Hercules Reviews

Thanks mainly to American distributor Joseph E. Levine, HERCULES began an avalanche of Italian costume spectaculars with scantily clothed women and armies of musclemen. With HERCULES Levine created saturation booking--distributing the film in as many theaters in the country as possible, with huge TV, radio, and newspaper ad campaigns. Levine's strategy found a gold mine at the box office and caused an influx of muscleman films and costume dramas from foreign countries. Reeves, a former Mr. Universe from Montana, played the strong man from mythology in this retelling of "Jason and the Golden Fleece." Although it is heavy on sex and violence, HERCULES is lean on aesthetic qualities. Two stars, only because of the film's impact on the motion picture industry.