Hercules

i feel like i lose street cred with disney adults when i say that hercules is my favorite of the renaissance films but its unfortunately undeniable. this silly, anachronistic, absolutely bonkers retelling of the myth of heracles is awesome. and yes the pacing is horrific. yes the cgi on the hydra looks hilariously unfinished. honestly the animation in general is not disney’s best work, especially considering this came after movies like hunchback, lion king, and beauty and the beast. but it does not matter to me, not in the slightest. i love you hercules (1997) bc like. for a kids comedy movie the characters and their relationships are surprisingly deep and interesting. meg in particular is such a standout in a movie full of scene-stealers. and i am biased bc she was always my favorite princess growing up (i knew who i was at a very young age. clearly) but she’s so funny and charming and so different than what most people expect in regards to disney heroines. i mean. even beyond her personality, her arc starting her off as this cold, jaded servant of the villain and eventually opening herself back up to love, even sacrificing her life for hercules by the end. and her song! ugh. i won’t say im in love is a certified classic of my itunes. actually, every song from this movie is fantastic. the muses are excellent narrators and the choice of gospel music for this movie all about the gods and myths? inspired. the neon las vegas visuals? spectacular. and weirdly cohesive with the ancient greek aesthetic too.  and you can’t talk about the songs without mentioning go the distance. oh my god. so beautiful, one of menken’s best i want songs ever. and with robert barts vocals… it brings me to tears. if i could change one thing about this movie i would spend more time on this version of hercules— just an awkward kid, born different than everyone else, rejected by everyone but his family. who dreams of fame and love and a place where everyone accepts him and celebrates him for his quirks. where a voice keeps saying “this is where i’m meant to be.” i mean. it’s just gorgeous. and ties in perfectly with the rest of his arc, from getting all of his superficial desires during zero to hero to eventually finding his place in the world next to meg and his family, as a hero of the people instead of the gods. like it works well for me as is but i think spending more time on young hercules would make him a more relatable and interesting character. bc no shade it is slightly crazy that danny devito is kinda the emotional center of this movie rn when hercules has so much potential. anyways. i have more to say but this is pretty excessive already. i just had to speak my truth. god bless.