July 27, 2014 -- There have been a lot of movies and TV shows about Hercules, one of the oldest legendary figures in the western world, most of them of the sword and sorcery genre. That's what I was expecting from this one. Instead, this is played pretty straight. No sorcery. No Greek gods scheming and interfering in human affairs. No mythical beasts, just a straight up fight between human beings, with swords, arrows, spears, armor, horses and chariots, nothing supernatural at all.

There is an advantage to using a film with (mostly) believable characters in it — it provides an opportunity to create a story that people can relate to. This film does create believable characters for the most part. They are diverse and interesting characters, and they provide the power that drives this story. The story reminds me a bit of “The Seven Samurai,” in that mercenaries are hired to protect a city, and they face a moral crisis in doing so. The story is based on the graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars.

Hercules, played by Duane Johnson (of “The Scorpion King”) is probably the least believable of the characters because of his almost supernatural strength and skill, along with a highly developed moral code (for a mercenary) a lack of desire for self-preservation, and a disregard for his own self interest. Hercules, in this story, is a mercenary, but an altruistic one. Along with him are a loyal band of warriors, and one storyteller. You have a mystic fortune teller, Amphiaraus (Ian McShane), Hercules' oldest friend, Autolycus (Rufus Sewell), a beserker warrior Tydeus (Aksel Hennie) who suffers from PTSD, the Amazon archer Atalanta (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal) and the storyteller Iolaus (Reece Ritchie) who is the nephew of Hercules.

Hercules and his band of mercenaries are hired by Lord Cotys (John Hurt) to combat a rebel army, led by Rheseus (Tobias Santelmann) which has laid waste to the lands of Thrace. In effect, Hercules becomes the general in charge of the army defending Thrace. After a couple of big bloody battles, Hercules is victorious and is rewarded with a lot of gold. He finds out, however, that he may have been fighting on the wrong side in this fight. He and his fellow mercenaries are faced with a moral decision, take the gold and walk, or stay and fight for justice.

There is a great deal of time in the movie given over to the legend of Hercules, versus the man behind the legend. There is a positive message about the need to believe in yourself in order to accomplish great things. There is also a considerable emphasis on the endless debate over destiny versus self-determination. Amphiaraus is a believer in destiny and has a knack for predicting the future. He is also the main comic character in the film, as well as being a formidable warrior.

This movie has impressive production values and it looks great. The battle scenes are well staged and there is excellent stunt work. The 3D effects are good. I actually winced at one point when some weapon is thrown directly at, seeming through, the screen at me. In another scene a weapon almost seems to come through the screen. The story is compelling and the characters are interesting. It isn't all that believable, but it is an entertaining action film for the most part. This film rates a B.

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