The Legend of Hercules

Even for a throwaway B-action-flick, The Legend of Hercules is a bad movie that doesn't even really deliver on its title. Rather than offer a movie centered on the legendary achievements of Hercules, writers Sean Hood, Daniel Giat, Giulio Steve, and Renny Harlin (who also directs) offer audiences a bland origin tale centered around the god-like Prince Alcides (Kellan Lutz) whose father King Amphitryon (Scott Adkins) sends on an impossible mission to get the boy killed guessing correctly that Alcides isn't his son.

Surviving a slaughter and life as a gladiator, Alicides eventually makes it home under the name Hercules, which Queen Alcmene (Roxanne McKee) wanted to name him, to take on his father, brother (Liam Garrigan), and rescue the woman (Gaia Weiss) he loves all while being told he has a greater destiny to fulfill (which the movie then completely ignores). Cribbing the storyline from Gladiator, without any of its style, The Legend of Hercules is an impressively bad movie that doesn't even offer cheesy enjoyment in its many faults.

Choosing a fashion model as its leading man, the acting throughout is less than impressive. But, to be fair, so is the writing, directing, and CGI. There's plenty of action to be had, but none of it is all that memorable and the movie's inconsistent CGI doesn't help sell the action scenes which look laughably unnatural and staged at times rather than anything approaching actual battle scenes.

Available on both Blu-ray and DVD, extras include a digital Ultraviolet copy of the movie, a basic behind-the-scenes featurette on the making of the film, and audio commentary by Harlan and Lutz.

[Lionsgate, DVD $29.95 / Blu-ray $39.99]