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Hercules (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review

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#1 · (Edited)


Check out our review of Disney's take on Hercules, the son of the Greek Gods Zeus and Hera. Hercules is stripped of his immortality as an infant and must become a true hero in order to reclaim it.



The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )

Film:


Extras:


Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )

90



Details:

Studio and Year: Disney - 1997
MPAA Rating: G
Feature running time: 93 minutes
Genre: Family

Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.78:1
Resolution: 1080p/24

Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 HD Master Audio, French/Spanish/Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Starring: Tate Donovan, Susan Egan, James Woods, Danny DeVito, Bobcat Goldthwait, Mat Frewer, Rip Torn
Directed by: Ron Clements & John Musker
Music by: Alan Menken
Written by: Ron Clements & John Musker
Region Code: A,B,C

Blu-ray Disc release Date: August 12, 2014


"Who puts the GLAD in GLADIATOR?"


My Take:

Disney’s Hercules is an odd duck in the house that Micky built's catalog. It is their take on the tale of Zeus' son who is turned half-mortal by the evil Hades, God of the Underworld. Hercules is raised on earth my mortals, but he still has his god-like strength. When he learns of his heritage, Zeus tells him that to return to Mount Olympus he must be a hero on Earth. It takes more than using his strength to become that hero. Battling Hades and stopping his plan to overthrow Zeus is not quite enough. It is only when Hercules selflessly saves his true love that he unwittingly becomes the hero. How the tale is odd is that it seems to be trying with just about every line, every music number and every frame to be witty charming and relevant. It does hit the mark quite often, but it also tends to fall flat too much. What ultimately saves it is its brisk pace that never really come up for air.

The voice talents of Tate Donovan, James Woods and Danny DeVito are a treat for the adults, and they seem to be enjoying their roles. Musically there is a bit of a disconnect, with its odd Show-Tunes/Gospel funk vibe that never is incredibly catchy or memorable. The hand drawn images are always a welcome treat and the character design, from the big neck of Hercules, the way too thin waist of meg and Hades crazy hair and eyes are nice eye candy, as are the set pieces. Like I mentioned, it is an odd duck, but my kids enjoyed it, it just didn't cross-over to be one of those animated flicks that really resonates with adults as well.

Parental Guide:

This film contains mild thematic material but is appropriate for general audiences.


AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100/EXCELLENT = 83-91/GOOD = 74-82/AVERAGE = 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE = under 65

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**



Audio: 90
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)


  • Dynamics:
  • Low frequency effects:
  • Surround Sound presentation:
  • Clarity/Detail:
  • Dialogue Reproduction:
  • Low frequency extension * (non-rated element): NA


Video: 90
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)


  • Resolution/Clarity:
  • Black Level/Shadow Detail:
  • Color Reproduction:
  • Fleshtones:
  • Compression:


Disney’s Hercules comes to Blu-ray Disc from Disney featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 28.6 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.0 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4.2 Mbps.

This was a very enjoyable release with great pop in its high def images. Colors jumped off the screen, and fine details in the drawings all came through brilliantly in this transfer. Black levels were inky and I never noticed any apparent issues with banding or compression induced artifacts. There were times where the separation in background and foreground had a slight on-screen 3D look.

The DTS-HD MA soundtrack popped with clean rendering of all dialogue and folly effects. Surround activity rally flowed well from the nicely mixed front sound-stage, and the LFE track added some needed heft. Music was big and bold with a nice stereo spread and dynamic range. This was an impressive track that was more impressed me more than I was anticipating.I enjoyed this release in both Audio and Video and realized that do really have a soft spot for hand drawn over CGI animation.





Bonus Features:
  • The Making of Hercules
  • Music Video
  • "Zero to Hero" Sing-Along
  • Bonus DVD
  • Digital HD Copy





Final Thoughts:

Disney’s Hercules is a fun take on the old Greek myth. It's not going to be on many Disney top 10 list, however, you cant really dislike it either. It was a fast romp that isn't without its faults, but it looks and sounds great in Blu-ray and the kiddo's are sure to enjoy it. It can get a bit dark for the younger ones, but its humor and music along with its message of friendship and heart far outweighs the fright.







Lee Weber
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews



Reference Review System:

JVC DLA-RS4910 3D 1080p 3D High Definition Front Projector
Screen Innovations Gamma Maestro 4K 138" 2.35:1 Acoustically Transparent Screen
Da-Lite Pro Imager Projector Screen Masking Syste
Yamaha CX-A5000 Pre/Pro
Parasound Halo A51 & A21 7x250
Sony BDP-S790 Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Triad Gold LCR's
Triad Silver Surrounds x4
Triad Bronze Subwoofers x4
Panamorph DC1 Anamorphic Lens
AudioQuest Wires

Panasonic TC-P65ZT60 3D 1080p Plasma
Anthem MRX-310-AV Receiver
Sony BDP-S790 Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
MKSound MP-7 LCR's
MKSound SUR-55T Surrounds
Triad Bronze Subwoofer
 
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