Featured
Film Review: Hercules
/ July 31, 2014
Rating: M
Release Date: July 24th, 2014
Starring Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson as the famous demigod, 2014’s recreation of Hercules is a protein-fuelled depiction of a man who having endured his 12 labours, must now prove himself to the King of Thrace as he’s hired to defeat a tyrannical warlord. His role is to raise up an army, and ultimately defeat the kings enemy….with a lot of sword-wielding, ferocious running, and manly ‘behemothness’ thrown in of course.
The film grabs you at the opening line, suggesting we may think we know the story of Hercules, but do we know the truth?
Then, the gospel parallel kicks off….
Hercules is a man many profess to be ‘Saviour’. He’s amassed followers – some feeling indebted to him, others simply believing in his cause – all coming together to learn his philosophies, preach his ways, and expand his notoriety.
Like Christ, Hercules is positioned as an icon whose reputation precedes him, with critics continuously wondering, “Is there any truth to the tale? Is this guy really the son of Zeus?”.
And about here the parallel ends.
Instead of using the opportunity to restore hope and cement people’s faith in a legend, the film-makers conclude that “hey, maybe Hercules was the son of Zeus, maybe he wasn’t, but what’s it matter? – he’s inspired people and won great battles any way right?”
Wrong.
It may do for Hercules but not for Christ.
If you take away the fact that Jesus is God you erode the power and purpose of his sacrifice. Stealing the capacity for Christians to live truly transformed lives; If we deny Christ’s deity we turn the Bible into a glorified ‘self-help’ book and not the road to salvation.
Instead of offering encouragement, Hercules favoured the whittling down of one of the most confronting yet liberating realities of the human experience – there was a man who walked the earth defeating our greatest enemy with His greatest strength – His name is Jesus Christ, and He is the Son of God.
6/10
