The 1990's was a very good period in Disney's history, it is the decade that saw the "House of Mouse" produce some of the greatest animated movies since the golden era of Disney! movies that are comparable to 1939's Snow White (the first full length animated feature) and 1940's Pinocchio! Though with that said there were some lesser instalments to come along that didn't quite manage to impress in the same way as Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King had but are nonetheless enjoyable and entertaining in their own way, one such movie was 1997's Hercules which followed the adventures of one of Greek mythologies greatest ever heroes! Hercules was more light hearted and action packed than The Hunchback of Notre dame and Pocahontas had been, which was a deliberate move on the part of the studio who noticed that children weren't as taken with the last two instalments as they had been with say Aladdin which influenced Hercules lighter and more comedic tone. The movie was a huge hit but didn't entirely impress critics who when comparing this movie to some of those earlier movies couldn't help but feel underwhelmed, which isn't to say Hercules isn't great entertainment, well cast and beautifully animated it just isn't as impactful as some of what had proceeded it but conversely managed to improve on the last two offerings that proceeded it!
Along with the mega amount of merchandising that usually proceeds a highly anticipated Disney release (something which is comically referenced in the movie itself; "I'm an action figure!") Here in the UK and in Europe we got a nice little set of toy's courtesy of McDonalds which we will cover in detail as well as a few of the USA released action figures which we would later receive here in Europe to mark Hercules release on VHS:
Hercules: The son of Zeus and air to the throne of mount Olympus Hercules is snatched in a plot formed by Lord of the underworld Hades in which he is given a potion in order to turn him human whereby he can be killed! The plan which is carried out by Hades' minions Pain and Panic doesn't go according to plan and Hercules is discovered by two mortals and raised as there own but Hercules never quite fits in due to his incredible strength coupled with his innate clumsiness! So when he is told of his Godly heritage Herc sets out to prove his worth with the Help of Phil his mentor and his best friend Pegasus!
Hercules isn't the most memorable Disney protagonist but he is endearing and exciting enough to make him one of the best incantations of the legendary Greek Hero and this figure is a nice representation of him with a decent likeness and an apt action feature that sees him fling a discus when he is twisted at the waist!
Meg makes for quite a refreshing female Disney "princess" with her sarcastic whit and strong personality she is memorable and genuinely funny which as far as I am concerned makes her stand out from the other Disney love interests and this figure really does the look of the character justice perfectly capturing the on screen animated design! When wound up she "walks" along moving her head from side to side which works effectively and suits the characters persona well!
Pegasus: The winged horse Pegasus was created from the clouds by Zeus to be a loyal pet for his infant son Hercules! the loyal stallion who posses the ability to fly is reunited with his friend, after Hades' minions Pain and Panic kidnap and tried to kill Hercules some years earlier, helping Herc as he trains to be a hero to his people and prove himself to the God's on mount Olympus! Pegasus is nicely represented here in toy form with flapping wing action when the figure is rolled along!
Phil: Former trainer to some of Greece's biggest heroes the now retired Phil is a hard nosed Mickey Goldmill type who is persuaded to take up one last gig as mentor to the teenage Hercules who is trying to find his place in this world after discovering his roots and trying to prove himself to his real father!
Hot tempered satyr Phil is portrayed by Actor Danny DeVito whose distinctive likeness was worked into the character design and is perfectly recreated in this wind up toy which features Phil astride a fallen pillar which crawls along when wound up!
Hydra: As part of Hades plot to kill his nephew Hercules the Hydra is unwittingly released after our hero is tricked into freeing her from beneath the boulder she is imprisoned under! The Hydra is quickly defeated, or so it would seem, until she rises up and grows three new heads in place of the one Hercules had lobbed off! It isn't long before three heads become six and then nine as Hercules continues to behead the beast before realising he won't defeat the monster that way and has to find some other alternative plan to slay it!
The Hydra's appearance makes for one of the most exciting sequences in the movie! The creature was realised completely in CGI making it even more memorable and frightening and it's design makes for a great toy which is just a simple figure with little articulation and no gimmicks to speak of but it looks fantastic!
Hades was originally going to be far closer in personality to the calm and slick villains such as Aladdin's Jafar but in casting actor James Woods to provide Hades voice the character became more of a sleazy, fast-talking sales man type which makes this particular addition to the Disney bad guy's club a memorable one! This figure is a decent enough representation of Hades but looks a little off with his head being a tad too small! but overall it is nicely detailed and comes with a base he attaches to which features minions pain and panic holding on for dear life as it spins when a button is pressed!
Panic: One half of Hades loyal minion duo Panic is the most neurotic, nervy and anxious of the two but make no mistake these two imps are very cunning!
This 3" figure is very nicely detailed especially for a fast food premium though it isn't accurate in its scale compared with the fates! he comes grasping the all seeing eyeball that is shared amongst the Fates and isn't looking particularly pleased about it!
The Fates: These three sisters have a very specific duty in the underworld and that is that they are reasonable for cutting each person's thread of life, taking away their life source and sending their soul to the river Styx aka the pit of death where they loom for all eternity! The Fates are comprised of two separate parts that combine to make a whole 3D figure that can be used to house the accompanying figure, as is the case with all of the figures in this set, and despite the absence of paint applications this is still a very nicely designed and fun looking accessory that depicts the three sisters fighting over the a"ll seeing eye"!
Again this is another nicely made figure which as an additional feature as he is able to extend his jaw to give the impression of screaming!
Cyclops aka Bright Eye: After the monstrous titans are freed from their underwater prison they head to mount Olympus in order to seek revenge against their captors including Hercules father Zeus! Though the Cyclops has an altogether different mission; seek out and destroy Hercules himself (who has become temporarily human after making a deal with Hades) In his weakened state Herc must battle the giant one-eyed beast using his wits and he hasn't the physical strength to take him on! The Cyclops figure once more comes in two sections that attach together and can be used to store the Pain figure. It is superbly detailed and really does look fantastic though he is far smaller in scale than he should be but that is a minor gripe!
Hades: What more can be said about one of the greatest villains ever to appear in a Disney movie? Yes Hades is that brilliant of a character that his appearance in this film is possibly the best element of Hercules altogether! and this figure is easily one of the best in the set perfectly capturing his sly and cocky persona with his smirky grin and raised eye brows! It is a marked improvement over the earlier figure mentioned in this post and even comes with translucent hair which will glow when placed in front of a light source!
Cerberus: Hades three headed Dog pet is a ferocious and fearsome beast that lives with its master in the murky underworld! However he is easily tamed when a furious Hercules uses him to make his way through hades lair at the movies climax! Another two part figure Cerberus is a very nice looking figure that looks just as fantastic from the back! Cast in a greyish black with only the piercing red eyes to break it up this is one of the best figures in the set!
Hercules is a minor classic in the Disney Cannon but is a classic nonetheless
and as such is thoroughly enjoyable, well animated and has great vocal performances from all concerned! Its a movie that, if nothing else, has contributed a fabulous Villain and memorable heroin to the pantheon of classic Disney characters and while may not feature high on the "Best Disney movies of time" list it certainly has much to recommend it! McDonalds' promotional toys released in Europe are also perfectly enjoyable and fun but aren't quite as well made and collectable as the set of figures that were later released both here and in the USA!
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