker. It is a performance that leans hard into comedy without ever quite losing the threat underneath. If you enjoy animated films that take creative swings with tone and style, it is also worth having a look at the site's coverage of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, released just the year before, which represents a very different kind of risk-taking from the same general era of Disney animation. The film runs to a brisk 93 minutes and, whatever else one might say about it, never outstays its welcome.

One of Disney’s absolute best, and criminally underrated in the pantheon. I’d put this up there with The Jungle Book as one of the most stylish, entertaining, and flat-out fun entries in the animated canon. From the moment the Muses start singing that gospel powered prologue, you know you’re in for something different. It’s got the heart of a classic myth, the flair of a Broadway show, and just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek humor to keep it light without ever losing its emotional punch. "Hercules' Theme (Go the Distance)" is already legendary, but let’s not sleep on "Where I Belong" during the final battle. That song hits harder than Zeus’ thunderbolt and might be one of the most underrated Disney ballads out there. The animation during that sequence is stunning. Emotional. Goosebump-inducing. And who could forget the supporting cast (Danny DeVito as Phil is gold, and James Woods as Hades). He doesn’t just chew scenery, he devours it. The whole film crackles with energy, thanks in no small part to the brilliant animation style, which feels like a living Greek amphora came to life with a modern beat. It’s not just about brawn or battles, it earns its heart by asking what it truly means to be a hero. And in the end, Hercules proves it’s not about being born a legend, but about choosing to do the right thing, even when no one’s watching. A near-perfect blend of myth, music, and mayhem. One of my all-time favourites, and still gets replayed at our house every few months.

I keep coming back to that point about the film being criminally underrated, because it really does seem to occupy an odd spot in the public memory of Disney. People can rattle off their affection for films on either side of it in the timeline without always pausing to give this one its due. For me, that Scarfe-influenced visual style alone ought to guarantee it more serious attention than it typically receives. If any of this has sparked an interest in animated films that take an unconventional path, it is worth having a look at my thoughts on Josep, which sits at a very different end of the animation spectrum but shares that same quality of using the form to do something unexpected. As for Hercules, it remains one of those films I am always quietly pleased to defend. Zero to hero, indeed.

Rating: ★★★★½  | Year: 1997  | Watched: 2025-05-14

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Trailer

▶ Watch the official trailer for Hercules (1997) on YouTube

Where to watch

Watch in the UK
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Rakuten TV
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi

Watch in the US
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US

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Related on Movies With Macca

More from Ron Clements: The Little Mermaid (1989) · Moana (2016)
More from the 1990s: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Shinjuku Boys (1995) · Blue (1993) · Cemetery Man (1994)
More animation: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025)
More family: Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Wonder (2017) · Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anastasia (1997)