The distributor Joseph E. Levine who was also the producer of Tattoo, The Spy With a Cold Nose, and A Bridge Too Far, really cleaned up when he picked up and released this cheap Italian epic.
Hercules features muscle man Steve Reeves (a proponent of body building without the use of steroids) as Hercules. The story is actually the plot of Jason and the Argonauts with Hercules tagging along as Jason searches for the golden fleece which will make him the rightful ruler of Iolcus. Hercules is in love with Princess Iole, but since he is a sort of a half baked god, he can't really love her until he renounces his god powers what ever they are.
It all climaxes in a big fight in the kingdom of Iolcus with Hercules whipping every one with some big chains and generally kicking major ass. The fighting comes to an end when Hercules uses the chains to pull down the palace of King Pelias crushing all the bad guys in process in a kind of cool scene.
No question that Reeves is in really good shape. He's covered in oil to accent his pumped up body. But frankly, the film could have used a lot more action. A lot of time is spent wandering around a camp full of Amazons and the whole film kind of rushes to a conclusion about 15 minutes before it ends.
Mario Bava was the cinematographer and also handled the special effects which included a goofy Godzilla type of midget monster guarding the golden fleece. Bava was usually hired by Italian producers for his skill in making a film look good on a low budget.
Hercules is of historical interest only as an example of marketing and selling something to a gullible film going public.
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