It is never wise to defy Father Jupiter, especially on Mount Olympus and in front of the other Olympians, yet this is exactly what Hercules does. His father's thunderbolt casts him toward the mortal realm far below, which is, incidentally, exactly where Hercules wishes to be.
Rescued from the sea by a merchant vessel, he soon finds himself in New York and begins his adventures in earnest. His sidekick and guide is a pretzel vendor, nicknamed Pretzie, who cluelessly tries to acculturate our favorite demigod during his sojourn.
Hercules meets the lovely Helen and her scholarly father after providing 'instruction' to local athletes. He woos her as he battles an escaped bear and earns a name for himself in the colorful world of Pro Wrestling.
Jupiter sends Mercury to fetch his errant son, but Hercules refuses to return. Olympus is boring, the mortal realm full of exciting possibilities. The All-Father, affronted, sends Nemesis to conduct Hercules to the Underworld, where he is to remain for 100 years.
Juno, who has never liked the fruit of her husband's loins, commands Nemesis to take Hercules' super-strength and to leave him where he is. Banishment to Pluto's realm doesn't sound like much of a punishment to the Queen of Heaven.
Our hero, shorn of power, finds himself running afoul of weightlifters and gangsters. Venus and Mercury send Samson and Atlas to lend a hand and Hercules emerges triumphant.
Having seen that his company placed his friends in the way of harm, Hercules bows to Jupiter's wisdom and accepts his banishment. Jupiter, having followed his son's exploits, decides that it is time to revisit the mortal realm.
This was Arnold's first movie and was prophetic in predicting his future political career. There was an exciting chariot race through the streets of the Big Apple and actual Greek music served as the score. Both the dubbed and un-dubbed versions are enjoyable and I really appreciated all the small touches that kept our hero and the pantheon in a Greco-Roman context.
Review by Hercules Invictus
