Hercules in the Underworld (1994) (TV)

Fun, 22 May 2005

Of the first four Hercules movies that preceded the television series, this is easily my favorite. Hercules must save a town from an opening to Hades. Along the way, he faces several temptations and a slew of monsters. But that's not his greatest challenge. Deianeira has been killed and Hercules must find her while he's in Hades and bring her back to the land of the living.

These Hercules movies aren't about great acting or deep plot lines. Don't watch them expecting Academy Award winning material. These movies are about having fun. And Hercules in the Underworld delivers fun. From Hercules' battle with the giant Eryz the Boxer to his taking on zombies in the underworld, it's pure eye-candy filled entertainment. The special effects are quite good given the limited television budget. It's easy to see Sam Raimi's (Executive Producer) influence on the special effects. Many of creatures, etc. are used by Raimi in his Evil Dead movies.

Kevin Sorbo is the perfect television Hercules. He plays the character with tongue firmly in cheek. He's big enough to be believable and he's athletic enough to pull it off. The supporting cast is, for the most part, adequate enough in their roles. The exception is the most experienced actor of the bunch - Anthony Quinn. He just seems so out of place that I'm glad wasn't used in the regular series.

7/10