Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Television Tuesday - Hercules and the Lost Kingdom


This is the second of the tele-films that preceded the syndicated show. With the bulk of the recurring characters established in the previous film this one moves directly into the story.

It begins with a group of men walking beside a river, they stop for a drink and one of their number is pulled under by a Sylph. The remaining men escape. Meanwhile a young girl is gathering water when she finds evidence of a Giant. She runs back to town with the Giant hot on her heals. In town the giant rips the roof off a tavern. A Tavern that Hercules happens to be residing in. The giant is defeated just in time for the men from earlier to approach Hercules and tell him their story. They are escapees from the Lost city of Troy, and need Hercules's help.

Zeus (again played by Anthony Quinn) appears and beseeches Hercules not to try to find this lost city. He wants him to try and get back in Hera's good graces. Troy happens to be a City which displeased Hera and so she has put a curse upon it. The remaining movie is about this quest, and about Hercules's complicated relation with his step mother Hera. It also introduces a new character who will become a regular. Deianeira, played by Renee O'Conner (who along with the first movie's Lucy Lawless, would go on to star in the Spin Off series, Xena) By the end of the movie she will become the Queen of the restored city of Troy. We see Hercules approached at the end by another man who needs his help, and the two walk off to begin the next adventure.

Over all the movie was not as good as the previous one. It dosen't feature Iaolus so thats a mark against it. It's missing much of the humourous banter. Over all it would have probably been just fine as a 40 minute episode, but was a bit too weak to make a good movie.

No comments: