Biyograficim
Hercules

Hercules

Movie · 1983 · 3 people

Luigi Cozzi wrote and directed Hercules, a sword-and-sandal fantasy adventure made in 1983 by Italy and the US. Its loose use of Greek myth is mixed with elements of Starcrash, an earlier science-fiction film by Cozzi. Shot in Italian, it runs about 99 minutes. Made cheaply, it met mostly negative reviews, some of them scathing, yet it turned a modest profit and has since gathered a following as a cult film.

The title role goes to Lou Ferrigno, who came to acting from bodybuilding. The cast also includes Brad Harris, William Berger, Sybil Danning, Rossana Podestà, Mirella D'Angelo, Gabriella Giorgelli, Gianni Garko, Claudio Cassinelli, Delia Boccardo, Raf Baldassarre and Eva Robin's. The story pits Hercules against King Minos, who is trying to seize mastery of the world. Along the way the hero fights giant robots animated in stop motion.

Pino Donaggio composed the score. The film won Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Supporting Actress and Worst New Star. Ferrigno returned to the role two years later in the sequel The Adventures of Hercules (1985), also written and directed by Cozzi.

DirectorLuigi Cozzi

Reactions

You can pick up to 3 reactions.

Cast

Only cast members with a profile on this site are listed.

Brad Harris Brad Harris Actor · died at 84 Gabriella Giorgelli Gabriella Giorgelli Actor · 85 years old Eva Robin's Eva Robin's Actor · 67 years old

More from this director

Through different eyes

Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules, up against King Minos and his bid to rule the world, plus giant stop-motion robots. On paper, a wild package. The low budget may show often, but that's part of the fun with films like this. Don't expect real tension; if you're after a cult film and can laugh at old-school effects, it makes for an entertaining night.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Luigi Cozzi's Hercules blends the sword-and-sandal tradition with elements borrowed from his own science-fiction outing Starcrash, producing an odd hybrid. Taking such liberties with Greek myth could count as bold, but the storytelling never turns that boldness into coherence; myth, robots and a scheme for world domination sit side by side without supporting one another. The low budget makes no attempt to hide, and the critics' harsh reactions and the Golden Raspberry wins are not undeserved. Even so, Pino Donaggio's score and the handcrafted labour of the stop-motion effects lend it a certain charm. It owes its cult status less to quality than to sincere excess.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

Hercules is a fantasy adventure whose myths and giant robots could catch children's interest. But there are fights and battles, and parts may be scary for very young kids. The effects are old and cheap, and today's children may well laugh at them. It can be fun with middle-schoolers in a family curious about old films, as long as nobody expects too much.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

Reviews (0)

Log in Log in to write a review.

Comments