Renny Harlin’s The Legend of Hercules and Brett Ratner’s Hercules were two movies about the legendary hero released in 2014, but only one can be considered a real tribute to the warrior’s story. The Legend of Hercules was a 3D fantasy film that depicts the early life of Alcides (Kellan Lutz) in Ancient Greece, as the son of King Amphitryon. After being unwillingly sold into slavery in Egypt, he learns of his true destiny and must rise to become Hercules.
MGM’s Hercules was adapted from the graphic novel by Steve Moore, while also drawing inspiration from the legend of the Twelve Labors. In this movie, Hercules (Dwayne Johnson) is portrayed as a broken and troubled man, haunted by the ghosts of his past, called to fight an evil warlord. Bothmoviesoffera different take on the legendary adventures of Hercules, but only one offers a memorable and captivating tale of the mighty warrior.
20 Best Greek Mythology Movies
From classics like Spartacus to offerings from the 21st century like Troy (2004), Greek mythology movies often showcase Hollywood at its finest.
Movie Cast – Winner – Hercules
Both movies brought together a different collection of actors to star in each story.
Kellan
Lutz
starred
as
the
demigod in The Legend of Hercules
with French model and actress Gaia Weiss appearing as his lover, Princess Hebe. Scott Atkins (
The
Undisputed
Series
) and Liam Garrigan (
Once
Upon
a Time
) also played the roles of King Amphitryon and Iphicles respectively, who are determined to destroy Hercules and ruin his chances of becoming king.
Hercules
helps to shape the movie into a story about connection and fighting for what is right.
Hercules
cast
Dwayne
Johnson
in
the
titular
role
, with Irina Shayk as his late wife Megara. Hercules receives help throughout the movie from his mercenary friends. Atalanta (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal), Amphiaraus (Ian McShane), Tydeus (Aksel Hennie) and Autolycus (Rufus Sewell); Reece Ritche rounds up the cast as Iolaus, the storyteller. While the casts of both movies are impressive,
the
selective
cast of Hercules
helps
to
shape
the movie into a story about connection and fighting for what is right,
making it more intriguing for audiences.
Overall Story – Winner – Hercules
The Legend of Hercules depicts the hero’s origin story. Set in 1200 BC in Ancient Greece, Hercules is involved in a secret love affair with Princess Hebe of Crete; after being betrayed by the king and sold into slavery, Hercules learns of his purpose and must choose between saving his love or fulfilling his destiny as a hero. With the battle between Hercules and Iphicles over the hand of Princess Hebe, this movie focuses more on romance, rather than conflict. The overall story of The Legend of Hercules was considered dull and uninteresting by critics, and it failed to truly display Hercules’ rise to strength and power.
Meanwhile, Hercules is set in 1400 BC and depicts the hero in turmoil after the death of his family; after enduring the Twelve Labors, he is sought after by King Cotys and Princess Ergenia to restore peace to the kingdom of Thrace. The story follows his journey to lead the army against Rhesus. The movie depicts the warrior questioning himself and his abilities, with fighting being his only source of comfort after his losses. While The Legend of Hercules brought a story of romance and conflict, Hercules offers an intriguing story of a lost man seeking purpose, and offers something different to other movies about the mythical hero.
Visuals – Winner – The Legend of Hercules
Both movies used CGI and visual effects to bring Hercules’ ferocious battles to life. In The Legend of Hercules, director Renny Harlin and cinematographer Sam McCurdy stage the battle sequences with clean visual composition to make them stand out for audiences. Theyalsotakeadvantageofthe3-DelementtoenhanceHercules‘ strengthandpowers, as seen when the hero breaks free from his chain and fights his stepfather’s soldiers (via Home Cinema Choice).
For Hercules, director Brett Ratner and cinematographer Dante Spinotti used double negative and CGI to create the warrior’s battles and the journey he takes. Both movies offered impressive visuals, but The Legend of Hercules wins this round as the added element of 3-D works well in bringing the battle scenes to life.
Box Office – Winner – Hercules
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Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules was released in the summer of 2014. On a budget of $100 million, the movie managed to make more than double its budget at the box office. Released in 3,595 theaters, Hercules accumulated $29,800,263 in its opening week, while later achieving more than $172 million worldwide on a run of 22 weeks in theaters (via Box Office Mojo).
| Movie | Budget | Box Office |
|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Hercules | $70 million | $61.3 million |
| Hercules | $100 million | $244.8 million |
The Legend of Hercules was released in January 2014, on a budget of $70 million. In its opening week, the movie made $8,868,318 in 2,104 theaters. Despite a 50-week release in theaters, The Legend of Hercules only made just over $61 million worldwide and failed to make back its budget, making Hercules the clear winner in box office draws (via Box Office Mojo).
10 Best Hercules Movies, Ranked
Filmmakers have brought the legendary Hercules to life in a variety of movies, turning the Greek hero into a star of some amazing films.
Hercules Was The Better 2014 Movie
In comparing the two movies that were released in 2014, MGM’s Hercules proves itself to be the better movie. Itportrayed a different take on the mythical hero that had not been seen in previous adaptations and offered a more humane and relatable side to the legendary hero. Critics viewed Hercules as a surprisingly entertaining film that allowed Dwayne Johnson to showcase his acting and fighting skills perfectly.
Both movies offered insight into the legend that Hercules was, but when it comes to the story, the cast and effects, MGM’s Hercules is the true winner. Not only is it an entertaining action movie that depicts fierce and epic battles, it also shows viewers that behind the legend, Hercules was a man who had his weaknesses and underwent immense tragedy that shaped him into the warrior that he was. While it is not a cinematic masterpiece, it is the strongest and most memorable of the two movies.
Sources: Box Office Mojo, Home Cinema Choice
Hercules
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
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Not available
- Director
- Ron Clements , John Musker
- Release Date
- June 20, 1997
- Writers
- Evan Spiliotopoulos , Ryan Condal
- Cast
- Tate Donovan , Josh Keaton , Roger Bart , Danny DeVito , James Woods , Susan Egan
The Legend of Hercules
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
- Director
- Renny Harlin
- Release Date
- January 10, 2014
- Studio(s)
- Lionsgate
- Distributor(s)
- Lionsgate , Summit Entertainment
- Writers
- Renny Harlin
- Cast
- Kellan Lutz
- Runtime
- 100minutes
- Budget
- $70 million
