Hercules certainly satisfies in terms of its impressive action sequences, but when it comes down to the actual story, this blockbuster leaves a lot to be desired.

In the latest adaptation of the legend of Hercules by director Brett Ratner, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars as the hulking hero who is capable of incredible feats of strength. Ratner’s version of the story claims that Hercules is not a demigod, nor the son of Zeus, and that all of the mythology surrounding the character is just that; a myth. When the film begins Hercules has already completed the twelve labours that made him famous among the masses in ancient Greece, and consequently more beloved than his King (Joseph Fiennes). His reputation comes crashing down, however, when his wife and children are brutally murdered. There are many who believe that Hercules is responsible for slaughtering his own family, and even Hercules himself is unsure of how his loved ones met their fate. The King is among those who find Hercules guilty, and as a result he is exiled from the kingdom. The enormous man now works as a mercenary for hire alongside his comrades Autolycus (Rufus Sewell), Amphiaraus (Ian McShane), Tydeus (Askel Hennie), Atalanta (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal) and his nephew Iolaus (Reece Ritchie), and is only motivated by gold. Ergenia (Rebecca Ferguson), the daughter of Lord Cotys (John Hurt), goes to Hercules with the promise of riches if he can help her father defeat the tyrant Rhesus (Tobias Santelmann). Hercules and his brothers in arms accept her offer, but soon begin to wonder whether they are fighting on the right side.

The most glaring weakness in this film is the script, particularly the dialogue, which is woeful at best. It seems as though the writers have borrowed all of the major plot points from Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000); a hero is loved by the people more than his King, the King betrays him, the hero’s wife and children are killed, then the hero rises up against his betrayer with the assistance of a woman who is close to the King. Both films contain epic action sequences filled with bloodshed, the wearing of sandals, and some questionable hairstyles, but whilst Gladiator is hands down the greatest film ever made in this genre, Hercules is nothing more than child’s play in comparison. In Hercules Dwayne Johnson struts around in his loincloth constantly reminding people that all he wants is to be a husband and a father, whereas Russell Crowe manages to put across the exact same message about his character in Gladiator without overtly telling the audience over and over again. That is the difference between amateurish and skilful writing.

Dwayne Johnson certainly pulls off the character physically with his gigantic biceps and bulging veins, but performance wise he is below average. As you would expect, there is a scene in which Hercules delivers a rallying war speech to his troops at a time where defeat seems inevitable. Naturally, the troops are inspired by their leader, and go on to victory, despite the incredible odds against them. Dwayne Johnson is far from inspirational during this scene, nor is he convincing when shouting out words of encouragement to his men. All in all, he’s certainly no Mel Gibson. Say what you want about Mel, he definitely knows how to give a rousing speech, and still somehow remain masculine, despite his long locks and kilt in Braveheart (1995).

I am extremely fond of Ian McShane after his portrayal of Al Swearengen in HBO’s TV series Deadwood (which was sadly cancelled after three seasons), and I also have a soft spot for Rufus Sewell after his performance as the villain in A Knight’s Tale (2001), so it pained me to see both of them reduced to mere gimmicks in this film. Both were exploited for comic relief, and occasionally they were slightly humorous, but mostly it was fairly cringe worthy. I was impressed by McShane in the action sequences, particularly given the fact that he turns 72 this year. At first when John Hurt came on screen his presence was scintillating, and he made everyone else around him appear inexperienced, but as the film wore on he too became superficial in his performance.

I know I have been terribly harsh on this film, however the one area in which it excels is during its action sequences. A few times I found myself ducking or gasping as the 3D technology made it seem as though there were spears flying directly at me. All of the actors wielded their weapons with finesse, especially Norwegian actor Ingrid Bolsø Berdal who certainly held her own among the men with her bow and arrow. If you are after mindless action then this is the film for you, but if you’re after more of a meaty story with well developed characters, then you will not enjoy this film at all. I will admit that in spite of its weaknesses the film was still quite entertaining, but due to its many flaws, I am forced to give Hercules a rating of 2.5 stars.