Hercules

Hercules definitely uses the original myths as inspiration very loosely. Though I am usually a stickler for accuracy to the original story, I do not have a problem with the majority of these changes. The changes made about Hercules' parents are perfectly acceptable. The original myth about adultery and the wrath of Hera would not be the best starting point for a children's movie. As this was changed the creators of the film naturally also had to take out Hera's antagonistic actions toward Hercules, leaving the door wide open for a new villain. Hades is almost an obvious choice to fill this void, having already negative myths about him and the negative association with death. For these reasons, I find the change of making Hades the villain of the film perfectly acceptable. I am also not bothered that they changed the focus away from the labors, as this allows a more overarching and continuous storyline to be built. I appreciate that they still give references to them- with the hydra, the montage during "Zero to Hero", Phil's to-do list for Hercules, and the Cerberus scene near the end. It does bother me slightly that they changed what some of the labors were, but this I understand as well- the typical audience would be much more likely to recognize a gorgon than one of the man-eating mares of Diomedes. The only thing that really bothers me about the changes in the film is the portrayal of the titans. What is shown is not even close to what is described in original mythology and I would have enjoyed a more intelligent and complex group of adversaries.