The son of Zeus is back on the big screen, with WWE-champ-turned-Hollywood-action-star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson playing a shaggier, more haggard hero than he has before.
If you think you know the legend, this Hercules will surprise you. Set just after he has completed his famous 12 Labours, Herc is now a travelling mercenary with a loyal band of warriors. Songs of his deeds are sung across Greece, and people are always coming to him for help. But how do you decide who really needs your help?
One problem with the movie is that it falls into the trap of most swords-and-sandals epics: for some reason, for it to be believable, the actors need to have British accents. When one of them doesn't - in this case, The Rock himself - the character seems less authentic. Fortunately, Johnson plays a brooding demigod, not a talkative one, and the movie has enough action scenes to showcase his other talents.
There are some surprising political tones to the movie, but beyond all that, it's great summer fun to watch The Rock kick some bad-guy butt.