Hercules must journey on sea to Hades to bring back a certain stone that'll remove the curse of anemia from his beloved Queen Deianira(Leonora Ruffo) caused by her evil uncle King Lyco(Christopher Lee)whose eyes are on her throne. Along with Herc are pals Theseus(George Ardisson)and Telemachus(Franco Giacobini, a weakling slapstick foil who provides the film's supposed comedy relief)..they must first find a specific golden apple in the land of Hermides before entering god Pluto's Hades to retrieve the special powerful stone. In Hermides, Herc must battle a stone creature while Theseus meets god Pluto's daughter with them falling in love instantly. She will return with Theseus causing Pluto to reign terror to Deianira's people. Lyco plans to separate Herc from Deianira and kill her before the dragon swallows the moon in the sky.
To be honest, the story is pure nonsense. This is about directors Mario Bava and Franco Prosperi creating colorful, surreal fantasy worlds. Using a Hercules film as a palate, both men make good use of fog and wild colors that mix and mingle. The film works as an adventure fantasy for children and one might could say it allowed Bava to evolve and mature as an artist/filmmaker honing his craft for future Gothic horror that would make him a legend. The tools for creating otherworldly atmospherics certainly is represented her. Christopher Lee is, as always, just fine as the villain of the film at first sending Herc on a wild goose chase when his King Lyco was the actual fiend behind the horrors of the Queen and the village. Throw in the sappy forbidden love-affair between Theseus and his rejected-goddess and the minor tasks Herc must overcome to retrieve the precious stone needed to bring his beloved back from the cursed spell that had weakened her. The stories aren't as interesting as the presentation. Reg Park Provides the muscular physique needed to represent the Hercules character..and the directors do let him toss boulders. I think we get a taste of vintage Bava at the end when Hercules must fight of zombies rising from their graves in Lyco's underground pit underneath Deianira's castle. But, without the exotic visual presentation, I don't think this would hold up as well..I just feel that the fantasy itself, particularly the tests Herc must overcome, are not as motivationally conceived as the look.
To be honest, the story is pure nonsense. This is about directors Mario Bava and Franco Prosperi creating colorful, surreal fantasy worlds. Using a Hercules film as a palate, both men make good use of fog and wild colors that mix and mingle. The film works as an adventure fantasy for children and one might could say it allowed Bava to evolve and mature as an artist/filmmaker honing his craft for future Gothic horror that would make him a legend. The tools for creating otherworldly atmospherics certainly is represented her. Christopher Lee is, as always, just fine as the villain of the film at first sending Herc on a wild goose chase when his King Lyco was the actual fiend behind the horrors of the Queen and the village. Throw in the sappy forbidden love-affair between Theseus and his rejected-goddess and the minor tasks Herc must overcome to retrieve the precious stone needed to bring his beloved back from the cursed spell that had weakened her. The stories aren't as interesting as the presentation. Reg Park Provides the muscular physique needed to represent the Hercules character..and the directors do let him toss boulders. I think we get a taste of vintage Bava at the end when Hercules must fight of zombies rising from their graves in Lyco's underground pit underneath Deianira's castle. But, without the exotic visual presentation, I don't think this would hold up as well..I just feel that the fantasy itself, particularly the tests Herc must overcome, are not as motivationally conceived as the look.