Hercules (Jetlag Productions)

As the seventeenth and therefore last Jetlag Productions animated film that I saw, "Hercules" managed to be simple and enjoyable entertainment. By this time, I knew almost exactly what to expect from this producer, so counting on all the probable flaws most of these films suffer from, I had no intention to let them bother me. No, Jetlag Productions will not go down in history as a great animation producer, possibly just the opposite, but they have managed to produce a decent number of equally decent children's films in a span of about three years. Released two years prior to Disney's take on the Greek hero, this version may or may not have been produced in answer to it. What I do know is that both films are very different. Where  Disney's film  was mostly a light-hearted and very enjoyable comedy, Jetlag's film is a bit more straightforward telling its story, adding small touches of humor but mostly relying on a good storyline for its main appeal.The story is based on the legend of one of the most famous heroes of Greek mythology. When the son of Zeus is born, he is destined to become a king on earth. However, a wicked goddess named Hera changes things by helping another boy, Eurystheus, take that throne. Still, even as a small child there is no doubt that Hercules was blessed with powers superior to that of any human being; if he is not to be king, he can still be known one day as the greatest hero who ever lived. When he becomes an adult, he is lead to Eurystheus, now his rival, who gives him a serious of difficult tasks to achieve in order to prove his greatness. For Hercules, some of these tasks are challenging, but he never gives up, and always finds a way to complete them; his father Zeus and other friends are also around to offer him help and guidance. The tasks are difficult and sometimes life-threatening, from battling nine-headed monsters to collecting a handful of apples from a special tree. Still, there's no challenge Hercules cannot overcome with his superior strength and agility. Once the tasks are completed not only does he prove himself, he is also reunited with Megara, his true love, and certain rivalries reverse into friendships.The biggest flaws in this one particular title are no different than those I've come to know this studio for. The overall quality is, without a doubt, low-budget and quick. Still, low-budget and 'cheap' are two different words, and the studio relying on a small budget doesn't necessarily mean that the creators are not enthusiastic about adding fun details and making sure their work is as well-crafted as it can be. The animation features rather jerky movement, particularly during the action scenes, and the facial expressions of the characters are often exaggerated. Those who've grown spoiled with the dazzling animation of Disney's golden age features may not be able to appriciate anything simpler, so I can say that this film is not for people with that mentality. Overall, the characters are well-designed; I'd never seen so many muscular men together in one of these low-budget films, in fact, this is the first that I've seen that features even one, and I must say that their bodies are well drawn. The only exception to this good character design is that of Megara; her design could have been much improved over the typical blonde animated girl. Jetlag Productions' never did manage to combine blonde hair and a good character design, it seems. Next, the voice acting is as corny and unnatural as ever, and after watching sixteen of these films, I didn't expect anything else. Still, it is mostly tolerable. As usual, these voices can be recognized after having appeared in a large number of other Jetlag films (for example, Prince Richard in " Sleeping Beauty " (1995), and the girl voicing Megara has voiced over a dozen Jetlag characters). The storyline is amusing enough, though there's hardly room for variety; most of the 45-minute runtime is taken by Hercules' twelve labors, some more entertaining than others. The songs... ah, the songs. Many of Jetlag's songs are sweet and catchy the first time you hear them, others take some getting used to until they finally 'stick.' It took a while for me to appreciate these songs, though I still find this particular song collection to be among their weakest. For starters, "Greek Mythology" is a nice, short introduction to the film, unfortunately semi-ruined by poor singing. Second, "Son Of Zeus" is possibly the nicest song; a slow song telling of Hercules' greatness, from child to adulthood. Finally, "Never Give Up" is more annoying than rewarding, and the singing is mediocre enough for a listener to have difficulty comprehending some of the lyrics. Overall, "Hercules" is definitely not the best Jetlag Productions film out there, but it is a nice (and in my case, last) addition to a collection of often underappreciated, if humble, children's films. Enjoyable, harmless, and highly recommended!

My son, now a teenager, was looking for a dvd of his favorite video from his childhood. I found it and gave it to him as a present, and he is beyond thrilled. He played this constantly between the ages of 3 and 7 and never tired of it. In his opinion, it is far superior to the Disney story.

100%

My partner was over the mood with me finding this DVD.

love this! its my childhood in a movie :)

teaching children Greek mythology , simple , no violent or silly /shallow content , passing the message through. My children 4( boy) and 3( girl)LOVE this DVD. My daughter all the times sings" I can- I can , everything is possible...." -song in the DVD . I am looking forward for the rest of the series.

Good price happy