History Film / Hercules2014

[[caption-width-right:350: “I Am Hercules!” - Hercules]]

''Hercules'' is a SwordAndSandal {{Epic}} {{Action}} {{Fantasy}} film released in July 2014, starring [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]] in the titular role and directed by Creator/BrettRatner. The cast also includes Creator/JohnHurt, Creator/RebeccaFerguson, Creator/IanMcShane and Joseph Fiennes. It is based on the indie comic miniseries ''ComicBook/HerculesTheThracianWars'', written by Steve Moore, illustrated by Admira Wijaya, and published by Radical Comics which is based on the character of Heracles from [[{{Myth/ClassicalMythology}} Ancient Greek Mythology]].

* Myth/GreekMythology: The source material, though the movie remains realistic with most of the monsters and the other supernatural elements being explained away as hallucinations, exaggerations, or outright lies. It is left open as to whether or not the gods are real or if Hercules is half-god.

* Myth/GreekMythology: The source material, though the movie remains grounded and realistic with most of the monsters and the other supernatural elements being explained away as most likely hallucinations, exaggerations, or outright lies. It is left open as to whether or not the gods are real or if Hercules is half-god.

* Myth/GreekMythology: The source material, though the movie remains grounded and realistic with most of the monsters, the way they were drafted and the supernatural elements being explained away as most likely hallucinations, exaggerations, or outright lies. It is left open as to whether or not the gods are real or if Hercules is half-god.

* Myth/GreekMythology: The source material, though the movie maintains a hard-line on "reality" with monsters and stuff being hallucinations, exaggerations, or outright lies. It is left open as to whether or not the gods are real or if Hercules is half-god.

* {{Kaiju}}: The Nemean Lion, The Hydra and The Erymanthian Boar.

''Hercules'' is a SwordAndSandal {{Epic}} {{Action}} {{Fantasy}} film released in July 2014, starring [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]] in the titular role and directed by Creator/BrettRatner. The cast also includes Creator/JohnHurt, Creator/RebeccaFerguson, Creator/IanMcShane and Joseph Fiennes. It is based on the indie comic miniseries ''ComicBook/HerculesTheThracianWars'', written by Steve Moore, illustrated by Admira Wijaya, and published by Radical Comics which is based on the character of Heracles from Ancient Greek Mythology.

''Hercules'' is a SwordAndSandal {{Epic}} {{Action}} {{Fantasy}} film released in July 2014, starring [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]] in the titular role and directed by Creator/BrettRatner. The cast also includes Creator/JohnHurt, Creator/RebeccaFerguson, Creator/IanMcShane and Joseph Fiennes. It is based on the indie comic miniseries ''ComicBook/HerculesTheThracianWars'', written by Steve Moore, illustrated by Admira Wijaya, and published by Radical Comics which is based on the character of Hercules from Ancient Greek Mythology.

[[caption-width-right:350: I AM HERCULES! - Hercules]]

* Kaiju: The Nemean Lion, The Hydra and The Erymanthian Boar.

''Hercules'' is a SwordAndSandal {{Epic}} {{Action}} {{Fantasy}} film released in July 2014, starring [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]] in the titular role and directed by Creator/BrettRatner. The cast also includes Creator/JohnHurt, Crestor/RebeccaFerguson, Creator/IanMcShane and Joseph Fiennes. It is based on the indie comic miniseries ''ComicBook/HerculesTheThracianWars'', written by Steve Moore, illustrated by Admira Wijaya, and published by Radical Comics which is based on the character of Hercules from Ancient Greek Mythology.

[[quoteright:258:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hercules-therock-poster_9493.jpg]]

''Hercules'' is a SwordAndSandal fantasy film released in July 2014, starring [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]] in the titular role and directed by Creator/BrettRatner. The cast also includes Creator/JohnHurt, Joseph Fiennes, and Creator/IanMcShane. It is based on the indie comic miniseries ''ComicBook/HerculesTheThracianWars'', written by Steve Moore, illustrated by Admira Wijaya, and published by Radical Comics.

* {{Demythtification}}: A constant theme of the movie is legend versus reality. The adventures of Hercules shown in the film are purported to be the "truth behind the legend", with fantastic elements rationalized as hallucinations or fanciful inventions/exaggerations, though some things like Amphiaraus‘ visions are treated as real.

* AbusiveParents: [[spoiler:Cotys]] is revealed to have coerced his daughter into going along with him by threatening her son (his grandson, which means that he's an abusive ''grand''father as well). Naturally, she hates him. Then she's tried to stop his plot and is no longer useful, he orders her killed.

** Tydeus was a cannibal that love to eat the brains of his foes. He is lacks this trait and has a more tragic background in the movie.

* AmbiguousEnding: [[spoiler:The ending seems to imply that Amphiaraus (who is holding a long spear during a thunderstorm), gets hit by lightning right after the final shot, fulfilling his prophecy.]]

* AncientGrome: The setting is ancient Greece with the Greek names of the gods used, but Hercules is the Roman name of the Greek Herakles, the Thracians shields are Roman shields, and the shield wall formation is closer to the Roman Testudo than the Greek Phalanx.
* AnnoyingArrows: {{Subverted}}. Tydeus and Hercules manage to shrug off one arrow shot. However, once Tydeus is shot many more times while fighting the archers, he then succumbs to his wounds. All other characters are taken down by arrows when hit regularly.

* ArchNemesisDad: [[spoiler:Cotys]] it turns out his daughter's worst enemy, because he'd murdered her husband (his son-in-law) to usurp his throne and threatened her son (his own grandson) so she'd go along with his plans.

* BadassArmy: Once they're properly trained, the Thracian shield wall is able to march through fire, stand up to any attack in the world and defeat a barbarian army three times their size. As Cotys boasts at one point, even Hercules can't break through their wall. [[spoiler: Not directly, anyway. Dropping a statue on them is another story.]]
* BadassCrew: Hercules attracts such figures as Autolycus, Iolaus, Tydeus, Atalanta and Amphiaraus to his side.
* BerserkButton: Don't call Hercules [[spoiler: "child killer"]]. Just... don't.

* BreastPlate[=/=]BareYourMidriff: Atalanta's leather armour only covers her upper chest, not her belly, and is clearly shaped like female breasts.

* CreativeClosingCredits: The credit opens with animated scenes showing how Hercules' group defeated the Nemean Lion, Lernaean Hydra and Erymanthian Boar.

* {{Demythtification}}: A constant theme of the movie is legend vs reality. The adventures of Hercules shown in the film are purported to be the "truth behind the legend", with fantastic elements rationalised as hallucinations or fanciful inventions/exaggerations though some things like Amphiarus‘ visions are treated as real.

* DoingInTheWizard: The film dismisses much of the fantastic elements from the legend of Hercules. His labors it turns out were just stories (deliberately spread as they helped in his reputation). All mythical creatures are just unfounded beliefs. Hercules' murder of his wife and children, the result of a curse by Hera in the legend, [[spoiler:turns out to be committed by a jealous king who'd drugged Hercules, then had his family killed while letting Hercules believe he did it later.]]
* DualWield: Tydeus fights with twin axes. Most of the "zombie" warriors from the first battle fight with two sickles.

* FauxAffablyEvil: [[spoiler: Cotys and Eurystheus. Both maintains a friendly attitude towards Hercules. However, one plots to defame him, and the latter seeks to use him for his own ends. Both dropped the act when they no longer need him.]]

* Myth/GreekMythology: The source material, though the movie maintains a hard-line on "reality" with monsters and stuff being hallucinations, exaggerations or outright lies. It is left open as to whether the gods are real or if Hercules is half-god.

* HollywoodTactics: Averted, the movie uses fairly realistic strategy for the time period.
* IHaveYourWife: [[spoiler:Cotys]] threatened his grandson's life to ensure his daughter's cooperation while he has her enlist Hercules to his side. He earlier also did this to force into accepting his rule.
* IJustWantToBeBadass: Iolaus wants to be a tough warrior just like uncle Hercules.
* IconicOutfit: The lion skin, club and bow and arrows are iconic items of Hercules in mythology and art, especially the first two.

* LiveActionAdaptation: Of a comicbook called "The Thracian Wars".

* MadeOfIron: Hercules, who's mauled by four wolves at once and shot by an arrow, but he keeps on coming.
* MagicalRealism: Most of the fantastic elements are dismissed as exaggerations, misconceptions or outright lies. Yet Amphiaraus's visions of the future are stated to always come true and Hercules displays strength far beyond what is humanly possible. The climax also features what may be intervention of the gods or simple coincidence: [[spoiler:The statue of Hera, established early as the protector of Thrace, [[BoltOfDivineRetribution crashes down upon and kills its usurper,]] and during Hercules' triumphant moment, thunder and lightning appears. Perhaps Zeus is giving his son a celebratory lightshow? Then again, Cotys did curse out Hercules's family, and Hera is the goddess of marriage. Cursing out your protector guardian isn't a good idea.]]

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Most of the fantasy elements of Hercules journey are dismissed as exaggeration, however Amphiarus‘ visions are left more ambiguous. He could be having divine visions or simply hallucinating. Similarly Hercules immense strength and several other (apparently divine) events in the movie are never explained either way.
* MrFanservice: Hercules of course, played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, looking more jacked up than ever.
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: The Thracian army, despite Cotys [[spoiler:being a usurper that murdered the rightful king and would murder a child, continues to support him in his ambitions to expand Thrace into an empire.]]

* NeverTrustATrailer: The film's plot unfolds absolutely nothing like what the trailers indicate. The trailers played up the monsters Hercules fought as part of his Twelve Labours. In the movie, these monsters are shown in a montage and revealed to be [[{{Demythification}} tall tales.]] The rest of the story is more of "[[Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982 Conan the Barbarian]] in Ancient Greece" than a ''Film/{{Clash of the Titans|2010}}'' monster mash. The original comic wasn't as demythifying, but also did the Labours montage in one page. Discussed in [[http://io9.com/brett-ratners-hercules-is-a-lie-dont-fall-for-it-1610881361 an article]] (and it even mentions Wiki/TVTropes!)
* NotInThisForYourRevolution: [[spoiler:Autolycus goes his own way once he's been paid. Fortunately, he also [[ChangedMyMindKid changes his mind.]]]]

** Hercules believes he killed his own children after being drugged [[spoiler: but it turns out that someone else did.]]
** [[spoiler:Cotys]] orders his daughter beheaded after she's [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived her usefulness]] and defied him by revealing his plot. Hercules saves her though.

-->"It would be nice to have some female companionship for a change. Atalanta doesn't count. No offense."

* RedshirtArmy: The Thracian army is this at first. Though they do manage to win a battle that they're in, that's mostly only because Hercules and his group were there, and even after that in Cotys's words half of the army dies in the battle.
* ReligiousBruiser: Amphiaraus is both a seer and a tough spear-wielder. Atalanta also says a prayer to Artemis before the battle against Rhesus' forces.

* ShellShockedVeteran: Tydeus.
* ShroudedInMyth: The stories of Hercules' Labours are heavy implied to be a fanciful exaggeration of more mundane but still heroic deeds.

* SoldierVsWarrior: Hercules and his band compared to the Thracian Army. Hercules' group fight mostly for personal gain, maker a living out of it, are individually more powerful than small groups of soldiers, can work together to defeat larger numbers, and are better for situations that require small, versatile groups. Yet, they cannot defeat the superior numbers and tactics (specifically the shield wall) of the highly disciplined Thracian army who follow the orders of their king regardless of how corrupt he is. They can also use their tactics to defeat the superior number of a more unorganized army.

** [[spoiler: Cotys again, who keeps urging his soldiers to move forward and kill Hercules, when a ''giant statue'' is falling towards him.]]

* TrainingThePeacefulVillagers: Hercules does this early in the film. [[spoiler:This becomes a problem when he and his group then have to fight them]].

* TheUsurper: [[spoiler:Cotys]] it turns out murdered the true king, his son-in-law, and took over.

* WouldHurtAChild: [[spoiler:Cotys]] threatened to kill his own grandson so that he could get his daughter's cooperation. Later, he cruelly has the boy dragged about by the hair, preparing to slit his throat.
* WorldOfHam: Hercules, Amphiaraus, and Cotys (given their actors, that's hardly a surprise). Iolaus hams it up when he's talking about the deeds of Hercules, but is otherwise calmer.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Spoken word for word by Cotys, but ultimately averted. Despite Hercules and his comrades confronting him about the truth behind the civil war, Cotys still elects to pay them for their services and send them on their way rather than kill them (at first). He later views his own daughter this way, and orders her killed, but Hercules stops it.]]
* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: [[spoiler:Rhesus and his army are defeated a good half hour before the movie is over, a hint that he's not the real villain]].

* NemeanSkinning: Hercules wears the skin of the Nemean lion (or ''a'' lion at least, since that story is possibly made up-it's left ambiguous in the film).

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Spoken word for word by Cotys, but ultimately averted. Despite Hercules and his comrades confronting him about the truth behind the civil war, Cotys still elects to pay them for their services and send them on their way rather than kill them (at first).]]

* ActionGirl: Atalanta the Amazon.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: The deaths of Hercules's wife and children.

%%* MadeOfIron: Hercules.

* MaleGaze: There is a flashback in which Hercules' wife is shown [[ToplessnessFromTheBack topless from behind]], showing her bare back and butt. Becomes FanDisservice when the scene [[MoodWhiplash shifts to her bloody corpse]]

%%* NemeanSkinning

** The same can't be said for the other characters, with Atalanta being changed from an acolyte of Artemis into an Amazon, although she does utter a prayer to Artemis right before a battle.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Spoken word for word by Cotys, but ultimately averted. Despite Hercules and his comrades confronting him about the truth behind the civil war, Cotys still elects to pay them for their services and send them on their way rather than kill them.]]

* ArchEnemy: Hercules has [[spoiler:King Eurystheus, who drove him insane via poison and made him murder his own family]].

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Most of the fantasy elements of Hercules journey are dismissed as exaggeration, however Amphiarus‘ visions are left more ambiguous. He could be having divine visions or simply hallucinating.

* {{Demythtification}}: A constant theme of the movie is legend vs reality. The adventures of Hercules shown in the film are purported to be the "truth behind the legend", with fantastic elements rationalised as hallucinations or fanciful inventions/exaggerations though some things like Amphiarus' visions are treated as real.

* {{Seers}}: Amphiaraus, played by Ian [=McShane=], who is also [[TheMentor a mentor]] of sorts to Hercules. As a RunningGag, he keeps predicting his own death throughout the film but always survives...

* AgeLift: Cotys was middle-aged in the original comic, while he is played by John Hurt here.

* AmbiguousEnding: [[spoiler:The ending seems to imply that Amphiaraus gets hit by lightning in the final shot.]]

* {{Seers}}: Amphiaraus, played by Ian [=McShane=], who is also [[TheMentor a mentor]] of sorts to Hercules. As a RunningGag, he keeps predicting his own death throughout the film but always survives...[[spoiler: at least until the last shot of the film.]]

* TheSeer: Amphiaraus, played by Ian [=McShane=], who is also [[TheMentor a mentor]] of sorts to Hercules. As a RunningGag, he keeps predicting his own death throughout the film but always survives...[[spoiler: at least until the last shot of the film.]]

** [[spoiler: Cotys]], eager to end the war, orders his troops (which almost entirely consists of farmers) to intercept Rhesus' army. If not for Hercules and his friends, they would have certainly been slaughtered.